The impacts of climate change and urbanization on food retailers in urban sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Food system transformations that are driven by climate change and urbanization have important implications for the food retail landscape of urban sub-Saharan Africa. Urban populations in sub-Saharan Africa are growing rapidly, climate change shocks are increasingly common, and the spatial footprints of cities are expanding, all of which challenge food systems to meet the needs of urban consumers. As supply chains increase in complexity and length, urban food retailers are increasingly vulnerable to more variable and extreme events associated with climate change. Urban food systems are also changing in response to urbanization through a variety of linkages, such as rising incomes, changing diet preferences, and the growth of the supermarket industry. Considering the roles and diversity of food retailers within urban food systems is a critical step to understanding and addressing the specific pathways through which urbanization and climate change will impact food system sustainability across rapidly growing African cities.