Achieving Urban Food and Nutrition Security in the Developing World

THIS PACKAGE OF ten briefs, put together by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), provides a succinct overview of a range of important issues related to urban food security.
A number of the briefs define the larger context for urban dwellers – the often overlooked urban-rural links upon which many are dependent; the quality of work opportunities which determine a household’s capacity to purchase food; the issues of food supply and distribution; and the often severe environmental health problems. These factors can place serious constraints on the capacity of households to nourish their members adequately. A number of urban households, for instance, live far from any market – yet, because of their lack of refrigeration, they depend on frequent food purchases and this can translate into time and transportation costs for families already overburdened in this regard. Even when households have the income to purchase food, heavy time constraints, especially for mothers, and the lack of clean water and adequate food storage can result in poor feeding practices that profoundly affect nutrition, and with it both the development of small children and the capacity of all household members to function well.
One brief looks at the effects of the urban lifestyle on nutritional status and health, noting not only the greater diversity of the urban diet but also the greater dependence on processed foods, owing in part to time constraints, and the higher consumption of fats, sweets and animal products. These changes in diet, combined with lower rates of physical activity in cities, have increased obesity and diet-related chronic diseases. Thus, in the same household, it is possible to face the double burden of under-nutrition and obesity.
A final brief outlines the challenges faced by governments, agencies and community groups in attempting to respond to urban food and nutrition insecurity, and identifies some of the approaches that will have to be emphasized in designing effective interventions and strategies.