Urban Food Distribution in Asia and Africa

Abstract

HE MAIN OBJECTIVE of this paper is to review the principal elements of the food supply system of the urban poor in developing countries, and to see how these have evolved and continue to evolve within the broader context of the development process. It is contended that in order to appreciate fully the present situation and make recommendations for improvement, the valuable but fragmented empirical work currently being undertaken needs to be set within an overall framework in order to appreciate the impact that changes in one context may have on another. Geographers are interested in identifying and explaining the patterns and interlinkages which are produced within complex systems of societal and environmental relationships. In the context of the urban food supply system, this involves all levels of the supply network from production, whether from local or imported sources, through various intermediary distributive channels to the different forms of retailing and consumption (Fig. 1). Moreover, within each of these levels geographers must focus not just on the commodity itself but also on the economic, social, cultural and political factors which affect the system. However, it is not easy to establish a suitable conceptual framework to identify the socio-spatial