food markets

This paper (PDF) by Hivos and IIED shares results of research carried out together with women vendors in dining areas of markets in La Paz, Bolivia, guided by interest and concerns of the vendors themselves. Bolivian people’s diets have changed significantly in recent years due to urbanisation, increased purchasing power, and changes in consumer preferences. »

The COVID-19 pandemic has a large and decisive impact on public health, and generates major consequences for social relationships, economic development and food systems. In this note, Ivo Demmers and Ruerd Ruben focus on four food system dimensions that are most critical for outlining the (likely) impact of COVID-19 induced changes on agri-food systems’ performance, and outline the main challenges that have to be addressed during the post-COVID-19 recovery period. »

This paper is the result of the study on domestic food markets in West Africa, Cameroon and Chad. Food systems in sub-Saharan Africa have changed in recent decades, and many observers have failed to keep up. The results reveal the considerable importance of the domestic food markets compared to the export markets. »

This article examines the impact that export restrictions have on price volatility. Since 2007 food prices have become significantly higher and more volatile. This impacts food security because it affects household incomes and purchasing power. A more and more frequent response to price volatility is the use of export restrictions to stabilize domestic prices. However, when a country is a large exporter, the restrictions can even increase global price volatility. »

This policy brief argues that urban food insecurity is significantly distinct from rural food insecurity and that therefore insecurity in urban areas must be addressed through a different set of policies. It provides policy suggestions for national governments in the Global South on how to improve sustainable, healthy food access in urban areas, and identifies issues that need to be addressed. »

This report elaborates on the importance of food markets for food consumption in African cities and rural areas. It argues that food systems in West Africa are rapidly changing and that, contrary to popular belief, the percentage of subsistence farming for food consumption in rural areas is also declining. Therefore, market supply is becoming the main source for food consumption and rural as well as urban household tend to become more vulnerable to fluctuation in food prices on these markets, which impacts their food security. »