CAROL MOSELY BRAUN SPOKE OF SEEING AFRICAN AMERICANS SHOPPING AT GROCERY STORES FAR FROM HOME, LOOKING FOR BETTER QUALITY FOODS.
IT’S NOT ACCEPTABLE THAT A GOOD PIECE OF FRUIT REQUIRES A DAY TRIP.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THE FOLKS WHO AREN’T ABLE TRAVEL THAT FAR?
WHERE ARE THEY BUYING THEIR GROCERIES?
FAR TOO MANY ARE FALLING BACK ON GAS STATIONS, LIQUOR STORES AND FRINGE GROCERS THAT DO NOT HAVE A LOT TO PICK FROM.
RESEARCHER, MARI GALLAGHER CALLS THESE AREAS FOOD DESERTS, AND HER DATA SHOWS THAT SOME 600,000 CHICAGOANS LIVE IN ONE. MOST ARE AFRICAN AMERICAN; MANY ARE CHILDREN.
HIGHER RATES OF FOOD RELATED DEATHS CORRESPOND TO FOOD DESERT COMMUNITIES,
AS DO DIABETES, OBESITY AND HEART DISEASE.
THE CHICAGO URBAN LEAGUE SUPPORTS MAINSTREAM AND BLACK-OWNED GROCERS IN URBAN COMMUNITIES. WHEN GALLAGHER RELEASED HER FIRST STUDY IN 2006, THE URBAN LEAGUE HELD A FORUM TO BRING ATTENTION TO THE ISSUE.
SHE UPDATED HER STUDY LAST YEAR, AND FOUND THAT FOOD DESERTS IN CHICAGO SHRANK IN GENERAL. BUT THE SITUATION GOT WORSE IN AREAS LIKE CHATHAM, WHICH LOST TWO GROCERY STORES, AFFECTING SOME 16,000 PEOPLE.
GALLAGHER HAS A FORMULA SHE USES TO CALCULATE POTENTIAL YEARS OF LIFE GAINED BY IMPROVING ACCESS TO QUALITY FOODS IN POOR COMMUNITIES.
YEARS OF LIFE: AS IN LIVING LONGER -- HEALTHY.
THAT IS WHAT’S AT STAKE.
WE’D LIKE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS, AND MAYBE SOME SOLUTIONS, ABOUT FOOD DESERTS AND WHAT THE CITY, BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITIES CAN DO TO END THE DROUGHT.
