Food is the most basic of the needs of the urban poor in developing countries, and yet relatively little is known about the supply systems through which such needs are met. This is in great contrast to research undertaken on shelter. The urban food supply system is a complex network of production, distribution and consumption linkages, but three main sources of food for the poor may be identified. First, there is the conventional retail sector which has become increasingly dominated by imported commodities and retailing methods, much of which is the consequence of changing dietary preferences and has led to growing food dependency. Not surprisingly, given the cost of food retailed through the conventional sector, the poor have sought alternative sources. The most obvious is through the operations of the petty-commodity or informal sector, but in addition a surprising amount of urban subsistence food is still produced within the cities of Asia and Africa. Clearly, these sectors are performing a useful function, but the ways in which and the extent to which their activities benefit the poor are still largely undocumented. -from Author
