Browsing by Author "Rutatora, Sabrina"

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Nourishing the peripheries: examining weekly food markets and access to nutritious foods in rapidly growing urban settings – insights from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
(Elsevier, 2025) Kissoly, Luitfred; Ngassa,Claudio; Normana, Fatma; Rutatora, Sabrina; Aluko, Angela
Rapid urbanization and population growth in Sub-Saharan African cities exacerbate challenges in the availability and accessibility of nutritious foods for urban households, particularly in the underserved peripheries of fast-expanding urban areas. Although alternative food retail solutions, such as weekly food markets (WFMs), have emerged to address these issues, their contribution to urban food systems and to food access in rapidly expanding peripheries remains insufficiently examined. This paper examines the role of WFMs in providing nutritious foods, using the case of peripheral wards in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Data from 506 buyers and 381 vendors across 31 WFMs in five municipalities are analyzed through spatial, statistical, and qualitative methods. Results reveal adequate food diversity in WFMs in peripheral wards of Dar es Salaam. These markets comprise of a diverse vendor base and operate during convenient hours. Despite constraints in sanitation, waste management, and formal infrastructure, WFMs remain accessible due to their locations along major roads, facilitating access from residential and workplace areas. They also serve as key sources of nutritious foods at prices perceived as affordable, with informal pricing practices supporting low-income households. These findings demonstrate that WFMs function as primary food access points in underserved urban peripheries, while their temporary and informally governed status limits infrastructure investment and integration into formal planning frameworks. Policy efforts should prioritize integrating WFMs into urban planning and strengthening basic market infrastructure.