Eat or be eaten: Street food vendors resist and adapt to changing society

Research from Japan's Kanazawa University examined various ways in which Indonesian street food vendors try to survive and adapt amid urbanization. State-led plans often seek to prohibit or relocate vendors, seeing them as a liability. The study found the vendors resist in subtle ways. They forge reciprocal relationships and seek informal protection. Additionally, some vendors work daytime office jobs and uses skills such as social media to support nighttime food stalls.