ABSTRACT
This chapter examines self-employment in the food sector in light of the economic crisis that has ravaged Southeast and parts of East Asia. It highlights the crisis of development in the region and globally and focuses on the role of the mis-named ‘informal sector’ in assuring the economic security of the victims of the crisis. The chapter addresses the impasse resulting from two crises: one concerning the discourse of development and the other emanating from debates about the meaning of ‘security’. It argues that the relationships between economic, urban-based development, and income security are, in fact, contradictory. The chapter explores income security dimension of small-scale food retailing in Thailand and the Philippines post-crisis. The economic crisis has once again refocused attention on the economic security feature of micro-enterprise through attention paid to figures such as Sirivat, the sandwich man. Fast-food chains like McDonald’s are introducing new products to compete with traditional fast foods such as those sold by small vendors.
