By Kirstin Q. Siemering, DrPH, RD
People have been researching food access for at least 50 years, but it has only been since the mid-1990s that this has been framed primarily as a health issue. The term “food desert,” which has gained recognition in recent years, was coined by University of London researcher Steven Cummins to describe places without adequate access to healthy, reasonably priced food.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) was directed by the 2008 Farm Bill to study food deserts throughout the nation. This effort culminated in the 2009 National Academies report, The Public Health Effects of Food Deserts, which concludes with research and policy recommendations. The USDA recently unveiled its food desert locator, which is part of Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign (and a complement to its Food Environment Atlas). Urban areas are taking up the charge to increase residents’ access to healthy foods. Baltimore’s Department of Planning has a Food Policy Director and Food Policy Councils are cropping up across the country (The New York Times’ Mark Bittman recently wrote about food policy organizing in Detroit).
While this work is not easy in any environment, rural settings have unique challenges, including geographic isolation, aging populations, and poverty. The Center for Rural Affairs in Lyons, Nebraska (population 963) has been working on this issue and released two key reports last fall – one on the importance and challenges of rural grocery stores, and another on ownership models that work for rural communities. The Center emphasizes that rural grocery stores bring value on many levels. Local grocery stores provide access to healthy foods, employment opportunities, local tax revenue, and serve a vital role in strengthening communities’ social fabric.
While the Center’s work is national in scope, Nebraska has some great examples of rural grocery store development. The town of Arthur (population 148) lost its grocery store in the mid 1990s, which necessitated residents traveling 80 miles roundtrip for groceries. Local high school students recognized the need and responded by organizing themselves and opening Wolf Den Market (named after the high school mascot). Their efforts were so successful that a group of adults, concerned about losing the store should student interest lag, helped transition from student ownership to a cooperative.
Steph Larsen helps direct the Center’s organizing activities and leads its outreach activities in this area. Larsen’s recommendations reflect organizing ideals, including the imperatives of knowing one’s community, listening to one’s community, bringing leaders together to talk about critical issues, and moving forward with consensus. Larsen strongly believes that if the support is there, the effort will be successful.
The importance of resources for population health improvement is a recurring theme on this blog, and the dollars matter here as well. The federal government has several initiatives underway that address the issue of food access, including the Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) and the Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP). The HFFI is being modeled after Pennsylvania’s very successful Fresh Food Financing Initiative; $10 million are slated for the first round of funding, with applications due July 11. Yet despite all the excitement around the program, funding may yet fizzle as appropriations talks continue over the coming months.
Grassroots efforts such as those underway in Nebraska will always be critical, but we’re not likely to see tremendous momentum on this (or any population health issue) without buy-in from the treetops as well.
Kirstin Q. Siemering, DrPH, RD is a Researcher with the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute.
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