Urban Food Security and the Goroka Fresh Food Market

Abstract

This paper discusses on-going anthropological research on urban food security and the Goroka fresh food market. It begins by describing global and local contexts--the increasingly rapid growth of town and cities throughout the world, and especially in developing countries; and demographic predictions concerning the growth of urban areas in Papua New Guinea over the last 40 years. It then explores what anthropology has to offer to the study of urban food security and fresh food markets, topics which are more often dealt with by economists and development planners. Finally, it provides preliminary information about the people who sell fresh produce in the Goroka market based on 149 interviews with market vendors.