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

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).

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.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVESResearch 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.

METHODOLOGY Mixed-Method

ApproachQualitative 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

FIELD SITE: MADURAI, TN, INDIA

1. Porridge push cart

• Mobile structure• Pearl or Finger millet

porridge • Limited diversity of

food

2. Non-porridge pushcart

• Mobile structure• Ready to eat cooked

items besides porridge

4. Small Scale Restaurant

• Permanent structure• Larger scale of

business

3. Hawker

• Limited to no infrastructure

• Predominantly women

Legend: 1. Porridge Vendor (dark blue) 3. Hawker (green)2. Non-Porridge Pushcart (red) 4. Small Scale Restaurant (light blue)

Vendor Locations in Madurai

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

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%

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% womeno More commonly driven by severe financial need; widowed or separated, family medical needs, husband was injured or substance abuse issues.

PAID VS. UNPAID WORKERS

Total N=137Gender of Worker

Male Female

unpaid worker 41 72

paid

employee

18 6

Total 137 59 78

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%)

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

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’

CONSUMER SURVEY DATA

Av. Primary Income

(Rs/month)

Average Spending at Street Food Vendors

Socioeconomic Class

N Rs/monthAs % 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%

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.

SPECIAL THANKS Development for Humane Action Foundation (DHAN) International Development Research Centre (IDRC)

Menno Simons College/ Canadian Mennonite University

University of Alberta