What’s to eat? Women, children and the urban food environment: the case of Addis Ababa

This project therefore has three integrated aims:

1. To map and analyse the urban food environment and its seasonal dynamics, focusing on the availability, affordability and safety of foods.

2. To evaluate social, economic and gender stratification of a) household food security b) accessibility to safe and nutritious foods in adolescents and young children c) health and nutrition in all household member.

3. To assess women’s empowerment and its implications for sustainable food and nutrition security of children and family.

The research builds on theories and methods from human geography, nutrition, agricultural sciences and sustainability science and employs a holistic perspective in an analysis of causal chains linking food availability with malnutrition. Central aspects in this analysis are the socio-economic differentiation and the importance of a woman’s empowerment for her ability to provide adequate care, including nutritious food for children and family. While taking into consideration seasonal dynamics, the availability and price of foods as well as the dietary patterns of the population of Addis Ababa will be assessed using qualitative and quantitative methods. Multidisciplinary analyses are expected to bring new knowledge about the linkages between availability, food and nutrition.

Results from the Addis Ababa study will be situated and analysed in a more general sub-continental and global context using data for several cities across sub-Saharan Africa which the research team has direct access to from previous related research projects and also through collaborations.