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Understanding the Role of Street Food Vendors in Promoting Nutritious Millet Consumption
1. CONTEXT: CIFSRF PROJECT REVALORIZING SMALL
MILLETS IN RAINFED REGIONS IN SOUTH ASIA
(RESMISA)
The CIFSRF project, Revalorizing Small Millets in Rainfed Regions
in South Asia, led by CMU & DHAN Foundation, aims to increase
production, distribution, access, and daily consumption of small
millets and pulses seeds in rainfed regions of India, Nepal and Sri
Lanka.
As a part of two key objectives: To enhance the consumption and
social status of small millets and to advocate for a policy
environment that provides a level playing field for production and
consumption of small millets.
This study is an attempt to explore this gap: understand street food
chain, their products, clients, problems and constraints and
opportunities
2. URBAN FOOD INSECURITY
Urban residents spend 30% more of their income than
their rural counterparts to meet their daily caloric
intake.
The percentage of population consuming less than
1890 calories per day was 13.90% in urban regions
against 13.20% in the rural areas in 2004–05
(NSSO, 2007).
3. THE INFORMAL SECTOR AND STREET
FOOD VENDING IN INDIA
One of the two largest informal sector sub-groups.
(Chan, 2010).
Street food vendors have shown their resilience in
the face of both economic downturn and economic
boom (FAO, 2007)
91% of women in the non-agricultural labour force
were in the Informal Economy (Hill, 2010)
Street Food is an essential component of the urban
poor’s diet and provides livelihoods for the urban
poor and thus an appropriate avenue for food
security interventions.
4. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
Research was conducted with four overlapping
objectives:
(i)To understand the role of street vendors for
enhancing consumption of nutritious RTE food
among poor (including millet porridge)
(ii) To understand the socioeconomic profile of
street food vendors
(iii) To understand the socio-economic profile of
street food consumers and their preferences for
food quality, nutrition, and hygiene
(iv) To explore rural and urban linkages between
rural peasants and the informal food sector
employing urban poor.
5. METHODOLOGY
Mixed-Method
Approach
Qualitative and
Quantitative data
collected
Methods
• Exploratory research: semi-standardized interviews,
participant observations, consultation with experts.
• Vendor Focus Group discussion
• Health and Safety observations
• Consumer Surveys
• Mapping Exercise
10. DIVERSITY OF
PRODUCTS
Over 20 types of rice,
wheat or millet based
ready to eat products
Top 10 Main Dishes (Primary)
Idli
Pearl Millet Porridge
Dhosai
Ragi Millet Porridge
Pongol
Poori
Variety Rice
Parotta
Chapati
Aappum
Ragi Millet Porridge
11. CLASSIFICATION OF VENDORS BY GENDER
Gendered Ownership/Management of Vendors
Sole Female Led Enterprise Husband & Wife
Team
Sole Male Led Enterprise
With no
support
Female
support
only
Some
support
from male
Support from
female
family
member (not
wife)
Male with no
female
support
12 8 5 58 6 1
13% 9% 6% 64% 7% 1%
12. WOMEN IN THE STREET VENDING SECTOR:
SOCIOECONOMIC PROFILE
91% of solo female led enterprises had less than grade 10
education and 75% were illiterate
The category of vendors with the lowest economic status
over all were hawkers, which were 80% women
o More commonly driven
by severe financial
need; widowed or
separated, family
medical needs,
husband was injured or
substance abuse
issues.
13. PAID VS. UNPAID WORKERS
Total N=137
Gender of Worker
Male Female
unpaid worker 41 72
paid employee 18 6
Total 137 59 78
14. COMPARISON OF BUSINESS ACROSS
CLASSIFICATIONS
Female Led Male Led Husband-Wife
Team
Other source of
income?
47.8% 28% 25%
Average number of
customers per day
48 59 95
Percentage of repeat
customers
Majority low
(0-20%)
Majority low (0-
20%)
Majority high
(41-60%)
15. DISADVANTAGES WHEN IN THE STREET
VENDING BUSINESS
Less diversity of product
not due to knowledge but
capacity to expand
More hours spent at
home and behind the
scenes
Dangerous or painful
preparation
Lack of support from
NGO’s or government
16. BRIBES AND HARASSMENT
• 45% of female led enterprises reported being harassed
and asked to relocate within the last year as compared to
28% of male led enterprises.
• Often blamed on ‘traffic congestion’
17. CONSUMER SURVEY DATA
Av.
Primary
Income
(Rs/month
)
Average Spending at
Street Food Vendors
Socioeconomic
Class
N Rs/month
As % of
income
poor 66 8090 246 3.0%
lower middle
class
80 16406 319 1.9%
upper middle
class
22 23181 268 1.2%
Total 168 14026 283 2.0%
18. PROTECTION OF LIVELIHOODS AND REGULATION
OF STREET VENDING ACT 2014
Important first step in recognizing street vendors contribution
to the economy
• Chapter V11
states one-third
of members
within the town
vending
committee must
be women.
19. SPECIAL THANKS
Development for Humane Action Foundation (DHAN)
International Development Research Centre (IDRC)
Menno Simons College/ Canadian Mennonite University
University of Alberta
Notes de l'éditeur
The study began as a way to address the two key objectives stated in the CIFSRF project. During the beginning of the study a strong gender division was observed as essential for further analysis. In reflecting on this we knew that in order to suggest or implement any successful intervention for small millets we had to be sure we were not continuing a system of exploitation.
Despite the illusion of food security due to the availability within city centres, the percentage of the population consuming less than required calories per day is slightly higher than in rural areas.
Using Google maps we plotted where in the city each type of vendor was located.
Category of husband/wife team could have been a man or women interviewed and 49% of interviewees were women, which is especially significant considering no targeted efforts were made for women vendors.
Of the only 6 paid femaleemployees within all vendors we interviewed, women were paid on average 3 ½ times less than their male counterparts
As this chart showssole female led enterprises more often required a secondary source of income for their household indicating their business alone was not enough to support themselves and their families. Coupled by a lower average number of daily customers in addition to a low amount of repeat customers.
Another example of their low economic status impeding their business is if they couldn’t afford to purchase primary preparation materials and food in bulk they would have to buy small portions only to match the days business and thus decreasing revenue. When asked about possible intervention from an NGO one vendor responded “Why do I even think about that at this age, all I look to is if I will be alive tomorrow”
Specific occurrences of women who knew they would do better business in another area of town but stayed in less busy areas because they knew they would be harassed and forced to move.
This slide shows our consumer data which indicates that the urban poor spend a higher percentage of their income on street food vendors, showing that street food vendors are an appropriate avenue to address nutritional security of the urban poor.
Observing the disadvantages women currently face in the Street Food vending sector it is difficult to predict how the act will affect them. Chapter V11 states one-third of members within the town vending committee must be women, an essential component that will ensure women’s concerns are voiced and addressed.