STREET FOOD-CONSUMPTION, URBAN CHANGE AND SOCIAL DIFFERENTIATION IN BAMAKO (MALI)

In 1995 in Bamako (Mali), a two-stage research project was carried out in order to study street food consumption practices and motivations t o eat street foods among individuals from households in three socio-ec onomic levels (rich, intermediary, poor). Almost all individuals, rega rdless age and sex, consumed street food on a daily basis. Variety of foods and dishes was greater among individuals from rich households th an among those from poor or intermediary ones. Among the poor, purchas es were mainly fruits and fried foods. Daily expenditures on street fo ods per individual were respectively twice and three times greater in intermediary and rich households than in poor ones: 36.5 FCFA, 65.7, 9 2.9 FCFA. Many motivations are expressed to explain the street food pu rchases: constraints linked to job activity, gustative satisfaction, i ndividual food supplementation linked to home food insufficiency in a context of economic crisis.