This review of recent literature explores the challenges to urban food and
nutrition security in the rapidly urbanizing developing world. The premise
of the manuscript is that the causes of malnutrition and food insecurity in
urban and rural areas are different due primarily to a number of phenomena
that are unique to or exacerbated by urban living. These areas include: (a
) a greater dependence on cash income; (b) weaker informal safety nets; (c)
greater labor force participation of women and its consequences for child
care; (d) lifestyle changes, particularly diet and exercise patterns; (e) g
reater availability of public services, but questionable access by the poor
; (f) greater exposure to environmental contamination; and (g) governance b
y a new, possibly nonexistent, set of property rights. The main focus is on
identifying what is different about urban areas, so as to better frame the
program and policy responses. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights re
served.