ABSTRACT
The chapter describes and analyzes food systems in Kisumu, Kitwe, and Epworth from a life cycle perspective. The aim is to identify significant environmental and social impacts which may undermine sustainability and thus food security in the longer run. The work consists of a review of published literature and fieldwork to understand selected food value chains. Key features of the food systems include a diversity of processing methods (some increasingly catering to the needs of time-poor urban consumers), dense local trading relations going beyond a formal–informal duality, and trading connections spanning local, national, regional, and international scales. Hotspots identified include inadequate waste disposal resulting in poor resource efficiency on the one hand, and in food safety health risks on the other; the prevalence of biomass fuels for processing; and the lack of facilities on markets, which amplifies risks to health, safety, and security.
