The COVID-19 pandemic caused an unprecedented disruption of food systems worldwide, with most governments taking severe containment measures to curb the spread. This resulted in unpredicted negative impacts of the agri-food supply chains coupled with food price inflations. Ultimately, this affected the food security and urban livelihoods for most households, who are dependent on urban markets for food supply. This study examined the implications of the pandemic on food prices and commodities supplies to urban markets conducted through structured interviews. A review of the secondary data was also conducted to show the trends of commodity prices over the last 5 years. The high inflation of commodity prices with a decline in sales volumes was reported by most traders (97%) with decreases in supply quantities. Changes in the consumption behaviour in households was reported by consumers (75%), with 65% experiencing reduced food diversity at home. Households adopted varied coping mechanisms, including reduced food portions (52%), reduced food varieties (44%) and skipping meals (32%). Market prices increased by an average margin of 13.8% for grains and pulses with price decline observed for cabbages (−30.8%) and Irish potatoes (−19.4%). The findings may inform policymakers of additional future shock and pandemic control protocols, whose actions would assure food protection of urban livelihoods.

Human activities, either intentional or unintentional, have significantly influenced the global distribution and genetic composition of many species. Black soldier fly ( Hermetia illucens ; BSF) is a species that has rapidly gained commercial importance due to its bioconversion efficiency of upcycling organic waste into new products of higher value and quality through a circular economy approach. Despite its global distribution, the current Old-World demography of the wild and captive BSF populations remains poorly understood. This work combined whole-genome sequencing and population genomic analyses to determine the genetic diversity, population structure, and historical spread of global wild and captive BSF populations. Our results reveal that most global captive BSF lines were largely derived from a single primary captive lineage, likely from North America. In contrast to the genetically diverse and geographically structured wild populations, captive populations consistently exhibited reduced heterozygosity, elevated inbreeding, and extensive runs of homozygosity. These patterns reflect demographic processes such as founder effects and genetic drift, rather than intentional selection or domestication. This strongly highlights the lasting genomic impact of human-mediated dispersal and uncoordinated breeding practices. Thus, there is an urgent need for genetically informed management strategies to ensure long-term viability, adaptability, and productivity of BSF for sustainable organic waste bioconversion.