From everyday practices to policy: Food safety concerns and strategies among the urban poor in retail environments in Bangladesh

Summary

In my PhD thesis, I researched the social challenges of food safety in low- and middle-income countries. The focus is on the urban poor and migrants who move from rural areas to cities for better opportunities. As cities grow rapidly, these migrants face significant problems finding safe food. Many rely on informal street vendors, rarely inspected for food safety. My research zeroes in on Dhaka, Bangladesh, to understand how the poor tackle these challenges in their daily lives.

I looked at how people’s social circumstances shape their strategies for finding and buying safe food. For example, how does someone’s income, social background, or the neighbourhood they live in affect their options? To organise these insights, I developed a framework called the Intersectional Food Safety Adaptation Framework (IFSA). This framework considers factors like a person’s income, migration history, and the challenges of their living environment.

One of my key findings is that the poorest groups face the worst conditions. The lower their income and the more neglected their neighbourhood retail environment, the harder it becomes to find and prepare safe food. To address this, I recommend strategies to improve the living conditions of the most vulnerable communities in these urban areas. These changes could make a positive difference in ensuring everyone has access to safe, healthy food.