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Agric Hum Values (2014) 31:537547 DOI 10.1007/s10460-014-9501-y
Redening the food desert: combining GIS with direct observation to measure food access
Mark S. LeClair Anna-Maria Aksan
Accepted: 15 January 2014 / Published online: 15 April 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014
Abstract As public and private resources are increasingly being directed towards the elimination of food deserts in urban areas, proper measurement of food access is essential. Amelioration has been approached through the use of farmers markets, virtual grocery stores, and corner store programs, but properly situating these assets in neighborhoods in need requires localized data on both the location and content of food outlets and the populations served. This paper examines the reliability of current techniques for identifying food deserts, and identies some of the aws in those approaches. Information derived from geographic information systems (GIS) mapping is the predominant means of determining food availability. In this study, food access in Bridgeport, CT, is examined utilizing both computer-based GIS mapping and on-the-ground observations. While the GIS output indicates generalized food accessibility issues, supplementation by survey data reduces the geographic extent of the food desert problem. Still, nearly 60,000 people (40 % of the population) reside in neighborhoods served only by small retailers who provide few healthy food options, and those at inated prices. The high opportunity cost of travelling by bus to a major grocery store may outweigh the direct cost savings, and residents choose to consume locally available but unhealthy foods.
Keywords Food deserts Food access GIS mapping
Pricedistance cost
AbbreviationsGIS Geographic information systemsSNAP Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
Introduction
Growing concern with food access in urban areas dates back over a decade, with seminal works by Reisig and Hobbiss (2000), Whelan et al. (2002), and Cummins and Macintyre (2002). The formation of so-called food deserts, localities without easy access to retail food establishments, has raised alarm over the potential effects on the health and well-being of residents. In addition to access issues, the lack of full-service markets creates a monetary issue, as the higher priced food available at the smaller food retailers embedded in urban neighborhoods strains food budgets. Although there is now wide recognition that food deserts are a signicant health and economic issue, the lack of buying power in low-income neighborhoods poses...