5 - Diet change towards purchased meats, oils, and processed food is occurring rapidly among the poor in both rural and urban areas of Africa.

True
Consumer expenditure on processed and perishable foods rises as rapidly with income in rural areas as it does in urban areas; and in both it rises much faster than does demand for unprocessed and non-perishable foods. Among purchased food, budget shares for processed foods are nearly identical in rural- and urban areas, and for perishable foods are only slightly higher in urban areas. (Source: Tschirley et al, (2015a). “Africa’s Unfolding Diet Transformation: Implications for Agrifood System Employment.” JADEE, 5(2); Tschirley et al, (2015b). “The Rise of the African Middle Class: Projections and Implications in East and Southern Africa to 2040.” Journal of International Development, 27(5).)

So What? 
Rapid diet change among the poor away from grains and toward perishable and processed foods means that enormous pressure is being put on the agrifood system to respond to this demand. This implies major agribusiness opportunities but also major challenges for local food systems to meet this growing demand.