A Small Solution to a Large Problem: Food Insecurity

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54 million Americans are food insecure. Defined as a form of food insecurity, food deserts are areas where access to healthy, affordable food is inadequate. By taking into account household income, distance from the nearest grocery store (one mile in urban areas vs. ten miles in rural ones), and access to resources such as public transportation, researchers have found that at least 23.5 million Americans live in food deserts. This has devastating effects on public health, and racial and class equity.

Health issues related to food insecurity is an epidemic in the country, especially in the rural (poorer, Blacker) South. Levels of obesity and other nutrition-related non-communicable diseases (NR-NCDs) are increasing, and their consequences cripple communities, economies, and healthcare. Because they have no other choice, millions of Americans are “eating death.” My service will fight this, by watering these deserts with nutritious, affordable food. By transporting donated, unwanted produce to these food deserts and setting up a market in the local communities, my service not only aims to positively impact public health, by making access to nutritious food easier and cheaper, but also to empower these communities and help them break out of the cycle of poverty.

Identification of the Problem

A current problem in the food system this service seeks to address is the prevalence of NR-NCDs, such as diabetes and obesity, in rural food deserts. This issue disproportionately affects the working-class and people of color, highlighting the structural racism and classism that this food issue is intertwined with. Many people living in food deserts must travel long distances (more than 10 miles, and 30 minutes or more) to get to their nearest grocery stores. When 28 million Americans do not have cars, and public transportation is lacking, this leaves many with no choice but to resort to ultra-processed, unhealthy food. This has a negative impact on health, which can be seen in the higher rates of NR-NCDs in food deserts. The link between food insecurity and obesity is undeniable. This public health crisis also increases healthcare spending, another financial strain which enhances the cycle of poverty. To combat this, my service would offer an affordable, nutritious alternative to time-consuming and expensive grocery shopping - opening up an accessible market consisting of cheap, healthy food within the communities themselves, in order to positively affect their nutrition and diets, thus reducing the instance of NR-NCDs. This alleviation of time and financial pressure would allow residents to rise out of poverty, and to empower and support communities in need. A side effect of this service would be that it helps to address the issue of large-scale food waste and inadequate food distribution, by making use of unused food that would otherwise go to waste, and distributing it to hungry communities.

Product Description

This service would be a zero-waste, travelling, affordable, healthy food market. By relying on donations of food from grocery stores and restaurants, this service would be able to offer cheap groceries to communities that usually have little or no access to them. The service would partner with restaurants and grocery stores to pick up their unused food and transport the products to food deserts, to set up a market where residents can do their grocery shopping. Bringing the groceries to the residents would eliminate the expensive and time-consuming need to travel long distances to grocery stores. The service would also follow a pay-as-you-feel ethos, to ensure that those in need can still acquire nutritious food without breaking the bank. This means that consumers only need to pay what they can afford, and if they cannot afford anything, they can donate their time as volunteers. This ensures affordable prices and encourages a sense of agency for the residents, while also some level of funding for the service. The service would be regular and consistent, so that residents of these communities can rely on it. It would also be at a time and location convenient to the residents, as many may be working. The market, then, could also become a hub of local community activity, acting as a site for nutrition education and resource and information sharing, to empower and support these communities.

Demographic

Residents of rural food deserts (largely, poor people of color) are the target demographic, as they are more likely to have NR-NCDs. This service would appeal to them, as it would help alleviate the time constraints and financial difficulty of purchasing healthy groceries. Target regions are counties with high rates of NR-NCDs, which also tend to be poorer and Blacker. An example would be Sunflower County, Mississippi - the most obese county in the most obese State, with a rate of 53.7% adult obesity and 24.6% diabetes. This county also happens to be one of the poorest, with a poverty rate of 30.6%. In the State as a whole, 36.33% live in food deserts and  90% of those in poverty are Black. Even entire towns, such as Drew, Sunflower County, are classed as food deserts. These figures clearly demonstrate the intertwined nature of poverty, race, food access, and health. Thus, targeting food deserts helps to address the health issues related to inadequate food access, and looking at communities of color focuses on the racism and classism that drives this lack of access.

Limitations

There are a number of potential barriers and limitations to this service. One of these is how to ensure grocery stores and restaurants actually donate their unwanted food. While there are federal tax deductions to incentivise corporations and organisations to donate their unused food, the state of Mississippi itself does not encourage such action. Nevertheless, the federal government offers protections for food donors, further encouraging donations. This, and a growing culture of preventing food waste, means that the practice of donating unwanted food is much more popular. This is hopeful for this service, which would rely on consistent donations. Even so, it would be preferable if state, or even federal, law necessitated the donation of unused food. Lobbying the state government to pass food donation laws could take this step in solidifying consistent donations, preventing food waste and ensuring the sustainability of the service.

Another barrier to this service would be the financial cost of running it. While relying on donations for the product certainly cuts out the financial strain of sourcing the food, the transportation costs would be significant, as the service depends on driving from grocery stores to rural areas. Similarly, the cost of setting up markets in these communities regularly could be high. Perhaps collaborating with local schools or councils could alleviate this need for a large, common space. Nevertheless, the cost of tables, trucks, boxes etc. would still need to be addressed. In addition, the success of the service depends on workers. Paying staff would surely be another financial issue. Relying on volunteers could prevent this issue, however, this could then affect the reliability and efficiency of the service. A regular staff of dedicated workers would ensure not just a sophisticated service, but also friendly faces for the residents to get to know.

To overcome some of this financial stress, the service could qualify for tax exemptions by registering as a non-profit. Relying on donations, the company would offer its services for free, but ask for donations of either time or money (pay-as-you-feel), to ensure sustainability and potential growth. In addition to tax breaks and donations, the service could also receive extra funding in the form of grants and government subsidies. Ultimately, while there are financial concerns, there are myriad ways in which funding can be obtained and sustainability ensured.

Another potential limitation of the service is that, as it relies on donations of unwanted food, consistency and nutritional benefit of food could be irregular. As food donated would not be the same every week, the market may struggle with reliability, and residents may struggle with this lack of consistency. In addition, residents may not have the equipment necessary to safely cook what is donated.

The the ultimate issue with this service is that it is reactionary. It does not address the root issues of NR-NCDs due to food insecurity - structural racism and classism. While this service aims to alleviate the struggles these communities face, and empower and support them to break out of the cycle of poverty, it is limited in its fight against structural issues. Even so, I believe it would ease the pressures of poverty and food insecurity, allowing for more time and money spent on community empowerment and political activism.

Marketability

There is competition in the current market, in regard to increasing access to nutritious food. For instance, Footprint Farms in Mississippi offers farm box subscriptions, in order to “drain the [food] swamp”. However, these boxes are not cheap, at $20 for 7lbs, and many residents are hesitant to accept boxed deliveries as they prefer the self-agency to see and choose their own groceries. Similarly, Footprint Farms offer a drive-up market - however, not everyone has a car or the reliable transport to do so, and offered on Fridays from 4-6pm, it is simply not accessible for many working people. My service also intends to offer nutritious food to those in need, but at a more affordable price, convenient time, and without the need for consumers to travel.

Mississippi State University’s Extension Service offers its AIM for CHangE program to fight food insecurity. Its main service is a ride-sharing opportunity, that, once a month, “bring[s] communities to the food,” alleviating the financial/logistical pressures of traveling to the grocery store. However, this still puts the responsibility and struggle of travel on the residents, and they still have to pay full price for groceries. That the service is offered only once a month, at a time that may not suit many working people, is not good enough. My service would alleviate any travel for these people, instead bringing the food to the communities.

The Mississippi Food Network is a non-profit emergency food program that supports those in need through food banks, churches, schools, and rural delivery programs. While the work they do helps to feed many hungry Mississippians, in partnership with Feed America, their program delivers produce to a centralized location, still placing the responsibility of picking up groceries onto the residents. My service would do similar work, but cut out time pressures by bringing the food to the people, as well as fostering a supportive community environment, rather than an individual shopping experience.

Crowd Sourcing Blurb

NourishNow: Fresh Food, Fresh Prices

Healthy. Cheap. Reliable. And zero-waste. Meet NourishNow, Mississippi’s first travelling food market, dedicated to delivering nutritious, affordable food to communities trapped in food deserts.

Millions of Americans have limited access to low-cost, healthy food. Stuck in food deserts or swamps, these people, disproportionately working-class and of color, struggle to find the time, energy, resources, and finances to purchase healthy groceries. With no other choice but ultra-processed, unhealthy food, these communities face a public health crisis; higher rates of obesity, diabetes, and other nutrition-related diseases plague these communities. This also means more spending on healthcare. For everyone. The cycle of poverty, lack of access to nutritious food, and poor health continues.

This is where we step in. Instead of communities spending precious time and money travelling to the nearest grocery store, NourishNow brings the grocery store to them. Our traveling food market picks up unwanted, but still edible, food from grocery stores and restaurants, transports it to these food deserts, and sets up markets in the local community. With our pay-as-you-feel ethos, thanks to such donations, residents will be able to rely on consistently healthy and affordable food. Thus, truly providing fresh food at fresh prices.

Conclusion

Food insecurity has caused a public health crisis that disproportionately affects the poor and people of color. Action must be done to increase access to affordable, nutritious food and break the cycle of poverty. As class, race, and public health are intricately intertwined, food justice is also racial justice. This food service would ease the pressures of poverty and food insecurity, and allow space for steps towards racial and class equity.

Bibliography

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