This study will make a significant contribution to the growing literature on migration and food security nexus by focusing on the contribution of migrant women food vendors to the informal food system in Cape Town. In addition, the study will provide new empirical and conceptual insights into the role of informal food vending in urban food systems and the connections between migrants, food, and informality in the global South.
The project aims to examine how the transformation of food systems is generating new forms of migration, precarious migrant women employment and food insecurity. The specific objectives are:
- To analyze the operations and contribution of migrant women informal food vendors to the urban food systems.
- To evaluate the opportunities and challenges faced by migrant women informal food vendors in operating in the informal sector.
- To examine the gendered dynamics of migrant informal food vending.
- To assess the constraints and vulnerabilities of migrant women informal food vendors, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.