Studies on citydwellers’ representations and practices concerning food attest to the inadequacy of an analytical approach to these changes in terms of Westernization, standardization, transition, or convergence towards a widely applicable model. Surveys conducted in cities of the Global South reveal that urban dwellers are inventing new forms of eating based on a multitude of local and/or exogenous sources.
The authors invite readers to take a closer look at urban food in the Global South. The picture that emerges is far removed from preconceived ideas regarding poverty, health, and the individual responsibility of those who eat food.