How important are supermarkets for the diets of the urban poor in Africa?

Many developing countries are undergoing a profound transformation of food systems and retail environments. Especially in urban areas, a rapid growth of supermarkets is observed, which can affect consumer food choices and diets. Supermarkets may improve access to diverse foods at affordable prices,...

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Autores principales: Wanyama, Rosina, Gödecke, Theda, Chege, Christine G. Kiria, Qaim, Matin
Formato: Journal Article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: Springer 2019
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/103625
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author Wanyama, Rosina
Gödecke, Theda
Chege, Christine G. Kiria
Qaim, Matin
author_browse Chege, Christine G. Kiria
Gödecke, Theda
Qaim, Matin
Wanyama, Rosina
author_facet Wanyama, Rosina
Gödecke, Theda
Chege, Christine G. Kiria
Qaim, Matin
author_sort Wanyama, Rosina
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description Many developing countries are undergoing a profound transformation of food systems and retail environments. Especially in urban areas, a rapid growth of supermarkets is observed, which can affect consumer food choices and diets. Supermarkets may improve access to diverse foods at affordable prices, but may also encourage a switch from unprocessed to highly-processed and energy-dense foods that contribute to obesity. However, the use of supermarkets is positively correlated with income. That supermarkets already play an important role for the diets of many urban consumers does not necessarily mean that this is also true for the poorest population segments that are of particular interest for development policy. This article analyzes the diets and food purchase patterns of poor urban consumers in Kenya and Uganda. Representative data were collected from households in the slums of Nairobi and Kampala. The data show that the majority of these households are undernourished. They buy most food items in unprocessed form from various traditional retail outlets, including mom-and-pop shops, local markets, and kiosks. Relatively few sample households buy any of their food in supermarkets. Supermarkets account for only 3% and 0.4% of all food expenditures of slum dwellers in Nairobi and Kampala, respectively. Reasons for the low supermarket use of these poor households are discussed. The findings suggest that a focus on the modern retail sector alone will not suffice to ensure food and nutrition security for all.
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spelling CGSpace1036252025-11-12T05:58:29Z How important are supermarkets for the diets of the urban poor in Africa? Wanyama, Rosina Gödecke, Theda Chege, Christine G. Kiria Qaim, Matin food systems diet supermarkets supply chain africa household food security Many developing countries are undergoing a profound transformation of food systems and retail environments. Especially in urban areas, a rapid growth of supermarkets is observed, which can affect consumer food choices and diets. Supermarkets may improve access to diverse foods at affordable prices, but may also encourage a switch from unprocessed to highly-processed and energy-dense foods that contribute to obesity. However, the use of supermarkets is positively correlated with income. That supermarkets already play an important role for the diets of many urban consumers does not necessarily mean that this is also true for the poorest population segments that are of particular interest for development policy. This article analyzes the diets and food purchase patterns of poor urban consumers in Kenya and Uganda. Representative data were collected from households in the slums of Nairobi and Kampala. The data show that the majority of these households are undernourished. They buy most food items in unprocessed form from various traditional retail outlets, including mom-and-pop shops, local markets, and kiosks. Relatively few sample households buy any of their food in supermarkets. Supermarkets account for only 3% and 0.4% of all food expenditures of slum dwellers in Nairobi and Kampala, respectively. Reasons for the low supermarket use of these poor households are discussed. The findings suggest that a focus on the modern retail sector alone will not suffice to ensure food and nutrition security for all. 2019-12 2019-09-11T18:49:08Z 2019-09-11T18:49:08Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/103625 en Open Access application/pdf Springer Wanyama, Rosina; Gödecke, Theda; Chege, Christine G. Kiria & Qaim, Matin (2019). How important are supermarkets for the diets of the urban poor in Africa?. Food Security, 1-15 p.
spellingShingle food systems
diet
supermarkets
supply chain
africa
household
food security
Wanyama, Rosina
Gödecke, Theda
Chege, Christine G. Kiria
Qaim, Matin
How important are supermarkets for the diets of the urban poor in Africa?
title How important are supermarkets for the diets of the urban poor in Africa?
title_full How important are supermarkets for the diets of the urban poor in Africa?
title_fullStr How important are supermarkets for the diets of the urban poor in Africa?
title_full_unstemmed How important are supermarkets for the diets of the urban poor in Africa?
title_short How important are supermarkets for the diets of the urban poor in Africa?
title_sort how important are supermarkets for the diets of the urban poor in africa
topic food systems
diet
supermarkets
supply chain
africa
household
food security
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/103625
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