المنتدى العالمي المعني بالأمن الغذائي والتغذية

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Street food and urban and periurban agriculture and horticulture: perspectives for a strategic coalition towards food security

Dear FSN Forum members,

I am very glad to be the facilitator of this second online discussion about street food vending.

My name is Stefano Marras. I am currently a postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Business Administration, Finance, Management and Law, and at the Department of Sociology and Social Research of the University of Milan-Bicocca, Italy.

The aim of this second discussion is to share perspectives on actual and potential links between street food vending and urban and periurban agriculture and horticulture (UPA), analyzing if and in which way such links may represent the basis for possible strategies to enhance food security in urban areas.

This discussion will be an opportunity to expand and strengthen the network of specialists involved in street food trade and governance worldwide.

Introduction

Urban food security depends on food availability, access, and quality over time. With the rapid growth of the urban population and the low nutritional levels of the urban and peri-urban poor, there is tremendous scope for increasing supply of accessible, safe and nutritious food, while ensuring its sustainable production. Academics, FAO, WHO, all recognized street food – i.e. ready-to-eat foods and beverages prepared and/or sold by vendors or hawkers, in the street and similar locations – and urban and peri-urban agriculture and horticulture (UPA) – the growing of plants and the raising of animals within and around cities – as having the potential to help achieve food security in urban areas.

Street foods account for a significant proportion of daily urban food consumption for millions of low- and middle-income consumers in urban areas, representing the least expensive and most accessible means of obtaining a nutritionally balanced meal outside the home (provided that the consumer is informed and able to choose an appropriate combination of foods). In addition, the preparation and sale of street food provides a regular source of income for millions of men and women with limited financial, social, and cultural capital, since the start-up investment and the overheads are relatively low, and cooking requires little or no formal training.

Within this framework, UPA can provide street food vendors fresh, nutritious, less expensive ingredients. Although in most cities in developing countries an important part of urban agricultural production is for self-consumption, the importance of the market-oriented urban agriculture, both in volume and economic value, should not be underestimated. Research has shown that market-oriented, small-scale urban agriculture is often more profitable than small-scale agricultural production in rural areas and generates incomes above formal minimum wage level. A comparative advantage for the urban producers is their close proximity to the urban consumers. Urban vegetable growers spend less on transport, packaging and storage, and can sell directly through street food stands and market stalls. The urban grower can capture as much as 50-75 percent of the retail price, depending on the marketing system, whereas the rural farmer may receive more typically 15-40 percent.

Local food production can be an important source of supply of fresh vegetables for street food preparation. Since locally produced food requires less transportation and refrigeration, it can supply nearby markets with fresher and more nutritious products at competitive prices. Food growing in cities, thus, can and does help improve the quality of people’s diets by providing a greater choice of fresh fruits and vegetables at better prices, particularly to people in the low-income bracket. More common street foods, in most countries, are based on animal-source ingredients often derived from animals kept in cities, there where the commercial peri-urban production of livestock is an extremely fast-growing sector, representing 34 percent of total meat production and nearly 70 percent of egg production worldwide). Nonetheless, fresh salad preparations have increasingly become an integral component of street food sold in cities like Accra, Ghana, and Santiago, Chile. Some urban and peri-urban farmers are even moving towards intensive production of high value-added produce, rather than basic food stuffs; such activities can become major sources of income for more sophisticated members of the population who have investment capacity.

In Bogota, Colombia we can see another trend in direct marketing, wherein the farmers-producer and retailer sit on the board of the corporation and jointly decide what will be produced when. This trend and others are also supported by new communications systems.

Nonetheless, both, street food vending and urban agriculture are still largely debated and opposed or rather ignored by planners and both street food vendors and UPA farmers often operate without permits. Since it is officially "invisible", the sector receives no public assistance or oversight in many cities. For this reason, UPA carries health and environmental risks – potential use of contaminated land and water smells and noise pollution, and inappropriate use of pesticides and of raw organic manure that can leak into water sources. Food production, processing, and vending in the peri-urban zones, while providing employment, do raise issues related to pollution and food safety.

Authorities in many countries have responded to this problem with weak and erratic implementation of legislation on street food and urban agriculture. As formal and informal standards grow, there is a real risk that the poor will be excluded from markets.

Governments should recognize the role played by UPA and street food in making food available to poor families in urban areas and in generating income; they must face and cope with the prevailing problems and accept urban livelihood grassroots strategies including urban farming and street vending, as well as realize the benefits and opportunities created through productive use of green open spaces in cities, both, in terms of nutrition and environmental development.

FAO supports the transformation of UPA and street vending into a recognized urban land use and economic activity in their own right, integrated into national and local agricultural development strategies, food and nutrition programmes, and urban planning. FAO helps national and regional governments and city administrations optimize their policies and support services for urban and peri-urban agriculture, and improve production, processing and marketing systems. Over time the image of urban and peri-urban agriculture may evolve into that of accepted and needed activities which will supersede the temporary and crisis-oriented image of the past.

Questions

In light of this, I would like to raise the following questions /reflections to be discussed:

  1. Are you aware of actual direct links between street food vendors and local urban farmers?
  2.  Are there examples of concrete measures promoted by local authorities to recognize and increase such kind of link?
  3. If so, how have these actions influenced consumers’ choices towards street food?
  4. Have similar initiatives been prompted directly by street food vendors associations? How?
  5. I believe that creating a system of incentives (e.g permits to sell in areas where there are more potential customers, such as near schools, hospitals, transportation hubs; vouchers or some sort of recognition mechanism for good practices) is required for motivating the street vendors to use locally-sourced, fresh produce. Do you think that such incentives could be successful, and why? What other types of incentives might be, and why?
  6. What new mechanisms can be put in place to raise peoples’ awareness on the consequences of their street eating habits? Do you know any advertising methods which have been proven effective?

I wish a fruitful exchange and I thank you in advance for your inputs as they will contribute to refine any future intervention on the ground.

Many thanks,

Stefano Marras

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Lal Manavado

University of Oslo affiliate
Norway

It is interesting to note that a century or so ago, periurban agriculture and street hawking was an important source of vegetables to a comparatively large proportion of London's population.  And allotment gardening in the environs of pre-war Berlin enabled many families to grown their own green food.

Connurbation and rapid population increase in most European cities however, seems to have made perurban agriculture a difficult proposition. However, there are still many large European cities, where it is feasible, and outside Europe street hawking and periurban agriculture remains an important source of fresh food.

I think it might be useful to conduct a survey to ascertain where these practices are still going on, their specific nature, and then one would be able to determine appropriate means of supporting and enlarging them when possible.

In general terms, these might include legal incentives, access to credit on favourable terms, subsidised cost of seeds, fertiliser and appropriate transport etc. Of course, their nature would depend on the local food traditions, climatic conditions, etc.

I think that if street hawking and periurban agriculture are appropriately supported, they would serve as very useful adjuncts to general food security, and may even provide gainful employment to some.

Thank you.

Lal Manavado.

Here in Wilmington, North Carolina, USA we have a vibrant food community. We have a university which has developed a farm-to-table food system, including online shopping and home delivery, as well as pick up sites.

We also have a growing Mobile Food Unit system, which is currently being regulated and licensed by the local county Public Health Offices. See the attached document used to oversee the safe handling of food when served from a truck, van, trailer or other mobile unit.

While this is not my field of expertise, I am keenly aware of the need to provide access to safe food even in the most difficult places. Here in the USA where I live, the food trucks are used mostly at worksites, parking at the building to serve lunch or dinner to the workers, who otherwise would have to heat in a kitchen their employer may have provided. It is becoming less common to see a kitchen at a work site. The other option for these workers is to drive home or to a closer restaurant. Both are more expensive due to the cost of the food, or the gas in transportation. It has become more economical to eat food purchased from a food truck. That is why food safety must be established and monitored for these vehicle carrying and preparing food, a new phenomenon.

While it is important for quality food to reach all people, education about the safe and clean methods of handling, storage and preparing need to be included in the process. Especially for the consumer, who is equally responsible to use safe food handling methods when eating away from home or other safe dining facilities.

May you and yours..Be In Good Health,

Laura L Dawson, MAOM, Dipl.Ac.

See the attachments:

1. Are you aware of actual direct links between street food vendors and local urban farmers?

Honestly, I am not too much aware of this because street food vendors always get the fruits or vegetables from non-urban area or main market. Urban farmers in my country is growing. If the government facilitate street food vendors and local urban farmers it will be good plan and decision. Until this day, in my city for example, this links is promoted by community like Agritektur.

2. Are there examples of concrete measures promoted by local authorities to recognize and increase such kind of link?

In my contry, there isn’t but it will be.

3. If so, how have these actions influenced consumers’ choices towards street food?

The consumer will feel safer to consume more healthy snacks because it is produced locally. In my country, street food produced tends to be less safe and less clean and so many cases of food intoxication. However, the consumer of street food is still a lot and will continue to increase. When this policy is applied, it will give us many benefits, for the seller and the buyer as well. In addition, sellers will sell cheaper because of cheaper transportation costs.

4. Have similar initiatives been prompted directly by street food vendors associations? How?

No, they have not.

5. I believe that creating a system of incentives (e.g permits to sell in areas where there are more potential customers, such as near schools, hospitals, transportation hubs; vouchers or some sort of recognition mechanism for good practices) is required for motivating the street vendors to use locally-sourced, fresh produce. Do you think that such incentives could be successful, and why? What other types of incentives might be, and why?

I think it would be, because the street vendors will be happy (of course!). Government, street vendors, and urban planners have to sit together to discuss this together to synchronized. Government as an incentive giver would have to pick and choose which ones deserve street vendor to be given incentives.

6. What new mechanisms can be put in place to raise peoples’ awareness on the consequences of their street eating habits? Do you know any advertising methods which have been proven effective?

Creating a healthy diet campaigns with creative and fun way and promote street vendors and urban farmers. In my country, social media is the most effective media campaign because people here so many who are active in social media. 

Dear Sir,

No doubt street foods offer multiple choices and benefits for the poor daily wagers or low salary earners yet it appears that any cost addition by way of improving by mainstreaming or for quality / food safety / availability, any official  intervention would be at a cost to the health / promotion of street food industry anywhere. What I mean is that in the developing country scenario any official interventions for any kind of controls are likely to impact negatively towards the well- being & the growth of street foods. Because it is such a market domain where rules are drawn only by market forces related to any prevailing socio-economic situation, local tastes, staples, city, region or a country parameters. In this small sector civic, social pressure and table talk on the spot by routine consumers matters and affects  much more than drawing any lines for monitoring and evaluation. Nearby availability and cost range are most important in this street industry of developing countries.

In rich countries like USA, however, the street food (in New York), for example, is eaten more for variety , fun, long shopping hauls or picnic but in developing. In the poor countries it is the option due to price and quantity to fill the belly with appetizing local taste. Similarly going by packaging/labeling/cleanliness it is more presentable, safe, nutritious and hygienic in NY where the cost is almost near to eating food in a average / common restaurant which is not the case in developing countries of Asia or Africa. People in rich countries eat street food more for variety or picnic but in developing poor countries it is option due to price and quantity to fill the belly with local taste.

Keeping this in mind it can certainly be said that the promotion of urban and peri-urban agriculture and horticulture by helpful intervention of local authorities is likely to improve health and strength of street foods. Urban & Peri-urban agriculture is source of fresh and economic ingredients for street foods, Quality in these ingredients means  better and nutrition implements for the consumers of these street foods. The good and healthy thing about street foods is that most street foods use plenty of greens , salads , colored vegies all of which are very well known for their nutritious properties. In the modern day busy and hard working life people do not bother about buying these items separately for their home made foods due to cost and non-realisation of their nutritional importance.  

So, I am all for the support of urban and periurban agriculture and horticulture: perspectives for a strategic coalition towards food security. Positive interventions in these aspects would improve  health and food security of people. However any intervention to improve quality / nutrition in the street food system would may not be of any benefit.

 

General comment: It’s great that FAO is hosting this on-line forum as it has been my experience that the work on streetfoods and, associated literature, tends to be quite separate and needs to be more thoroughly integrated.

1.    Are you aware of actual direct links between street food vendors and local urban farmers?

The following answer is based on evidence I am aware of and can vouch for due to my involvement in both streetfoods and urban agriculture research for more than 20 years.  Here is my attempt to answer question 1 with answers to the other questions coming over the next week or so.

In my report for the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) entitled “Urban Agriculture in India” available at: http://doccentre.net/Besharp/resources-expertise/Urban_Agriculture_In_India.pdf the case of Dr RT Doshi is described on p. 25 talks about how Dr. Doshi – an internationally recognized leader in urban food production – obtained biomass from sugar cane vendors for his own food production work (hence, the relationship is the inverse in this case to the assumed one of vendors selling the products of urban agriculture). Since this report was published, a plethora of information on Dr. Doshi’s work has become available on the internet, including videos.

On pp. 32-33 there is following quote “The M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) estimated that there is a great potential for flower cultivation, especially orchids, in urban and peri-urban parts of India. At a workshop on women and food security, this type of micro enterprise development was identified as a potentially profitable source of income for women (MSSRF 2000, Annexure 2b).” However, there is no reference to supply chains leading to their sale by street vendors.

The document also has reference to wastewater aquaculture in West Bengal, which can be in peri-urban areas and typically supplies the needs of urban dwellers (pp. 29-30). There is also reference to animal husbandry in urban areas as well as cultivation of ornamental plants.

In the technical report I edited for FAO entitled Feeding Asian Cities (available at http://www.cityfarmer.org/FeedingAsianCities.pdf) while there is discussion of both urban agriculture and street vending, there is little on linking the two, though both are associated with poverty alleviation.  Having said that, pp. 17-22 are very useful for understanding food supply and distribution to cities, including production in urban and peri-urban areas.

There is a bit more in my book, Bangkok’s Foodscape (http://www.amazon.com/Bangkok-Foodscape-Public-Eating-Relations/dp/9744800895). A section beginning on p. 57 talks about supply linkages and the role of market gardens in Rangsit (just outside of Bangkok, which I would classify as peri-urban agriculture), which supplied some of the vendors interviewed. Having said that, the economic boom of the early to mid-nineties resulted in significant amounts of agricultural land on the urban periphery being converted to other uses. Vendors reported buying their fish from wholesale markets in Bangkok which obtained their supply from the eastern seaboard with meat, poultry and particularly eggs (which are less regulated) coming from urban/peri-urban areas.

Conclusion: there needs to be a thorough literature review to elucidate the relationship between streetvending and UPA (with both being clearly defined – particularly the latter which should include commercially oriented market-gardens, etc. I suspect decisions by vendors as to where they obtain their supply are primarily related to pricing, particularly in low-income situations. 

Lisa Kitinoja

The Postharvest Education Foundation
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Thank you for hosting this discussion on urban/peri-urban ag and street foods.  One of the incentives for motivating street sellers to  increase the purchase of fresh, locally produced foods is price, and if the growers experience a lot of postharvest losses (due to poor handling on the farm, damage during the harvest and while handling, high temperatures and use of poor quality packages or containers), then the prices will rise to compensate for these losses.  Urban and peri-urban producers, therefore, need to be educated on good postharvest practices, food safety and reducing food losses and waste.  Simple, low cost handling practices and easy to use improvements in packages and temperature management can keep losses low, and this will help to keep prices competitive.

In response to question 1: Currently in Kenya, there is that direct link between the street food vendors and the local urban farmers. But sadly there are no food safety measures in place. They sell food without work permits and that does not guarantee the safety to consumers. Consumers buy the good at their own risk and little is being done.