Navigating Colombo’s food environments: StoryMap reveals path toward healthier diets in urban Sri Lanka

A new blog post by the Institute of Development Studies (IDS) details how the CGIAR Research Initiative on Fruit and Vegetables for Sustainable Healthy Diets (FRESH) is collaborating with IDS and Colombo Urban Lab to explore how working class communities navigate food environments in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Food environments, which are the places and contexts in which people acquire food, play a critical role in shaping diets. Understanding the complex dynamics within food environments is the first step toward making healthier foods more accessible to communities.

Using an integrated approach, the research team mapped food vendors, conducted in-depth interviews, consulted with stakeholders and facilitated photovoice workshops where community members documented their experiences through photography. These data sources were brought together into a StoryMap, producing a detailed picture of how Colombo residents access and consume food.

This research contributes to FRESH’s goal of developing food environments that are conducive to health and nutrition, particularly through improving access to affordable, diverse and safe fruit and vegetables. The experiences captured in the StoryMap will help policymakers design solutions to support vendors and make nutritious foods more accessible to urban working class communities in Sri Lanka.

Read the full blog post by IDS to learn more about the StoryMap.

The FRESH Initiative is being implemented by CGIAR researchers from IFPRI, CIMMYT, the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, IWMI, and CIP in close partnership with the World Vegetable Center, Applied Horticultural Research, the University of Sydney, the Institute of Development Studies, Wageningen University & Research, the University of California, Davis, Borlaug Institute of South Asia, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Wayamba University of Sri Lanka and the Philippines Department of Science and Technology-Food and Nutrition Research Institute, along with other partners.

Header image: Roadside fruit and vegetable vendors in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Photo by Colombo Urban Lab.