Introduction

Food inequality is a prevailing global issue, but is especially troublesome in the United States. Despite being one of the world's wealthiest nations, many Americans struggle to access healthy and nutritious food. It is estimated that around 9.7% of Americans struggle to find fresh produce. This challenge stems from both soaring prices and a general lack of availability in certain areas. Various systemic factors contribute to these circumstances, including greedy corporations, discriminatory policies, and racially motivated redlining, which has led to the creation of racially segregated food deserts. The absence of food equity is particularly concerning, as some individuals have access only to nutritionally devoid food, resulting in a rise in childhood obesity and other grave consequences. Remarkably, food deserts, an area where it is difficult or unaffordable to buy nutritionally dense food, are often found in close proximity to areas where such resources are not accessible. This extreme example of inequality exacerbates the problem further.

The aim of this report is to identify the challenges with food distribution to people who have difficulty accessing it, specifically regarding fresh produce, while providing potential solutions. This report will touch upon the lack of access to fresh produce and some of the reasons why this persists in our country. This is a complex issue with multiple facets that require a nuanced analysis. While there is no single solution that would be economically viable and address, at once, all of the factors involved, by understanding the complexities of the problem it is possible to imagine viable courses of action. My research focused on interviews I conducted with people working on the frontlines to combat inequality in the food systems through local initiatives. In particular, these individuals are vital in ensuring access to fresh produce. In the food supply chain, my research methodology attempted to gain valuable insights into the problem and propose viable solutions. 

Problem Definition

When researching food inequality, I came across many contradictions. For example, the United States is the most productive nation in terms of food production, yet, a staggering 33.8 million people are food insecure. This situation arises due to the presence of food deserts, which can also be found in rural regions. Surprisingly, many people working on farms are among those who suffer from food insecurity. In major cities, certain neighborhoods lack access to fresh produce due to systemic decisions made by corporations, leaving them with processed foods mainly derived from crops like corn. High-fructose corn syrup, found in almost everything in modern society, has contributed to the increasing consumption of corn-derived products by the average American. This has resulted in the obesity epidemic, particularly prevalent in these aforementioned food deserts.

The state and federal government also bears a significant responsibility for the current food equity problem in the United States. During the Great Depression, the federal government provided subsidies to farms to prevent farmers from going bankrupt. However, these subsidies never ceased, and as a result, the government continues to pay farmers who grow crops like corn and soy - two commodity crops that are commonly used in processed food. This subsidy system has allowed farmers to profit from growing less nutritious food. However, to address the growing food inequality, the government introduced the food stamps program in the 1930’s, offering financial assistance to those earning below a certain annual income so they could buy essential food items. Unfortunately, the amount provided through this program has proven insufficient. For instance, in 2010, recipients were given only three dollars per day to spend on food, barely enough to purchase enough food, much less nutrient-rich options, exacerbating the problem further.

Interviews:

In order to better understand the situation, I reviewed various literature and materials on the subject matter as well as conducted thorough interviews with individuals deeply engaged in the food system. These are individuals involved with organizations that either produce or distribute food to food deserts. In designing my study, I tried to standardize many of the questions to better understand how individuals from various organizations along the supply chain view the same issue, potentially with different lenses. Please reach out for specifics on the various interviews. 

Conclusion 

Food inequity is a complex problem and will be an ongoing issue until it’s properly addressed by the community and government. Nonprofits and foundations are trying to address the issue but they largely are local and rely heavily on private funding and donations. There is some funding and resources from the government, but it’s insufficient since many of these organizations rely on private funding and community engagement from the production to the delivery. 

In drilling down, food rescue doesn’t appear to be the biggest challenge in the supply chain since there’s so much waste in the system that can be quickly leveraged by these organizations. Instead, the biggest challenge seems to be around the logistics and labor required by these organizations to get the food to those who need it. Some nonprofits are setting up sites while others heavily rely on drivers and volunteers for the “last mile”. 

From my review on scholarship on the topic, it seems that the government needs to get more involved. While they are providing some monetary resources for these organizations to operate through programs such as grants through the HRA or the nutrition assistance program, more can be done. For one, the government should redirect the subsidies that incentivize the farming of commodity crops that support and promote processed food towards farmers that grow more nutritionally dense food. Secondly, SNAPS needs to be modified so families have sufficient funds to purchase healthy food options. Lastly, incentives and creativity may be required by the government to incentivize organizations who have distribution in the local community to solve the “last mile” issue so foundations and nonprofits do not need to rely as much on volunteers and manage the complicated logistics of matching drivers with end-users. Perhaps it’s leveraging the distribution of local stores or schools to set up and manage local pick-up sites. Double-Up Food Bucks is a great example of an initiative that helps the food insecure while also benefiting farmers. An initiative like this requires less volunteers and community engagement and seems to be getting to the root of the problem.

This summer, I was able to join the scholarly conversations around this important topic and how different groups and individuals are systematically trying to mitigate this ongoing and growing inequity. Going forward, I hope to join the community in developing innovative solutions to make a real on the ground impact.