Enhancing the food security of the peri-urban and urban poor through improvements to the quality, safety and economics of street-vended foods in Ghana

Duration of project: 1st November 1999 to 31st October 2000

This project was managed by NRI in collaboration with the Food Research Institute, Ghana, and the Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Ghana, Ghana. It was funded by the Department for International Development, (project code R7493) (DFID) Crops Post-Harvest Programme.

Project summary and outputs

Street-vended and informally vended food can contribute significantly to the food security of those involved in its production, particularly suppliers of raw produce, food processors and vendors. Women are often owners or employees of street food businesses. In certain countries (Benin, Ghana, Lesotho, Togo and Democratic Republic of Congo), they represent 70 to 90% of vendors. In Ghana and most developing countries, most women sell food in the street primarily to improve the food security of their household and also to have some degree of financial independence.

Despite its growing presence, it is a sector that has rarely been the focus of strategic research initiatives that determine the importance and potential hazards of street-vended food, and what contribution it makes to the livelihoods of the urban and peri-urban poor (both producers and consumers).

A one-year preliminary study was conducted with the aim of enhancing the food security of the peri-urban and urban poor through improvements to the quality, safety and economics of street-vended foods in Accra, Ghana. A mini-census and a survey of 334 street vendors indicated that the street-food sector contributed significantly to the economy of Accra. It employs over 60,000 people and has an estimated annual turnover of over US$100 million with an annual profit of US$24 million. This was comparable to the findings from other studies in cities such as Calcutta; 130,000 street-vendors make an estimated annual profit of nearly US$100 million. In Accra, most (94%) of the vendors were women, who had minimal or no education, 75% did not pay taxes and most did not belong to vendors associations.

In this project, ninety-six street-vended food samples (waakye, fufu and salad) were analysed for contaminants (heavy metals, pesticides and mycotoxins) and microorganisms. This preliminary study found evidence of heavy metal (lead) contamination in waakye, a popular Ghanaian dish made from rice and cowpea, and in fufu, a dish made from pounded cooked cassava and yam. Lead can inhibit children's learning abilities and affect their behaviour, even if consumed in very small amounts. Other street-vended foods analysed (maize and salad) had minimal heavy metal and pesticide contamination. Possible sources of heavy metal contamination include metal pots, pans and utensils, since these are manufactured locally in foundries with limited facilities operated by staff with poor education. Other sources include airborne (leaded petrol) pollution, water and soil. Low but non-hazardous levels of the heavy metal cadmium, which can cause kidney failure, were also detected in many street-vended food samples.

Maize is an important ingredient in many street foods in Ghana and can be contaminated with mycotoxins, formed when moulds grow. While mycotoxins (specifically aflatoxins) were not detected in this study, farmers and traders can reduce its occurrence by ensuring the product is dried before storage.

The hygiene of street-vended food appeared to have deteriorated since an earlier survey funded by FAO between 1994 and 1997. For waakye (rice and beans) in particular, bacteriological counts of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus and Clostridium perfringens were higher than the last survey. Salmonella was not detected in any of the samples. The elderly and very young are particularly susceptible to the effects of these microorganisms. Waakye may be contaminated because the vendors cook it early in morning and then store it at ambient temperature for the rest of the day. The hygiene of street-vended food can be improved if vendors receive training in basic hygiene skills. To support this, access to clean water, proper disposal of sewage, regular refuse collection and refrigeration is required. A commercial food company (Unilever) in Ghana, however, has funded the training of over 4,000 vendors in basic hygiene in return for promoting their products.

A workshop in Ghana brought together other parts of the sector. This included food legislation, regulation and enforcement, education and views of street-food vendor organizations. The findings of the study received much media coverage and generated public discussion in Ghana. A governmental Street Food Working Group headed by the Ministry of Science, Environment and Technology was formed directly as a result of this project.