A 2012 federal report found that among cities of its size, Pittsburgh had the highest percentage of people – nearly 1 in 2 – residing in areas with low supermarket access. Residents in these communities, which are often referred to as “food deserts”, must travel more than 1 mile from a supermarket or large grocery store where they can purchase a variety of fresh, healthy food.
These communities are often underserved due to having been historically marginalized and disinvested in. Centuries of systemic racism have concentrated underpaid people of color in neighborhoods that often lack buying power and resources. This is increasingly referred to as “food apartheid” as it is a direct result of purposeful race-based investment decisions. While hunger disproportionately affects people of color, lack of food access is also a serious issue in some primarily white areas, especially in rural communities and communities that have lost industrial jobs.
Our 2013 Menu for Food Justice report concluded that, in terms of helping these neighborhoods obtain the sustainable food access solutions they desire, “one size doesn’t fit all.” Just because a neighborhood lacks a large supermarket doesn’t mean a large supermarket is the solution for all communities. Struggling areas vary in the types of barriers they face to accessing nutritious and affordable food. They also vary in the resources they have to address them.
Since 2013, Just Harvest has worked to help boost access to healthy food for people in communities that lack it. We have done this by adopting two innovative approaches:
Our Fresh Access and Fresh Corners programs have directly improved the ability of our low-income neighbors to access healthy food. Fresh Access also supports regional farms and farmers markets, a great source of locally-grown, nutritious food. Fresh Corners also supports small business owners in the local food retail sector.
