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I am a little skeptical of this data. I live in a food desert despite being 2 blocks from a Mexican grocery store and a half mile from a Food Co-op. No it's not
by ahi 14y ago
I am a little skeptical of this data. I live in a food desert despite being 2 blocks from a Mexican grocery store and a half mile from a Food Co-op. No it's not a Safeway, but they both packed a lot of variety into ~20,000 square feet. If you can live with tortillas instead of hot dog buns (one thing I know the Mexican store is missing) then it's fine.
The solution to food deserts is not more supermarkets. Our small markets fit our community. Putting a huge supermarket+parking where they are would make walking impossible for our poor and elderly residents. A real solution is strengthening our food distribution systems so that our local stores have better access to fresh produce.
- binarymax 14y agoI definitely don't think the solution is huge supermarkets - but more public markets, produce stands, and corner stores selling fresh food.
- freehunter 14y agoI am also skeptical. I zoomed in on Big Rapids, MI (home of Ferris State University) to find the entire town and half the campus is a food desert. How is that possible? It's a college town! It has Meijer (Midwestern chain supermarket), Wal-Mart, McDonalds/BK/Taco Bell/Little Ceaser's/etc. The on-campus eateries are open to the public for $5. Plenty of local stores and restaurants. There's absolutely no way the downtown and campus areas of a college town could be considered "low access".