Nurussaadah‘s research topic: Rethinking Urban Food (In)security in the Age of Supermarket Urbanism in Malaysia
Nur’s study explores how supermarket urbanism shapes food access for low-income households in Malaysia and how urban agriculture can offer adaptive options within these systems. Two participatory mapping workshops in the low-income neighbourhoods of Kota Damansara and Damansara Damai, Selangor, involved seven women residents each, documenting local food outlets, gaps in access, supermarket dependence, barriers to fresh food, and vegetable consumption practices. Insights were complemented by interviews with officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, urban planners, and practitioners of both community-based and commercial urban agriculture in Greater Kuala Lumpur.
Findings show that supermarkets dominate affordability, driving households to prioritise lower prices over convenience or cultural preference, often travelling further for cheaper produce. Welfare programmes channel households into supermarkets, enhancing purchasing power but limiting choice and marginalising local markets. Traditional markets remain culturally important but are less accessible and often costlier, with mobility, transport, and location strongly shaping food options.
Urban agriculture offers uneven benefits. Community-based initiatives can supplement household food supply, but outcomes depend on participation, capacity, and planning constraints. Commercial urban farms prioritise profit and supermarket supply chains, rarely improving affordable access for the urban poor. These dynamics highlight the need for coordinated policies that integrate food systems, urban planning, welfare programmes, and local food initiatives to enhance equitable urban food security.
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