One of the areas we need to work on in our
communities is the current food system in the United States; it has led to
people of color in low-income communities having higher rates of obesity and
diabetes. This form of environmental racism poses a serious threat to the
health of future generations, but inequitable food distribution can be remedied
if policy makers and communities work together. Residents in lower income
communities and communities of color lack easy access to fresh fruits and
vegetables. If we were to survey the access to healthy foods in both high
income and low-income neighborhoods, we would reveal that higher income areas
have more than twice as many large super markets per capita as lower income
areas. In contrast lower income communities have nearly twice as many liquor
stores and 50 percent more markets that sell an abundance of meat products,
neither of these types of stores offer a variety of healthy food options,
especially fresh fruits and vegetables. Because communities of color and
lower-income communities have about half the number of large supermarkets as
their higher-income counterparts, for example, they have much less access to
fruits and vegetables. As a result, consumers shopping for food in lower-income
neighborhoods rely more on liquor stores and other retail businesses that don’t
necessarily offer healthy options. With all of the wealth in our environments,
it is unacceptable that certain communities do not have access to fruits,
vegetables, and other healthy food alternatives. Such a food injustice can lead
to a host of health problems, including type-2 diabetes and obesity. That this
can happen in our own backyard is inexcusable; it’s really a form of
environmental racism. Policymakers and communities combining their efforts can
fix this problem. Some recommendations would be to include prices on produce
and clarify the federal North American Industy Classification System, which
currently counts small retail outlets as grocery stores, even if they sell
mostly alcohol and junk food. Our goal should be to work with the communities
suffering the biggest food inequities; a more just food system in the U.S. is
possible if everyone works together.
By Mary Navarro
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