Additional OptionsAdditional Options and Partnership OpportunitiesAdditional Options
A number of alternative strategies exist that can improve community access to healthy foods. They include: Improving TransportationTransportation projects can help residents of underserved communities reach grocery stores and farmers' markets. In the low-income community of North Sacramento, residents have to travel six miles to reach a supermarket.92 In 1999, a coalition of community groups helped implement a Neighborhood Ride Shuttle, which, for a 50 cent fare, transports residents to jobs and grocery stores located in other parts of the city. The program, initiated as a pilot project, has been integrated into the regional transportation system, and the routes are so popular that they are earning profits. A similar "grocery bus" route was established in East Austin, Texas to link residents of the primarily low-income, Latino community with two supermarkets.93 Some of the state agencies administering the Seniors' Farmers Market Nutrition Program have also included transportation elements to their programs, partnering with senior centers to provide transportation to and from the farmers' markets.94 Public MarketsFarmers' markets are one form of a "public market." Other public markets--also called "mercados"--are housed in a permanent structure, are often open year round, and hold regular business hours. They rent stalls to vendors, who may sell food or non-food items. The mix of goods sold at a public market can vary greatly. In recent years, there has been increasing attention placed on public markets as components of urban revitalization, and the social and economic benefits they may bring for low-income communities.95 The Fondy Food Center Project is an example of how a public market can provide food access as well as entrepreneurial opportunities. Fondy Food Center is a $5 million market hall, seasonal farmers' market, and business incubator located in Milwaukee's poorest community.96 The 22,000 square foot venue provides space for 20 to 30 small businesses.97 Mobile MarketsImagine an ice cream truck stocked with produce and healthy snacks instead of creamsicles, and you have captured the essence of mobile markets--a new, community-based strategy for increasing food access in communities without good grocery stores. People's Grocery, which is a member of the West Oakland Food Cooperative, is one example of a mobile market. On Tuesdays and Saturdays, neighborhood youth interns drive the brightly painted truck, equipped with a solar-powered sound system, to a number of selling points in the neighborhood. While they sell fresh, organic produce obtained from local farmers' markets, they also talk to community residents about nutrition and health. Cooperative Grocery StoresCooperative stores are either owned by their employees or owned by their customers. The idea grew out of the natural foods movement in the 1970s, and has generally been successful in higher- or mixed-income communities. Like farmers' markets and public markets, cooperatives serve a social mission as well as a profit-making mission. Coops face the same challenges as small groceries with respect to purchasing merchandise at low prices, and they require member education in order for the ownership structure to work. In a number of instances, coops have developed to fill the grocery gap in underserved communities, but have gone out of business soon after a grocery store opens nearby. The Remington Food Coop, for example, served a working class neighborhood of Baltimore for a decade until a supermarket opened in the area. 98 Farm-to-School InitiativesRecognizing the importance of school lunches to the nutrition and eating habits of youth, a number of "farm-to-school" programs arose in the 1990s to increase the nutritional value, quality, freshness, and appeal of cafeteria lunches in public schools. Though more of the initiatives have been launched in middle- and upper-income communities, the strategy also holds promise for low-income communities. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)CSA programs--about 600 across the country--connect individual households with produce from local farms. At the beginning of the growing season, participants purchase shares for a portion of the crops from a farm or a network of farms in exchange for weekly or biweekly boxes of fresh produce. The system provides customers with low prices and provides farmers with upfront operating capital for the season. The participants share in the risks of farming, so the amount of food they receive depends on the quality of the harvest that year. Delivery options vary: boxes may be delivered to individual homes or to a few central sites in the community. CSA programs often accept food stamps and some programs are reaching out to low-income customers by subsidizing their shares. Community GardensIncreasing numbers of community gardens have been established on vacant lots in inner cities. The American Community Gardening Association estimates that there are 10,000 community gardens in the United States, with New York City containing the most of any city.99 These gardens vary in terms of the size of the lot, and the number of gardeners. They are linked with a number of benefits beyond food access, including environmental education and neighborhood green space, but they can translate into significant food budget savings. In Philadelphia, community gardeners reported an annual savings on food bills of $700 per family.100 Partnership OpportunitiesCommunities should not have to do this work alone. Policymakers, foundations, community organizations, concerned residents, business leaders, researchers, and advocates can join together to identify and implement innovative solutions.
Local governments can adopt healthy food retailing as a priority for comprehensive neighborhood development. Municipalities can dedicate local economic development resources toward implementing new options for food access in underserved communities, through incentives such as grants, tax breaks, and low-interest loans. They can reduce barriers to healthy food retailing by cleaning up brownfields and reclaiming vacant land, and they can market underserved neighborhoods to healthy food retailers using accurate data sources on neighborhood conditions. City community development agencies can dedicate small business development resources and conduct outreach to assist corner stores that want to increase their selection of healthy foods and improve the overall quality of their stores. Food retailerscan reconsider assumptions about the feasibility of supermarkets in low-income areas and rethink outdated models. They can begin by using alternative market analyses that accurately reflect the business opportunities of inner city neighborhoods, and by recognizing the higher aggregate purchasing power that exists in dense urban neighborhoods (despite lower average incomes). Firms that have successfully located in low-income communities can share their success and encourage others to locate in underserved areas. Hospitals, health maintenance organizations, and other local institutions and businesses can implement creative programs to provide healthy food to local residents, clients, and staff, including programs similar to the farmers' market model developed by the Kaiser Permanente Health Maintenance Organization. State and local government, businesses, and private foundations can provide resources to support efforts to increase access to healthy food. This could take the form of funding innovative campaigns, pilot programs, and large-scale initiatives, as well as providing resources for technical assistance to community organizations and retailers. Community based organizations and food advocacy groups can develop new ideas for increasing access to healthy food, research potential solutions, collaborate with other organizations to share effective strategies, and pursue and replicate effective campaigns and programs. They can educate their members, community residents, and policymakers about the best possible strategies for their communities to obtain healthier food choices and advocate for adoption and implementation. Increasing healthy food access in underserved communities can move localities and states closer to multiple goals. It can make a difference in dietary behaviors and obesity, and ultimately improve the health of residents across the state. It can benefit businesses, whether grocery stores, corner store owners, or farmers. Ultimately, it can help ensure that all Americans live in thriving communities that nurture health and possibilities for jobs, new development, enhanced neighborhood assets, and opportunities.  |