MiFOOD celebrates the successful defence of a PhD dissertation by Zack Ahmed at the Balsillie School of International Affairs, which strengthens the Network’s research on migration, urban informality, and food security.
The dissertation, titled “The Politics of Survival: South-South Migration, Urban Informality, Governance, and the Food Security Nexus in Nairobi, Kenya,” defended by MiFOOD colleague Zack Ahmed examines the interconnected dynamics shaping food security outcomes among migrant populations in urban African contexts, contributing directly to MiFOOD’s core research themes.
Using a mixed-methods approach, the study combines quantitative household survey data with qualitative interviews to analyse how migrants navigate food insecurity under conditions of informality, inequality, and complex governance arrangements. The findings highlight how factors such as employment, gender, education, and social networks influence food access, and how external shocks including the COVID-19 pandemic have exacerbated vulnerabilities within informal urban food systems.
By centring migration within broader debates on urban governance and food systems, the dissertation strengthens MiFOOD’s comparative and policy-relevant research agenda. Its empirical insights contribute to ongoing discussions on migrant resilience, informal economies, and inclusive urban food security strategies in the Global South.
The doctoral research was supervised by MiFOOD Director Jonathan Crush and Prof. Jenna Hennebry. The dissertation was examined by a committee comprising Dr. Bruce Frayne, Dr. Alex Latta, and Dr. Harald Bauder, whose expertise contributed to the successful completion of the defence.
The thesis will be posted on the Theses page soon.