The Phenomenon of Street Food Vending in Developing Countries Extensive street food vending is an integral part of the street scene in most developing countries. It is a relatively new phenomenon, the result of mass migrations to cities. Travelers find that the food and atmosphere on the street offers attractive opportunities for sampling the true local life style.
Many vendors are illiterate.
It also gives employment to women. La Paz, Bolivia has about 36 vendors per 1,000 inhabitants. In some areas vendor's civil rights have become an important cause of political activists. But street food is the source of major disease outbreaks. And vendors invade public spaces, surreptitiously use public services, worsen sanitation, and compete with regular food services that observes rules.