The Impact of COVID-19 on People's Livelihoods around ASEAN - A/Prof Jeffrey Neilson

The livelihood impacts of COVID-19 have been diverse and far-ranging, with social restrictions initially affecting urban economies before reverberating through to rural Southeast Asia. In Indonesia, where the virus continues to spread, restrictions on mobility and social gatherings have severely restrained informal systems of wealth transfer and social protection. At the same time, formal government support programs have struggled to reach the most vulnerable households. Appropriate responses to the crisis demand a better understanding of rural-urban interactions across contemporary Southeast Asia and a long-term strategy to ensure access to a diversity of livelihood assets. As part of SSEAC's annual ASEAN Forum, Associate Professor Jeffrey Neilson (University of Sydney) sat down with SSEAC's Deputy Director, Dr Thushara Dibley, to discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people's livelihoods around Southeast Asia. About Jeffrey Neilson: Jeff's research focuses on economic geography, environmental governance and rural development in Southeast Asia, with specific area expertise on Indonesia. Jeff’s research interests are diverse and include issues of food security and food sovereignty, the global coffee industry, the global cocoa-chocolate industry, agrarian reform movements, sustainable livelihoods and alternative measures of well-being, agroecology, and environmental governance. He is currently leading a five-year research project examining the livelihood impacts of farmer engagement in value chain interventions across Indonesia. This research is contributing to cutting-edge international debates on the development effects of sustainability and certification programs, Geographical Indications and direct trade initiatives. Jeff is a fluent Indonesian language speaker and has conducted extended periods of ethnographic field research in the Toraja region of Sulawesi, where he pursues research in cultural change, landscape history, the ceremonial economy and oral poetic traditions. You can follow Jeffrey on Twitter @JeffreySydney. View the transcript: https://bit.ly/310lP87 Photo credit: Tuan Anh Tran