Food-buying Habits in Hanoi

One common but increasingly threatened source of fresh fruits and vegetables in Hanoi is roving street vendors. These vendors are mostly rural women who come to work in Hanoi's informal sector because agricultural income alone is insufficient. As Vietnam continues the transition from a planned to a market-oriented economy, the availability of other more modern sources of food and government policy to eliminate their presence on the streets pose a threat to the informal sector incomes of these women. We analyse these threats using the results of a survey of food-buying customers about various ways and places to buy food in Hanoi.