Comprehensive strategies to address food deserts

Large, small stores & farmers

Jay Blazek Crossley, Aug 02, 11.

Communities can best address the problem of food deserts - areas lacking easy access to sources of fresh produce - through a comprehensive approach that includes four strategies - develop new grocery stores, improve small stores, start and sustain farmers’ markets, and connect local farmers to low-income consumers - according to a new report from PolicyLink.

This new report pulls together several previous reports and lessons learned through years of PolicyLink’s work addressing food deserts in collaboration with the California Endowment, to “help advocates, policymakers, community-based organizations, residents, and other stakeholders replicate and create successful models for ensuring that all communities have access to healthy food and the wide range of benefits it brings,” according to PolicyLink.

Full Report: Healthy Food, Healthy Communities Expanded Version (pdf)