The lack of access to healthy and affordable food is not a problem unique to Third World countries. Millions of Americans live in impoverished urban communities without the luxury of a supermarket that others may take for granted. These areas, sometimes called “food deserts,” present limited choices in the way of nutritious food options for their residents.
When the small convenience store down the street becomes the main source for household groceries, families typically pay higher prices even in the absence of essential fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Moreover, economic conditions in some poor neighborhoods foster the dominance of fast-food restaurants. The demand for their speedy service, tasty products and relatively cheap prices is strong. Unfortunately, a steady diet of burgers and fries only hastens the slide to obesity and increases the risk of diabetes.
How can we possibly address these issues? How can we encourage people to make better choices with their time and their health?
The roadblocks ahead are immense. Real estate prices in the areas in question swell the cost of doing business. On a broader level, the Farm Bill legislation, amended every five years, essentially determines what products consumers may access on a large scale. Constantly subsidized and overproduced foods, such as corn, soybeans, wheat and rice, provide crucial ingredients for a number of highly processed items crowding America’s store shelves.
We must fashion a wholesale change in the way the government engages the food industry, starting with more subsidies for fruits and vegetables. This measure will give producers the incentive to boost their supply and eventually drive down the cost of these healthier items. Such a shift in policy would serve as a constructive model in helping consumers help themselves.
In 2008, the Los Angeles City Council passed an ordinance banning the construction of new fast-food restaurants in a low-income ward. In fact, a number of cities and towns have instituted similar laws in recent years. Food zoning, however, is not the right answer to the dilemma presented here. Preaching the importance of exercise or a moderate diet is perfectly worthwhile (even banning trans fats has its merits), but actively prohibiting certain businesses from poor communities is divisive and counterproductive; it is a heavy-handed tactic that does not bolster food choices and ignores the jobs these restaurants bring to the neighborhood.
Conversely, New York City offers a more effective and less intrusive means to encourage development and lure new businesses to food deserts. An array of zoning law adjustments and tax credits has been established for grocery stores that carry a significant amount of fresh dairy, meats and produce. Granting developers the room to work under normally tight building restrictions and giving tax exemptions for approved stores can diversify options for the poor and diminish the travel time once required to reach distant supermarkets.
Another avenue to improve the accessibility and affordability of healthy foods in urban areas is the growth of community-supported agriculture and community gardens. Community-supported agriculture builds partnerships between area farms and poor communities. Farms deliver produce to neighborhoods that purchase a portion of the crops at the beginning of a growing season as a collective group. Community gardens bring opportunities for environmental education, fresh produce and aesthetically pleasing landscapes.
Pragmatic ideas and grassroots level changes are out there. It’s time we enact them to fight the widespread problems of obesity, diabetes and limited healthy food choices in poor urban areas.
Michael Stubel is a junior in the School of Public Affairs and the School of Communication and a moderate Republican columnist for The Eagle. You can reach him at edpage@theeagleonline.com.
