A tale of fish in two cities: Consumption patterns of low-income households in South India

Jyotishi, Amalendu and Scholtens, Joeri and Viswanathan, Gopakumar and Gupta, Priya and Bavinck, Maarten (2021) A tale of fish in two cities: Consumption patterns of low-income households in South India. Journal of Social and Economic Development, 23 (2). pp. 240-257. ISSN 0972-5792

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Abstract

While much is known about fish production patterns and consumption at an aggregate level, there is little understanding of consumption behavior among low-income households in urban regions. Given that fish is an important and often affordable source of nutrition for millions of poor people, this paper examines patterns of fish consumption among low-income households in two urban sites in South India, namely Chennai (coastal city) and Bangalore (inland city). By analyzing survey data collected in three different seasons from approximately 250 households, we infer diverse patterns of fish consumption, including purchasing behavior, quality perceptions, and trust relationships with traders. Our analysis shows that Chennai’s fish consumers rely more on informal markets and have stronger preferences for certain species of fish, while those in Bangalore make greater use of formal market structures and display indifference toward the type of fish consumed. This study provides insights into low-income consumer behavior and helps promote fish as a source of food and nutrition security in urban populations.

Item Type:	Article
Authors:	Jyotishi, Amalendu and Scholtens, Joeri and Viswanathan, Gopakumar and Gupta, Priya and Bavinck, Maarten
Document Language:	Language English
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Fish consumption, low-income households, food and nutrition security, transaction relations, city regions, India
Subjects:	Technology > Agriculture Technology > Agriculture > Hunting, fishing, conservation, related technologies
Divisions:	Azim Premji University - Bengaluru > School of Development
Full Text Status:	Restricted
URI:	http://publications.azimpremjiuniversity.edu.in/id/eprint/7156
Publisher URL:	https://doi.org/10.1007/s40847-020-00141-x

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