Eating somewhere else: migrant food practices and provision in an informal settlement of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Informal settlements in Argentina are a destination for migrants looking for better living conditions. Migrating requires adapting to a new culture, including culinary traditions. This study introduces the case of Villa 20, one of the most populated informal settlements in Buenos Aires, where almost half of residents are migrants. The people who live in Villa 20 have developed strategies to access desirable meals that match their cultural preferences in precarious conditions. Their community networks are key to ensuring this, as they allow for the work done in soup kitchens and other community spaces. This is a mixed-method study that surveyed 177 households with the FAO Food Insecurity Experience Scale, and interviewed residents, government officials and local leaders. While findings suggest no significant differences in food insecurity levels between local and migrant communities, this work introduces the levels of food insecurity in the neighborhood, migrants lived experiences of food insecurity, and their coping strategies to maintain their culinary traditions. It also shows the role of migrant communities in the urban food systems of informal settlements, and the relevance of women in preserving migrant food practices.