Focused Ethnographic Study of Infant and Young Child Feeding 6-23 Months:
Behaviours, Beliefs, Contexts and Environments.
Manual on Conducting the Study, Analyzing the Results, and Writing a Report
Gretel H. Pelto, Margaret Armar-Klemesu, Faith M. Thuita
PROTOCOL III. FORMAL ECONOMIC SECTOR FOOD
ACQUISITION/MARKETING INTERVIEW
FEM Module 1: Inventory and characteristics of food items the seller carries
FEM Module 2: Perceptions about factors that affect family purchases
FEM Module 3: Comparison of a fortified and non-fortified product
FEM Module 4: Marketing challenges and perceptions about family behavior
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Formal Economy Sector Key Informant Module 1
Inventory and characteristics of food items the seller carries
Background
This module is important because it provides information about what is actually available
to households in the neighborhoods or regions where the proposed product will be
marketed. National sales figures or even distribution figures do not tell you enough about
what is happening at the community level. The information about the price that
caregivers actually have to pay is also essential for understanding the local marketing
environment. Therefore, it is important to fill out the inventory as full as possible. As
discussed in the methods section, if a seller is reluctant to share this information, he/she is
not a good key informant for the purposes of this FES and you should close the interview.
Procedures
1. Have ready several clean copies of the FEM key Informant Module 1 Recording
Form, as it will probably take more than one sheet for the inventory. You can begin the
inventory with the explanation: “As I explained, we are trying to understand how families
around here feed their babies and young children. We are interested in foods that are
made or bought especially for babies and children, but we are also interested in foods
that are eaten by the family and given to babies and young children. To begin, I would
like to get a list from you of all of the different foods you sell that are eaten by infants and
young children, including both foods that are especially for infants and family foods that
infants eat. After that I will ask you some questions about these food. We are more
interested in foods than in baby milks, so let’s leave those aside for now. As you look
about the store, where shall we start?
Note: As you extend the list it is important to emphasize that you are also interested in
ingredients that are used to make foods for IYC, as well as branded foods.
2. Write each item on a separate row in the left hand column of the inventory form.
3. Scan your inventory list and put an X beside the baby milk items since you do not need
to ask more questions about them. Then start with the first item on the list, and ask the
required questions to fill in the information for each of the boxes across the rows.
4. The box labeled “description” should include information such as “ingredient for
home-prepared gruel,” or “ branded, rice-based instant cereal, non-fortified,” or
“micronutrient fortified peanut butter,” etc.
5. For packaged or canned foods, list all the sizes available for sale in the store.
6. List the prices for each size or price per unit of weight if sold in bulk form.
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7. Ask about the usual or typical amount purchased.
8. Ask who usually buys the product.
9. To find out whether seller will open a bigger package or can, you can ask:
“Do you sell small amounts of _____ from a bigger package (can) if people ask for it?”
10. Be sure to note any comments the seller makes about individual items in the
inventory.
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Formal Economy Sector Key Informant Module 2
Perceptions about factors that affect family purchases
Background
The purpose of this module is to get another set of perspectives about the factors that
affect purchase of foods for IYC to compare with those of caregivers. Caregivers report
from their own personal experiences. Of course, store owners are also reflecting their
personal views when they assess factors, but as they have exposure to many more
families than any individual mother has, they can provide some additional insights into
buying constraints. This information can also be useful when it comes to marketing a new
product, as it will be marketed to sellers as well as families.
This module uses the “rating” method, which you use with caregiver-respondents.
Procedures
1. Take out the materials for the rating task: the board, the cards with the individual
factors written on them, and the cards with the “plus” and “minus” sign on them, which
you will place on either end of the board.
2. Show the key informant the factor cards and introduce the task. For example, you can
say: “Here on these cards we have written down several different things or issues that
families have to consider when they decide what to buy to feed their babies and young
children.” Review the cards, saying each one out loud.
3. Lay out the board on a flat surface, putting the + card at one end and the – card at the
other. Explain the rating task, just as you did with caregiver respondents.
4. Ask the key informant to place the cards in the slot that best represents his/her opinion
about the importance of that factor.
5. As you survey the board, encourage the key informant to discuss the basis for her/his
decisions.
6. Record the results on the Formal Sector Key Informant Module 2 Recording Form,
together with the comments. As you have identifying letters (or numbers) on the back of
the cards, this can be done rapidly.
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Formal Economic Sector Key Informant Module 3
Comparison of a fortified and non-fortified product
Background
The purpose of this module is to examine food sellers’ understandings and interpretations
of IYC fortified or nutrient-enriched foods compared to non-fortified or non-enriched
products. This is particularly relevant for IYC cereals or spreads when the seller carries
both fortified and non-fortified items, and the proposed new product falls into one of
these categories. It is not immediately relevant when the new product is a micronutrient
supplement that has no competing product. However, it is still useful to examine seller’s
views because they will reveal general attitudes and knowledge about IYC foods and
potential willingness to carry new items.
This module uses the “open-ended questions with guided discussion” method.
Procedures
1. Go to the shelf that contains cereals (or spreads) and, if possible, pick out a fortified
and a non-fortified product of the same grain (ingredient). Make a point of reading the
labels, even if you already know which one is fortified and which one is not. If there are
no unfortified cereals on sale, skip to item 3. You can initiate the discussion by saying:
“I can see that these two cereals are different. Can you tell me more about the ways they
are different?
If the store keeper doesn’t mention that one has added nutrients (eg. “vitamins” ) you can
say: “Another way in which they are different is that this one has some extra vitamins
and minerals added to it. Did you know that?”
2. Continue to probe about the seller’s perceptions about the importance of fortification.
You can say: “Do you think the difference between these two makes any real difference
or is it something companies do to try and sell their product? If the answer is yes, then
ask, “Why do you say it is important?”
3. Now check the shelf again to see whether there are any non-fortified, but legume
enriched cereals for sale. Pick it up and ask: “Here is another cereal for babies and
small children. How is this one different from this one (the fortified cereal)? And how is it
different from this one?
4. Which of the three (or two where applicable) products would you say families prefer
to buy? Why is this so?
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Record the key informants answers to the open-ended questions and the accompanying
discussion on the FEM Key Informant Module 3 Recording Form.
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Formal Economy Sector Key Informant Module 4
Marketing challenges and perceptions about family behavior
Background
The purposes of this module are: (1) to understand the issues and challenges that sellers
perceive with respect to selling IYC foods and (2) sellers’ perceptions about IYC in the
families whom they serve as sources of foods.
This module uses the “open-ended questions with guided discussion” method.
Procedures
1. On a clean FSM Key Informant Module 4 Recording Form, write in the information on
location and store size and type. Then continue with the questions
2. Introduce the topic of issues or challenges in marketing IYC foods. For example, you
might say: “Now that we have discussed the items you sell and the issues that influence
what families buy, I’d like to ask you a couple of other questions about your experiences
and your views. First, when you consider selling foods for families to feed their IYC, what
are the challenges or issues that you face as a store keeper?
3. Record the comments on the FSM Key Informant Module 4 Recording Form.
4. Introduce the topic of the seller’s perceptions about IYC in the community. You can
say: “Finally, I have one last question I would like to ask you. In your opinion, is there
anything families in this community should be doing to be sure that their babies are
healthy and get the foods they need to grow well?”
5. Record the comments on the FEM Key Informant Module 4 Recording Form.
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