Feeding desires: Understanding the food needs and wishes of women experiencing homelessness in São Paulo

Abstract

Food desires have been studied as a critical subjective aspect of eating and are closely linked to the pleasure and comprehensive care associated with food. Women experiencing homelessness (WeH) face food insecurity intertwined with social stigma and neglect based on sex, race, and sexuality. However, the WeH's desire is often overlooked in studies and government policies on food security. Motivated by our understanding of WeH's food desires within the Human Right to Adequate Food framework, we conducted an ethnographic study between 2018 and 2022 in São Paulo, Brazil. Our methods included non-participant observation, participant observation, and semi-structured interviews with WeH living in the city centre. We utilised Qualitative Content Analysis to analyse the data, resulting in the identification of five themes related to their food desires: 'I desire food with dignity, and not pandemic food'; ’I desire food in abundance'; 'I desire food from my past’; ‘I desire healthy food'; and 'I desire my own food'. These desires among WeH were intertwined with aspects such as promoting autonomy, a sense of dignity, and respect for memories and food identities. Ensuring access to these aspects requires infrastructure, such as safe spaces for cooking, highlighting the importance of housing policies and public programs that consider the value and expression of desires and pleasure in eating.