 Food security is not a new issue, but the two and a half billion increase in the global urban population predicted by 2050 raises some pressing new questions about the role of food in a fairer future. With most population growth expected in low income and informal settlements in Africa and Asia, this is where we must look for answers. The problem with food security is one of equity. It is not that there is not enough food to eat, but that many people do not have enough food to eat. Many people in informal settlements manage an unreliable food supply by simply reducing the quality and quantity of their meals, while increasing their working hours and spending less on other essentials, such as healthcare. This is a recipe for illness and inequality, leading to higher child and maternal mortality. In this landscape, street vendors are becoming more central to the eating habits of low income households. But these lack both the living space to store food and the time to prepare it, especially as more women take on paid work as well as domestic tasks. This shift calls for deeper and better consideration. Street vendors are often seen by authorities as polluters, obstacles to development and a source of unsafe food. But the truth is that they support food security by selling affordable cooked foods and creating employment for many poor urban dwellers. We believe that people living and working at the sharp end of development challenges are the ones best placed to find solutions. And IID and partners are working with the Kenyan Federation of Slum Dwellers to research food security and other urban challenges. Through focus groups and community-led mapping, the research by Mungano Wawanava Jiji reached out to street vendors and their customers, as well as people keeping livestock in Nairobi's informal settlements. A balloon mapping exercise using aerial pictures taken about 100 meters above ground gave residents information that local governments simply do not have and formed a basis for dialogue between the two groups. Together, they have begun to explore how to identify and implement solutions to the challenges prioritized by the community. This is allowing Nairobi's disenfranchised communities to begin advocating for and building their own fairer future. They are also feeling into a wider, more accurate narrative of urban food security, a challenge changing as rapidly as the world around us.