Food Accessibility in Urban Communities - Essay Example

They assert that these systems have caused environmental, social, and economic implications. Overview of the policy paper This is a synopsis of discussion paper number 3 on “Access to Food in Urban Communities”. The paper highlights the main obstacles to food accessibility by the urban residents; therefore, implementing the possible solutions to those obstacles. It discusses how economic factors may present obstacles to the accessibility of healthy foods. It also confers the main issues that face urban food production.

Furthermore, it addresses the explanations on why it is tricky for urban communities to access local foods and information concerning healthy foods (Access to Food in Urban Communities, 2011 p. 3). According to this discussion paper, food is a commodity; therefore, there should be a non-market manner of distributing it, as many cities in Canada depend on market activity for them to access healthy foods. The discussion paper asserts that everyone has a right to access healthy foods but most people in urban communities fail because of diminishing funds.

In urban communities, accessing healthy food is a chief problem because of economic barriers; furthermore, urban residents having fewer opportunities of practicing urban farming and due to lack of educational programs to teach urban residents on approaches to improve food accessibility (White 2007 p.100). This discussion paper also deliberates ways, which can help residents with low income to access healthy foods and how introduction of urban agriculture can enhance accessibility to inexpensive and healthy food.

The challenges that this discussion paper highlights include the issue of gender inequality in the market place. Furthermore, many people believe that city land is not for farming. Therefore, the paper recommends that there should be improvement of food programs for the urban communities in US and other relevant areas. These programs should encourage farming in urban centers. From this discussion of paper number 3, my research will focus on the method of improving healthy food accessibility by the low-income urban communities (Access to Food in Urban Communities, 2011 p. 5). Literature Review In 1960s, most of the white people who inhabited urban localities vacated to their homes in suburbs, which negatively affected the production of healthy foods in cities (Bolen & Hecht, 2003 p. 4). Food outlets, which were offering healthy and affordable foods, also vacated hence, leading to distribution of unhealthy and expensive foods in cities.

Numerous urban families have a meager income, which makes them incapable of accessing local healthy foods, hence, disabling them from balancing their diets (White 2007 p.101). Furthermore, these individuals have less transportation opportunities, which force them to purchase their foods from local cafes and corner shops that sales unhealthy foods. In addition, these food joints are in poor conditions and, they sell their edibles expensively (Rose, 2010, p. 1168). Urban residents should also raise funds to support urban farming, and encourage their fellow dwellers to participate in it.

White (2007, p. 104) states there are barriers that prevent pitiable individuals worldwide from accessing organic and local foods. These impediments encompass the financial problems, as the main obstacle blocking the low-income individuals from purchasing healthy foods are their cost (Burns, Bentley, Thornton &