Browsing by Author "Davis, Aabida"
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- ItemFinding ways to increase access to nutritious food in an urban township through the informal economy(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2017-03) Davis, Aabida; Kelly, Candice; Even-Zahav, Etai; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. School of Public LeadershipENGLISH ABSTRACT: The current food system has been described as inadequate in meeting the food security needs of the global population given high levels of environmental degradation, malnourishment and non-communicable diseases (WHO 2016; FAO 2016). The drivers of this increased nutrition burden, also known as the nutrition transition (a shift to energy dense, nutrient-poor foods), have been linked to globalisation and urbanisation (Popkin 2012). One implication of the rapid urbanisation of the African continent means an increased reliance on purchasing as opposed to producing food. As South Africa is 65 percent urban (World Bank 2016), food is accessed mostly through retail thus making the urban poor highly dependent on food prices and proximity to food retailers. The urban poor make monthly bulk purchases at supermarkets but affordable and accessible foods are often associated with the nutrition transition. Simultaneously, the informal economy is used to access proximate daily/weekly food needs (Frayne et al. 2009). The informal food economy, however, has been criticised for contributing to non-communicable diseases due to the lack of nutritionally dense food and food utilisation methods. The main aim of this thesis was to understand the challenges and opportunities of promoting nutritious food through the informal food economy. Using a pragmatic approach and an action research design, an informal food market focusing on the sale of nutritious food, was set up with grassroots activists in Khayelitsha, an urban township in Cape Town. Given the lack of action research found in the urban food security literature, this research aimed to provide a voice to members who are often the subjects of research, yet never partake in the design or implementation of the research. The market focused on the sale of prepared food made with a high diversity of vegetables, raw organic vegetables sourced from local urban agricultural producers and donated organic fruit and vegetables. The market also acted as a platform for local grassroots food activists to further reach out to their community. The results of this thesis suggest that it is possible to intervene in the informal food economy to make nutritious food accessible to those living in urban townships. This research also found that there was a network of local grassroots activists who were working to improve their community and to follow the ideals of food sovereignty. By leveraging this network and their resources, through an action research design, research coordinators were given further capacity to manage the problem of lack of access to nutritious food, which is evident through their commitment to the continuation of the market. This thesis found that further research is needed on how to increase the financial feasibility of the sale of prepared nutritious food in urban townships and how urban agriculture could be promoted through the informal food economy. A key recommendation is that any intervention in the informal food economy should take advantage of the energy and context knowledge of local activists, and should be accompanied by education that is relevant to the local setting.