Looking at this entrepreneurial activity through a development lens, I wondered: Do the women and men selling the foods make a good living? Why do women dominate the trade in Nigeria or Thailand, but hardly a woman can be seen selling food in Bangladesh? Why, if street food is so popular, do many governments embark on street cleaning exercises, destroying stalls and confiscating supplies? (p. 3).
Some of her answers are surprising. For example, in some cities, vendors made more money than "middle class" job holders, such as civil servants or teachers. Street foods make a significant contribution to the diets of people in the study countries, particularly to the diets of schoolchildren. In Ziguinchor, Senegal, the average amount of peanuts purchased by children provided nearly two-thirds of their protein requirement. In many countries, it is cheaper to buy street foods than to cook at home, because of the high cost of fuel and the efficiencies associated with cooking in large batches.
In meticulous detail, Tinker describes each of the seven studies in Part I of the book, including a brief economic and political outline of each country, an overview of each city (including maps), and a description of the vendors and the foods they sell. Mouth-watering recipes for two typical foods per country are also included. For each country, Tinker shows how cultural attitudes affect what foods are sold and eaten, by whom, and when. Part II, she turns to development theory and practice, particularly the economics of street foods, nutritional and safety aspects of the food, and implications for research, planning and policy. The robustness of the data allow comparisons across countries of the similarities and differences among street vendors, including demographic and gender variations.
Like other feminist research, the seven studies were not just descriptive, but included an action component as well. The results of the studies showed the significant economic, cultural and nutritional benefits of street foods and have helped to change the policies and practices of muncipal and national governments, and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). In many of the study cities, city officials no longer harass or fine the street vendors but provide training instead, modelled on EPOC training programs that provided education about food safety and vendor health.
This book is essential reading for anyone planning research or intervention programs involving urban food practices in developing countries. More generally, it is an exemplar of how research that starts from the realities of people's lives can inform policy and practice to make a difference in those lives.