Starved for Access: Life in Rural America's Food Deserts

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ociolog ical ral SociologicalSocietyRura iologicalSocietyRuralSociological SocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSo y SociologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSo l ical SocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSociety ocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSocio RuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSociety ogicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSociologic y SociologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyR ogicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSociological SociologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRural cal SocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSociological ral SociologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSoc SocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocie SociologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSo ty ocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocie S ologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRura iolog logicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSociological y l S ociologica o In all, it will take individual and community actions, as well as public policy improvements, to maintain and increase the capacity of rural grocery stores to provide nutritious, high quality, affordable foods while being profitable enough to stay in business. arena, funds should be set aside within the USDA Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program (CFPCGP) for special targeting to rural food desert areas, areas having high numbers of low-income people experiencing episodes of food insecurity. • Transportation: An aging-in-place elder population needs transportation to access food resources. Rural communities should assess their transportation infrastructure and develop a mix of private and public sources to provide transportation services to residents with low access to food retailers. Special efforts should be made by the Federal Transportation Administration (U.S Department of Transportation) to ensure that state-based Rural Transit Assistance Programs (RTAP) are devoting attention and resources to the unique transportation challenges of residents who may be living in rural food desert counties. program provides increased dollars for senior’s farmers’ market vouchers, and targets expanded resources to increase fruit and vegetable consumption by the working poor and the elderly, local grocery stores could be an important beneficiary of this type of program shift. Special efforts should be made to target these food and nutrition-related Farm Bill programs to food desert counties in rural America. In all, it will take individual and community actions, as well as public policy improvements, to maintain and increase the capacity of rural grocery stores to provide nutritious, high quality, affordable foods while being profitable enough to stay in business. Additional Resources: Garasky, S., L.W. Morton, K. A. Greder. 2006. “The Effect of the Local Food Environment and Social Support on Rural Food Insecurity.” Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition, 1(1): 83-103. • The 2007 Farm Bill Legislation: The 2007 Farm Bill offers important opportunities -- and potentially new revenues -- for local grocery stores, farmer’s markets, and roadside produce stands through expanded funding for additional fruit and vegetable purchases associated with our nation’s food assistance programs. Title IV, formerly the Food Stamp Program, is proposed to be the Food and Nutrition Program. If this Johnson, K. M. 2003. “Unpredictable Directions of Rural Population Growth and Migration.” In D.L. Brown and L.E. Swanson, editors, Challenges for Rural America in the Twenty-first Century. University Park, PA: Penn State University Press. 8
Endnotes 1. Lois Wright Morton, E. A. Bitto, M. J. Oakland, and M. Sand, “Solving the Problems of Iowa Food Deserts: Food Insecurity and Perceptions of Civic Structure.” Rural Sociology 70 (1): 94-112; (2005). 2. P. M. Morris, L. Neuhauser, and C. Campbell, “Food Security in Rural America: A Study of the Availability and Costs of Food.” Journal of Nutrition Education 24: 52S-8S; (1992). P.R. Kaufman, “Rural Poor Have Less Access to Supermarkets, Large Grocery Stores.” Rural Development Perspectives 13: 19-26; (1998). 3. USDA, Food CPI, Prices, and Expenditures: Outlook for Food Prices in 2006. Washington, DC: USDA, Economic Research Service; (2006). Available at www.ers.usda.gov/Briefing/ CPIFoodAndExpenditures/outlook.htm. ociolog ical ral SociologicalSocietyRura iologicalSocietyRuralSociological SocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSo y SociologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSo l ical SocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSociety ocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSocio RuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSociety ogicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSociologic y SociologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyR ogicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSociological SociologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRural cal SocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSociological ral SociologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSoc SocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocie SociologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSo ocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocie ologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRura logicalSocietyRuralSociologicalSocietyRuralSociological ociologica o 4. Troy Blanchard and Thomas Lyson, “Access to Low Cost Groceries in Nonmetropolitan Counties: Large Retailers and the Creation of Food Deserts.” Paper Presented at the Measuring Rural Diversity Conference, Washington, DC; (2002). Available at http://srdc.msstate.edu/measuring/blanchard.pdf. 5. P. M. Morris, L. Neuhauser, and C. Campbell, “Food Security in Rural America: A Study of the Availability and Costs of Food.” Journal of Nutrition Education 24:52S-8S; (1992). 6. Linda Ghelfi and Timothy S. Parker, “A County-Level Measure of Urban Influence.” ERS Staff Paper No. 9702. Washington, DC: Rural Economy Division, Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, February (1997). Seeking Authors The Rural Realities Board of Editors has identified the following as high priority issues for possible inclusion in future issues: • Socioeconomic Impacts of Military Base Closings, Expansions and/or Re-alignments Located in Rural Places • The Consolidation Game (i.e., Schools, Hospitals): The Pluses and Minuses for Rural Areas • Ten Years After TANF (Welfare Reform): How Have Low-Wealth Rural Americans Fared? Interested in addressing ane of the high priority topics, or suggesting other possible topics? Please prepare a one-page abstract of your proposed article and submit it to the series editor, or contact him to discuss your ideas. Bo Beaulieu Editor, Rural Realities 662-325-3207 ljb@srdc.msstate.edu 9
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