Food Deserts in Chicago - Research Paper Example

? FOOD DESERTS IN CHICAGO May 29, Issues of food security and food access are common social problems that continue to affect the global population. Indeed, the increase in global population generates direct food challenges that adopt various categories. Food deserts are one of the food challenges that we have in the world including in the US. Assuredly, there is no universal definition of food deserts among researchers. Nevertheless, we can refer to food deserts as areas or communities that cannot access affordable groceries, which include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low fat milk, and other foods that define a balance and healthy diet.1 Notably, there has been an increase in food deserts in the world despite the improved technological advancements and growth in infrastructure. Convenience stores and fast food restaurants serve as an option in the food deserts thus denying the reference population a healthy living standard. Indeed, the convenience stores and fast food restaurants serve fast foods, milk products, and cheap meat that contain high fat, sugar, and salt content. They also serve processed foods that include chips, soft drinks, and snacks which equally promote unhealthy living standards. As a result, the federal government and other institutions seek to reduce food deserts and their effects on public health. This paper will discuss all the aspects of food deserts in Chicago, USA. Food deserts are seemingly most common in rural areas and inner cities and specifically a review of five high-income countries published in the July 2009 confirm that food deserts exist in the United States of America.2 Food deserts relate to communities of poorer health more than communities of good health. In fact, a report by the US Department of Agriculture define that a significant number of American citizens have limited access to affordable nutritious food due to the fact that they live far from a large grocery store and cannot access transportation to the grocery store.3 Most assuredly, the demand for and access to affordable, nutritious food catalyzes the food desert problem. Indeed, a food desert consumer’s decision to seek and increase their consumption on groceries relies on their ability to access, afford, and their perception towards groceries. In a food desert, there is scarcity of food and the available foods are of low quality and high prices.4 Worth noting is the fact that in food deserts, healthier foods that include vegetables and fruits are more expensive than unhealthful foods which include fast foods, soft drinks, and high fat foods. However, consumers in a food desert do not rely on their individual food preferences only but also on physical and financial factors relating to their lives. Indeed, factors like high crime rates in certain areas limit the customers from accessing the few food retailers or supermarkets that deal with groceries. Actually, in the United States, food deserts situate in urban and rural low-income neighborhoods, where residents have limited access to supermarkets or grocery stores that provide healthy food choice. As a result, there is need for a safer environment and better transportation to curb the effects of food deserts. The distance factor is seemingly the most dominant physical aspect that influences food deserts in US. In fact, a report by the Economic Research Service of the US Department of Agriculture confirms that approximately 2.3 million people live more than one mile away from a supermarket and do not own a personal car to access the food store.5 As such, this puts them in a food desert since they have limited access to fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low fat milk, and other foods that define a balance and healthy diet. More so, this was clearer when the First Lady Michelle Obama took time to address the food deserts issue in Chicago because the residents had to use several buses to access fresh produce stores.6 Indeed, food deserts are a civil rights issue in Chicago. Another factor that affects food deserts is rampant store closings in some inner cities. Indeed, some food stores have been reverting to other business as pharmacies thus limit the residents’ access to the fresh foods at the food store. Food deserts in Chicago also relate to the segregated housing in the city. Factually, the societies who live in food deserts bear great costs although the society as a whole suffers. Most specifically, food deserts are in different city-states in America including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, Camden, and Louisville. Indeed, Detroit stands out as the oldest and worst food desert in the United States of America.7 On the other hand, there are more than 600,000 Chicago residents living in food deserts especially on the southern and western Chicago.8 Most assuredly, with a population of approximately 2.7 million people, Chicago is the third largest city in the United States with a dense population of with a population of about 12,750 people per square mile.9 It is arguably a city of neighborhoods and is one of the most segregated cities in the United States. Indeed, more than 17 neighborhoods in Chicago are food desert neighborhoods. It conspicuously stands out as one of the largest food deserts in America with nearest grocery store in Chicago situated twice as distant as the nearest fast food restaurant. In Chicago, food deserts significantly affect the African-Americans at a high density with above 500,000 African-American Chicago residents living in food deserts and more than 400,000 Chicago residents living in neighborhoods with no grocery stores but overcrowded fast food restaurants.10 In addition, the African Americans mostly live in the western and southern sides of Chicago where food desert are synonymous. Indeed, more than 384,000 residents who are mostly African-Americans live in the food deserts on the West and South sides of Chicago. There is a clear disparity in the impact of food deserts in Chicago with the African American communities bearing the greater impact. The existence of food deserts in racial communities conveniently makes it a fundamental civil rights issue.11 In fact, African Americans form about 70 percent of the total Food Desert population with other races forming the remaining Chicago population.12 Actually, the Latino neighborhoods are closer to independent supermarkets than the African Americans thus giving them an advantage. In the African-American neighborhoods, there is limited access to fresh food due to lack of full-service supermarkets and independent groceries.13 However, in the Hispanic neighborhoods, there is reasonable food access due to the existence of independent and small chain supermarkets. As such, food access in other Chicago communities is relatively better while compared to African-American neighborhoods.14 Indeed, the changes between 2005 and 2007 only brought a few discount stores to the African-American communities thus the persistence of the food deserts in this community. Unfortunately, food deserts generate adverse effects on public health and there has been continued awareness to these effects and the need to address them. In general, some of the adverse health effects that emanate from food deserts may include highest rates of obesity, stage two chronic kidney disease, diabetes, other diet-related illnesses, and consistent deaths from food-related illnesses.15 Indeed, we can draw a significant link between geographical location that depict food deserts and personal health. The most recent research on food deserts seeks to define the relationship between food access and health outcomes. Assuredly, food deserts derive many consequences to the Chicago residents. More so, it is biologically true that food balance plays a significant role in increasing the rates of body mass index. As such, the distance to a grocery store has a significant impact on the body mass index of a resident in the food deserts. Other consequences of food deserts on Chicago residents include health diet-related diseases like obesity and diabetes, chronic and heart diseases, retarded development among the youth, early mortality among others.16 We can actually get premature deaths from cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease in communities with limited access to health diets. Worth noting is that residents in the food deserts will seemingly have more health problems that their counterparts living in neighborhoods where they can exercise healthy food options. Moreover, it is indeed, the distance to a fast food restaurant is much smaller than the distance to a grocery store in a food desert and thus it is very challenging for residents on doctor’s dietary recommendation to adhere to the doctor’s recommendation and hence their poor health. In addition, we can ascertain that since chronic diseases may develop from obesity, then the establishment of grocery stores in underserved areas would reduce the cases of obesity and lead to a healthy living among the residents in a food desert.17 Because of these effects, there have been concerned efforts by the federal government and other organizations on addressing food deserts and their effects. Indeed, there have been federal government’s and food justice activists’ efforts to reduce this prevalence by opening food co-ops in the food deserts as well as selling fresh and organic fruits and vegetables and other groceries. More so, some of the food co-ops educate the Chicago residents on choosing healthy foods by taking them through cooking and nutrition classes. In addition, we have the Food Desert Action is a non-profit making organization that seeks to eliminate food deserts as well as offering economic opportunities Chicago communities on the food deserts.18 In the same context, we have several companies that made a corporate commitment to open grocery stores and food stores in Chicago with a view of reducing the food deserts in these communities. Actually, the absolute solution to the food desert problem is the building of large supermarkets and groceries in underserved areas. Notably, big retailers such as Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Walgreen Co. have made are committed to building stores in underserved neighborhoods in Chicago and other urban centers.19 In addition, the First lady Michelle Obama encouraged the building of stores in Chicago when she stood in front of a produce display at a South Side Walgreens in 2011 and requested major retailers to invest on groceries and supermarkets in the poor neighborhoods of Chicago.20 More so, even the communities living in the food deserts have made personal initiatives to start community gardens and farmers’ markets to curb the effects of food deserts. There have also been various researches seeking to address the issue of food deserts in Chicago thus generating positive contributions to curbing food deserts. As a result, there has been a decreased prevalence of food deserts among the Chicago residents where the Chicago neighborhoods in a food desert shrank 40 percent from 2006 to 2011, according to Chicago-based Mari Gallagher Research & Consulting Group.21 In addition, the analysis also revealed that Chicago was making significant efforts in reducing the areas designated as food deserts. Indeed, a more detailed report released in June 2011 asserts that the Food Desert population in Chicago decreased from 550,382 to 383,954.22 In details, there were specific efforts by various parties to address the problem of food deserts in Chicago. Indeed, various corporate bodies made direct contribution towards this objective. For example, Walmart Stores were introducing food retail stores in Chicago by building a Walmart Market and a Walmart Express in the Western part of Chicago, Englewood neighborhood that was the epitome of the food desert in Chicago. Initially, many food stores had reverted to other businesses like pharmacies. However, from 2006 various drug stocks agreed to include fresh fruits and vegetables in their stock to assist the Chicago communities that were subject to food deserts. Specific drug stores include that opened 10 food centers in Chicago in 2010 though it did not intend to switch to grocery business. Indeed, Walgreens dedicated one of the new stores to 40 percent of groceries. Another drug store that participated in addressing the food desert problem in Chicago was the CVS, which promised to double its nonperishable food items in the undeserved Chicago neighborhoods.23 Notably, the most crazy and creative efforts towards saving Chicago communities from food deserts started in 2006 with the launching of Food Desert Action by community activists.24 This non-profit making group bought a used CTA bus, named it, the Fresh Moves, and reinvented it to become a fruit and vegetable stand, which today sells fruits and vegetables twice a week in the Austin and North Lawndale neighborhoods. Notably, these were food desert district in Chicago. The Food Desert Action sells its foodstuffs at lower overhead costs than the conventional stores hence offering financial access to the communities. Ideally, the Fresh Moves facilitates the physical access to fresh foods by the Chicago neighborhoods.25 The Food Desert Action therefore plays a significant role in alienating food deserts in Chicago. Another concerned effort to curb food deserts comes from distinct programs that offer funding to assist in addressing this problem. For instance, the USDA initiative dubbed “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food,” offers financial support to community projects, farmers’ markets, and farm stands that promote the production and access of fresh foods in the Chicago community.26 Furthermore, the Illinois state government has also shown concerns towards addressing this problem by enacting legislation named, the Fresh Food Fund in 2009. Indeed, the Fresh Food Fund of 2009 offers about $10 million towards the awareness and establishment of grocery stores in the urban environments that reflect food deserts. As such, this fund facilitates physical access of fresh foods in the food deserts. More so, the new mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel prioritizes the objective of addressing food deserts in Chicago. Indeed, within his first two months in office, Mayor Emanuel organized the Food Desert Summit on June 2010.27 The participants of the summit included various corporate executive who retail fresh foods, the state officers, city officials among other stakeholders. Notably, the participating executives told the Mayor and city officials the various startup, running, transportation, security, real estate, and bureaucratic red tape challenges that they face in their food stores and grocery stores. On the other hand, the mayor promised to deal with those challenges and encouraged them to open grocery stores in the Chicago neighborhood. The mayor manifests continued efforts to address this problem by encouraging the current retailers of grocery stores in food desert neighborhoods to stock up on fresh produce.28 Furthermore, the federal government is also playing a noble role in ensuring the address of problems that emanate from food deserts in Chicago. Indeed, the First Lady Michelle Obama launched her Let’s Move campaign and consequently promised in July 2011 to support the efforts geared towards alienating this problem. She also confirmed that major food retailers have made a commitment to her that they will open or expand over 1,500 stores in the food deserts thus creating physical access to fresh, nutritious foods in Chicago. In addition, private organization has offered private resources through nonprofit organizations to enable the community solve this problem. Indeed, Wholesome Wave initiated the Double Value Coupon Program in 2008 facilitates financial access to fresh foods in the food deserts.29 Another initiative is the West Humboldt Park healthy community initiative that seeks to end food insecurity in food desert neighborhoods. Notably, Humboldt Park is one of the adversely hit neighborhoods on the West Side of Chicago and hence this initiative will facilitate the access to good health foods in the community.30 However, it is worth noting that for the efforts made by various agencies to succeed, the community must play a primary role in addressing the food deserts in Chicago. To this extent, the Chicago residents must make wise health decisions, purchase, prepare, and consume the chosen foods with a view of improving their health. Indeed, the USDA confirmed the need to launch a vibrant public health campaign, offer low-income consumer incentives, and create access to nutritious and fresh foods in solving the food deserts problem in Chicago.31 At the same time there is need to eliminate restrictive zoning ordinances in Chicago as this would facilitate the opening of grocery stores and establishment of community gardens. This would guarantee physical access to fresh foods in Chicago. We can also increase the availability of healthy food, adjust the relative prices of fresh foods, decrease the availability of less healthy food, or change the physical layout of foods within stores thus facilitating physical and financial access of fresh foods in Chicago. More so, the Mayor should organize another food deserts summit that will include community organizations, private bodies, and nonprofits seeking to address the food deserts problem. At the same time, the grocery retailers must address the economic, educational, and cultural challenges that the Chicago residents face in the food deserts. Consequently, they should create partnerships with nonprofit organizations, private institutions, and academic bodies to foster research and address this problem. Indeed, some Chicago neighborhoods may choose to liaise with existing neighborhood corner stores to offer healthier options and implement programs that address the food deserts problem instead of opening new stores.32 Furthermore, we established that crime levels in the reference communities might limit physical access to fresh foods in the food deserts. As such, the Chicago city will have to address the crime and poverty problems in the Chicago neighborhoods for purposes of seeking to solve the food deserts problem. In conclusion, I can establish that food deserts are one of the food challenges that we have in the US and especially in Chicago. Food deserts refer to areas or communities that cannot access affordable groceries, which include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low fat milk, and other foods that define a balance and healthy diet. Indeed, there are food deserts in different city-states in America including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, Camden, and Louisville where Chicago has the third largest food deserts in America. More than 17 neighborhoods in Chicago are food deserts especially those in the southern and western Chicago. Notably, there are more than 600,000 Chicago residents living in food deserts. The African American communities bear the greater impact of food deserts in Chicago where they form about 70 percent of the total Food Desert population in Chicago. High crime rates, the distance factor, individual tastes, poverty, the demand for and access to affordable, nutritious, and lack of transportation to the grocery stores leads to food deserts in Chicago. Various effects of food deserts include obesity, chronic diseases, kidney disease, diabetes, diet-related diseases, and early mortality. Nevertheless, there have been efforts by the federal government, non-profit making organizations, private companies, and food justice activists’ that seek to address food desert problem in Chicago. As such, there have been reduced cases of food deserts where by June 2011 the Food Desert population in Chicago had decreased from 550,382 to 383,954. Bibliography “Food Deserts Explained.” CDC. Last modified May 29, 2013. http://www.cdc.gov/features/fooddeserts/ “Food Deserts in Chicago.” United States Commission on Civil Rights. Last modified October 2011. http://www.usccr.gov/pubs/IL-FoodDeserts-2011.pdf “Food Deserts.” Food Empowerment Project. Last modified May 29, 2013. http://www.foodispower.org/food-deserts/ Coleman, Marcus et al. “Food Desert Research.” The Food Scene Dialogues. Accessed May 29, 2013. http://www.thefoodscene.aec.msu.edu/thefoodscene/current_research Darnstadt, Katherine. “Food Desert Action: Mobile Produce Caravan.” AREA Chicago. Accessed May 29, 2013. http://areachicago.org/food-desert-action-mobile-produce-caravan/ Shasani. “600,000 Chicagoans stranded in food deserts.” Loyola University Chicago. October 6, 2012. Accessed May 29, 2013. http://blogs.luc.edu/hubbub/writing-for-the-web/60000-chicagoans-stranded-in-food-deserts/ Sweeney, Brigid. “Can Whole Foods help turn food deserts into oases?” Crain’s Chicago Business. February 18, 2013. Accessed May 29, 2013. http://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20130216/ISSUE01/302169979/can-whole-foods-help-turn-food-deserts-into-oases Wholey, Jennifer. “Mari Gallagher maps Chicago's food deserts block-by-block.” Medill Reports – Chicago. March 17, 2011. Accessed May 29, 2013. http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/chicago/news.aspx?id=183508 Wong, Brad. “Greening Our Cities’ Food Deserts.” Beyond Chron. May 10‚ 2013. Accessed May 29, 2013. http://www.beyondchron.org/articles/Greening_Our_Cities_Food_Deserts_11341.html Read More