This research study, implemented in collaboration with Purdue University and Cornell University, seeks to develop a surveillance system to assess food environments in Machakos and Kirinyaga towns, two mid-sized cities in Kenya, understand the role of informal vendors, and propose guidance on how to measure the rapidly changing food environments. The research is funded through a grant from the Innovative Methods and Metrics for Agriculture and Nutrition Actions (IMMANA) program. Unlike many previous studies that assess the food environment through the perspective of consumers, this study focuses on food vendors, mostly informal and semi-formal. Various quantitative and qualitative methods will be used to collect data from food vendors with various aims including quantifying the food environment from a livelihood standpoint to inform multi-sectoral policies on sustainable employment and optimal diets.