Nourishing livelihoods: recognising and supporting food vendors in Nairobi’s informal settlements

Vendors in African informal settlements play vital but overlooked roles in alleviating food insecurity. Many vendors are women selling affordable food to their fellow residents.

Using participatory research, the authors offer a gender-sensitive analysis of how food vending intersects with environmental hazards, insecurity, and governmental neglect in Nairobi’s informal settlements. They argue that improving food security must form part of a wider set of upgrading initiatives to promote jobs, community safety, and political empowerment. Food vendors in informal settlements are a key entr -point for such interventions. By nourishing and recognizing these livelihoods, vendors can lead the way towards equitable food systems.

Available from:

http://pubs.iied.org/10762IIED.html?c=urban