The City Spurs Grocery Stores to Underserved
The Bloomberg administration, which has already cut down on trans fats and distributed fruit vendors to produce-anemic neighborhoods, is now seeking to provide incentives for grocery stores to open in areas where most families spend their food budget at bodegas and drug stores. The City Planning Commission unanimously approved the proposal on Wednesday, reports The…
The Bloomberg administration, which has already cut down on trans fats and distributed fruit vendors to produce-anemic neighborhoods, is now seeking to provide incentives for grocery stores to open in areas where most families spend their food budget at bodegas and drug stores. The City Planning Commission unanimously approved the proposal on Wednesday, reports The New York Times, which would grant zoning and tax incentives to grocery stores, with set requirements about how much produce and other foods they sell. The city is eying northern Manhattan, central Brooklyn, the South Bronx, and downtown Jamaica in Queens. Many city officials, food experts, and grocery store executives approve of the plan, meant to spur economic growth in addition to encouraging health (and fighting the rising rates of obesity and diabetes), but the Times mentions a recent report to Congress by the Department of Agriculture that shows an uncertain correlation between obesity and access to healthy, fresh foods. Avi Kaner, a supermarket operator, said education is the main solution. If you force distribution of product to a population that’s not interested in it, or not educated in it, and the grocery stores can’t make a profit, he told the Times, they’ll eventually leave. Check out the Times article for more details about the program, similar programs across the country, and a finer breakdown of the pros and cons.
A Plan to Add Supermarkets to Poor Areas [NY Times]
FRESH Food Store Program Overview [DOCP]
NYC’s Neighborhood Grocery Store and Supermarket Shortage [DOCP]
Photo by Royce Bair
Peter18 makes great points, there.
The best and healthiest way to eat, outside of growing and raising your own food, is the fresh food, daily market approach. Shopping daily for only what you need for meals, buying fresh produce, cuts of meat, fish, etc. Then shopping maybe once a week for staples. I’ve tried to do that as much as possible, but it’s not easy, or convenient always. And it’s certainly not the way most Americans shop. We like mega shopping, and shopping only once for a week or more. That’s part of the reason why processed foods are so popular.
Not to mention, kids don’t move these days. They come home and are sedentary. They watch TV, play video games or are on the computer or texting. They’re sloths.
I think those of us over the age of 30 can agree that was certainly not the case when we were growing up. All you did was run around playing games, sports etc.
A lot of things are different now that most homes are 2 income and there isn’t someone at home to have the time to cook. It’s grab what you can, when you can. It’s just the way it is.
fsrq, there was no analogy there. It was a point about how between Big Tobacco and Big Food, Big Food obviously affects more people, but until recently you never heard about it.
DIBS – your hyperbole is interesting but if 1 can of soda was as toxic as you imply (white death) – then America’s life expectancy would be falling rapidly since the per capita consumption in the US is approx 2 cans per day.
Not saying its healthy by any means but comparing soda to cigarettes is like comparing russian roulette to bike riding.
“Are you a vegetarian?”
Ditto, no I’m not. Although I’ve seriously considered going that way after seeing some of the documentaries and reading a bunch of books on the state of the meat industry.
Montrose, I’m sure it’s a combo of what we are both talking about. We’re probably close in age and, while there was certainly fast food when I was kid, it just wasn’t as prevalent and cheap as it is now (and no dollar menus back then). I also think people are more prone to eat poorly when on their own. I don’t cook but most of the folks I know who do always say they prefer cooking for a group of people versus just for themselves.
Thanks Peter for the clarification. We’re definitely on the same page.
Biff, I didn’t mean to imply they are anti-meat, I was quoting them for their anti-big food take. Are you a vegetarian?
rob- the tomatoes at the foodtown near me are high priced. (and not even that great).I love tomatoes- a good beefsteak tomato is like a real steak.
Biff: We agree. I don’t think obesity is the result of eating “pasta, rice, potatoes and a bit of non-prime cut meat.” I think if people had the time to prepare these foods as in the past there would be less obesity. I think obesity is at least partially the result of people not having or taking the time to prepare these foods as they did in the past, and relying on the convenient processed foods.
And if you rely on the convenience of processed foods because you’re too busy working three jobs that don’t pay a fair wage or provide health insurance or child care, then I’m not sure that providing more and better grocery stores will make much of a dent in the obesity problem. Not that I think it’s a bad idea per se.