Urban Food System Transformations and Governance in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

By 2050, there will be an estimated 1 billion people living in cities of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) – a threefold increase from the region’s current urban population of 350 million. While urbanization can drive economic growth and social development, a complex array of intersecting factors mean that it can equally lead to high rates of urban poverty and, by extension, urban food insecurity. Much of the urban population growth occurring in SSA is taking place in secondary cities, which are playing an increasingly important role in national and regional urban development. Yet, these smaller urban areas have received little attention in the scholarly literature despite the fact that they often experience more acute challenges linked to resource and governance constraints. In this dissertation I adopt a mixed-methods approach to investigate the drivers of urban food insecurity in secondary cities of SSA using an urban food systems lens. Through my analyses I address transformations in urban food systems linked to urbanization and retail modernization and provide insight into how urban policies and planning agendas affect how people living in cities are able to access adequate and nutritious food both now and in the future. This research enhances our understanding of how urban food retail and urban governance can contribute to more sustainable, equitable, and resilient urban food systems in SSA and globally. The first component of my dissertation research assesses the barriers to urban agriculture in SSA that limit the degree to which this livelihood activity is suitable as an urban food security strategy. This research is based on survey data collected from 2,687 low- and low-middle income households in 18 secondary urban areas of Zambia and Kenya. My results reveal that one third of households in the sample are growing some of their own food, but there is limited statistical significance in terms of the relationship between urban agriculture and household food security. Key barriers to urban agriculture identified in this study include settlement informality, a lack of property rights, and the location of households relative to food retailers. These findings imply the need for urban planners and policymakers to revisit how decisions are made about issues such as residential development, land tenure, transport infrastructure, and the use of space in cities, as these affect the ability of households to produce, sell, and access food. The second component of my dissertation research focuses on traditional open-air markets in rural and urban areas of Zambia. This work uses data from a 2021 phone call survey of 81 traditional markets and draws inspiration from Ostrom’s design principles for enduring common pool resources to identify some of the institutional arrangements that tend to lead to effective market performance in Zambia. Statistical analysis revealed that market formality, the role of market committees, government engagement in markets, and conflict resolution protocols are all important institutional factors to consider in this regard. My contribution of a methodology for studying traditional market governance sets the stage for further research to empirically identify which sets of institutional arrangements could lead to effective market performance beyond the Zambian context. A key message emerging from this research is the need to recognize that there is no panacea for achieving sustained market performance, but rather this depends on finding the most appropriate fit between institutions and the problems that they are trying to address. The third component of my dissertation research builds on and expands my work on traditional markets in SSA. In this systematic review paper, I consolidate the findings of 76 articles on urban food market (UFM) governance. I focus not only on traditional markets in Africa, but on other types of UFMs in diverse global development contexts. My analysis shows a significant increase in the number of empirical studies on UFM governance since 2015 and indicates that the majority of articles included in the review were focused on UFMs in primary cities of Africa and Asia. This work highlights opportunities to advance research in the field of UFM governance by integrating qualitative methods with quantitative methods. It further emphasizes that more inclusive forms of governance can help UFMs to thrive, thereby enhancing the contribution of these markets to the food security, health, and wellbeing of city inhabitants around the world. Overall, my dissertation research highlights the complexity of urban food system activities, drivers, and outcomes, including food security outcomes, which are themselves multifaceted. This complexity implies the need to adopt an integrated and context-specific approach to addressing urban food insecurity in SSA and globally. Many of the interventions that could enhance urban food systems and reduce urban food insecurity lie in the urban planning sphere. Both direct food system interventions and food sensitive planning will be required to maximize urban food system outcomes. While significant effort will be required to coordinate such a response, the potential outcomes could extend well beyond food security and encompass poverty reduction, environmental health, and social wellbeing.