The Conspiracy Chronicles: June 2020

Welcome to June, Conspiracy Chronicle followers! And a warm welcome to our new members! 

This month, we’re taking a look at an issue that is widespread in the United States and spreading around the world: food deserts. 

Maybe you’ve heard of those words, and maybe not, but in the United States, 23.5 million people live without easy access to fresh, affordable, healthy food—only made worse with COVID-19— and that has some major repercussions on their health and well-being. 

So, join us as we investigate this issue, dive deeper into the people who are hard at work fighting to get people access healthy, fresh food, and see how we can make a difference, too! 

We think that there’s wonderful progress to be celebrated, so grab your gardeners hat and favorite reusable grocery bag, we're digging in! 

The Problem: Food Deserts

First up, what is a food desert? A food desert is an area where people do not have access to affordable nutritious food sources, like a grocery store, nearby. (Move For Hunger) 

Urban food deserts disproportionately impact low-income communities and communities of color. Very often in these communities, access to healthy, affordable foods is compounded by lack of transportation,  cost of living, and being time and cash poor. (Food is Power) 

23.5 million Americans live in a food desert. Half of those individuals are low income. (USDA) Looking at the distribution of grocery stores in the United States, low-income areas are half as likely to have a grocery store as wealthy areas. Only 8% of African Americans live in a census tract with a supermarket as compared to 31% for whites. (The Food Trust)

Many food deserts contain more fast-food restaurants and convenience stores. These food options tend to lack fresh, healthy items, and are often all that is affordable and available. (Food is Power) 
 

What impact does this have on people’s health? 

Studies have shown there is a relationship between individuals’ access to healthy foods and health outcomes. Research shows that access to healthy food is associated with a lower risk of obesity and diet-related chronic disease. (The Food Trust) Without this access, the resulting poor nutrition and unhealthy diet increase the risk of cancer, high blood pressure, and diabetes. (HealthyPeople.gov) 

While making supermarkets more readily available is, by no means, the only step in dealing with health disparities in communities, it is an important step in the right direction. Studies have shown that better access to supermarkets corresponds to healthier eating. 

For every additional supermarket in a census tract, produce consumption increases 32% for African Americans and 11% for whites. (The Food Trust) Little changes like adding more space in small neighborhood stores for fresh produce can have an impact, too, increasing local residents' daily servings of fruits and vegetables! 

As with most issues, when it comes to getting more people access to healthy foods, adding supermarkets, farmers' markets, community gardens, and produce options are not a single fix. Using fresh produce can be time-consuming and requires the knowledge of how to cook and prepare them!

This is where great thought leaders like the one we're featuring today can step in!

Our Featured Thought Leader!

The Food Trust

“With more than 27 years of on-the-ground experience, The Food Trust has developed a comprehensive approach to improving food access which combines nutrition education and increased availability of healthy, affordable foods.”
(The Food Trust)

The Food Trust approaches the issues around food access through policy change, research, and community-based programs. From schools to corner stores, farmers' markets to policymakers, their work doesn’t just stop at access to produce. 

The Food Trust was started in Philadelphia, where they helped make an incredible impact with their programs--helping to decrease obesity rates in Philadelphia school children for the first time in decades-- and now they work with local organizations around the country to spread the success of their programs. 

If you’d like to learn more about The Food Trust, check out their website. They have some great resources for community leaders and many ways to get involved! 

Things You Can Do!

• Find out what’s happening locally! Donating your time or energy to organizations like The Food Trust in your area that are working to increase food literacy and decrease food deserts is a great place to start. Searching for “food education organizations in [your area]” or “food deserts in [your area]” will usually give you an idea of what food issues your area faces and who's working to solve them. 
   
• Grow some extra plants! There's a movement happening in Burlington, VT (our home state) to grow 100,000 pounds of food for individuals in our community this season. To do this, they're giving away free seedlings to people who are already growing veggies (or wanted to start a garden, anyway!) for them to grow and then give back! It's an easy way to make a difference and put food on your neighbor's table. Learn more about Plants for the People here. If you’re growing extra plants and have extra produce to donate, reach out to your local food bank to see if they could use it, or know of an organization who might!
   
• Donate! If you don’t live in an area affected by food deserts, donating to organizations that are working on the ground is a helpful option. Food education programs, community gardens, and organizations pushing for policy change need our support to keep doing their amazing work!
   
• Become a Maven! One of the best ways we can be helpful is by educating ourselves and others on these issues, too! Follow organizations like The Food Trust on social media. (Maybe challenge yourself to go follow 10 community gardens, food education, and food advocacy organizations on your favorite platform). The more that we hear from these organizations the more we can learn, share, and contribute to the conversation!
   
• Share this newsletter! When people care, things change. Share this newsletter with 5 of your friends and family! You never know what the ripple effect could be! 

Keep Up with the Community!

What does food access look like where you live? Are you a fan of any organizations we should know about? Do you have a favorite way to get involved? If so, let us know!

Follow Ever Widening Circles on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter where we will be posting some of our favorite content and accounts with more information.

Finally, join the #ConspiracyofGoodness Facebook Group to see what other people are up to and share inspiration you come across.

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