Retail Diversity for Dietary Diversity (RD4DD)

Nutrition insecurity among a growing number of urban poor in modernizing Southeast Asian metropolises is a critical issue. Serving to enlarge the capacity of local authorities in planning and implementing all-inclusive food-safe and nutrition-sensitive food retailing infrastructures, our proposed research seeks to answer the question ‘why do the urban poor eat the food they do’, in the context of transformations in the food retail environment and the organization of daily life. We want to understand in what way progressing retail modernization and restructuration policies impact the diet diversity and quality of the urban poor that depend on daily food shopping (purchasing foods on a day-to-day basis) often due to irregular and fluctuating daily income levels due to the nature of employment.

Serving as a case in point for similar developments in SEA, our research focuses on Hanoi, the capital of lower-middle income country (LMIC) Vietnam, listed among the world’s fastest growing economies. Our research specifically focuses on women, since nutrient deficiencies are particularly prevalent among women of reproductive age. Women are often the primary decision maker and mostly responsible for food purchases, meal preparation and household food allocation. They are thus key-actors in understanding and addressing nutrition vulnerability.

The following video introduces the project:

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During the ANH Academy Week in Accra, Ghana June 2018, Sigrid presented the project:

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In February 2019, a Policy Brief has formulated with some key findings, and recommendations for policy makers. You can download the document below:

Retail Diversity for Dietary Diversity Policy Brief

Latest publications

• Blog: RD4DD in the Drivers of Food Choice spotlight (2019): Available online: link

• Wertheim-Heck, S., Raneri, J.E. & Oosterveer P. (2019) Food Safety and nutrition for low-income urbanites: exploring a social justice dilemma in consumption policy. Environment and Urbanization, online first. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0956247819858019. Available online (link)

• Raneri, J. & Wertheim-Heck, S. 2019. Retail diversity for dietary diversity: Resolving food-safety versus nutrition priorities in Hanoi. In Food environments: Where people meet the food system. UNSCN Nutrition, 44, 61-69. Available online (link)