Research on World Agricultural Economy

Anatomy of an Urban Food Supply in the Global South—The Case of Vegetable Supply to Hanoi City

Hai Vu Pham

VNU University of Economics and Business, Vietnam National University, Hanoi and UMR 1041 Cesaer, Institut Agro Dijon, INRAE, Dijon, France France

Vu Quang Hoang

Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Environment of Vietnam - IPSAE - Thuy Khue, Hanoi, Vietnam

Thi Tan Loc Nguyen

Fruits And Vegetables Research Institute, FAVRI, Trau Quy, Hanoi, Vietnam

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36956/rwae.v7i2.2650

Received: 19 August 2025; Published: 16 April 2026

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Abstract

Documenting urban food supply systems is essential for understanding their functioning, impacts, and future evolution. While this task is a critical step in implementing urban food policies, it faces significant challenges—particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Through a case study of Hanoi, Vietnam, we use diverse empirical data sources to tackle the issue. We quantify the urban food supply system of Hanoi for one key product: fresh vegetables. By combining multiple investigative methods, we employ social network analysis to map the intermediary networks connecting production and consumption. Volume of food flows moving through different supply channels and the spatial expansion of the entire system have been determined. Our findings reveal that Hanoi currently sources vegetables from a vast area, encompassing all of northern Vietnam and parts of China. While local production (within Hanoi) still accounts for 46% of the supply, most locally grown vegetables pass through intermediaries—such as wholesalers, retailers, and street vendors. These intermediaries play a crucial role by bringing fresh produce closer to consumers, thereby enhancing the overall efficiency of the supply chain. The results align with predictions from previous research, indicating that food supply systems in Southern cities are increasingly following trends observed in Northern cities as urbanization progresses. We recommends that future food policies should explicitly address the role of middlemen, particularly street vendors. The roles and contributions of these informal operators to the urban food systems of the Global South should be formally recognized.

Keywords: Urban Food Supply; Food Flows; Intermediaries; Informal Economy; Food‑Sheds

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