Thank you for hosting this discussion on urban/peri-urban ag and street foods. One of the incentives for motivating street sellers to increase the purchase of fresh, locally produced foods is price, and if the growers experience a lot of postharvest losses (due to poor handling on the farm, damage during the harvest and while handling, high temperatures and use of poor quality packages or containers), then the prices will rise to compensate for these losses. Urban and peri-urban producers, therefore, need to be educated on good postharvest practices, food safety and reducing food losses and waste. Simple, low cost handling practices and easy to use improvements in packages and temperature management can keep losses low, and this will help to keep prices competitive.
Lisa Kitinoja