Currently in the world, there would be hardly any country that is free completely free of any food controversy. Even the wealthiest countries of the world face one or the other kind of food controversy which creates problems in distribution and access of food to the masses. Food controversies range from a number of matters such as food deserts, food and hunger programs, soda size, the menus of many chain restaurants, the use of food trucks, hygiene and food preparation and many other food-related incidents. (Segal 197). These all, however, exist in every place irrespective of the prosperity and development in that area. This is because food is a very sensitive matter and it is related to the lives of many people in the world. I can have a positive and a negative impact on their lives, with its existence and non-existence, respectively. There are many people in the world today who are deprived of healthy, nutritious food, and they also have no means of getting access to it either. This creates food deserts, which are a major problem faced by the poor minorities in a country. (Jaffe). This includes low-income areas and people underprivileged with access to whole foods or supermarkets in their areas. These create problems for them in getting proper nutrition and thus, results in diseases like obesity and diabetes in the residents over a period of time. One such food controversy in the form of food deserts in prevalent in New York, which happens to be a very mainstream and popular State and city in the country. Yet, New York is highlighted as one of the main states, which faces food deserts and unavailability of healthy, nutritious food in many neighborhoods of the city.
New York City is considered one of the wealthiest places in the world with its cosmopolitan charm and impression as the hub of business, fashion and rich culture. In spite of its glamorous outlook and a large population of affluent and elites, the city is also one in which 1.3 million people go hungry every day. This is not true for all of New York; rather it is evident in the poor, low-income neighborhoods of the city which are faced with the problem of having food deserts and lack of availability of fresh, healthy food in the market. (Jaffe). Moreover, there are enough urban farms and agricultural activities that can support the city’s large, underprivileged population and feed homes sufficiently. Therefore, areas such as the Bronx are mainly known for food deserts with a large, underfed population of New Yorkers. (Segal 197).
Food desert thus is a geographical area where it is difficult for the residents to obtain affordable, healthy and nutritious food with ease. It is even more difficult for those people who do not have transportation means and cannot travel to far off areas to obtain the good quality product. There are many repercussions of food deserts, the main ones being health-related and also the creation of food disparities amongst the people, who are forced to buy food that is low quality, processed and poses a high risk to their well-being. (Jaffe).There are many ways to measure this food controversy, the main ones being census data, food store assessments and availability of supermarkets in the area, prevalence of diseases like obesity, heart problems and incidence of diabetes amongst the men, women, children and elderly residing in such areas, GIS technology and interviewing people about their problems, compiling surveys, filling out questionnaires and comprehending the consumers’ food access awareness. These help to gain an understanding of the problem and its spread amongst the population and can also help to put forward some reasonable solutions to their predicament. (Segal 198-9).
According to research conducted by NYU in the low-lying neighborhoods such as those in the Bronx, there were virtually no existent supermarkets apart from a single deli or bodega available in the neighborhood. These neighborhoods are known for people with low incomes and also known to be those populations which make up the minorities in the country. There are about 3 million New Yorkers who do not have access to fresh foods and whole foods, and they have to consult pharmacies or discount stores in order to purchase food for their homes. These places lack fresh food, yet these people are forced to spend their budget on them, which is already a tight spot for them. Harlem, South Bronx, and Brooklyn make up some of the places where food deserts are most widely prevalent in the city. (Kanno-Youngs). The major reason seen for this kind of predicament in the city is the development of rapidly produced industrialized agriculture in the present day which poses a major problem to the development of urban farms that can feed people with better and fresher food for their use. However affordability becomes a major problem because it is easier to afford canned and processed food in comparison with fresh, organic produce that is more expensive to afford. Fresh and organic food are mostly available to the middle class and upper classes of the society who also have the affordability for these foods. (Kanno-Youngs). On the other hand, the cheap and inexpensive crops yielded by industrialized farming produced low quality and unhealthy food which poses a threat to the consumer’s health. What happens with the unavailability of healthy food at supermarkets is the adaptation of an unhealthy lifestyle that promotes consumption of cigarettes, sodas and canned and processed food. The target audience for these foods is children and adolescents. (Kanno-Youngs).
The major reason why even the provision of supermarkets and whole foods is not a
solution to the problem is that healthy food is expensive. As research shows, consuming a 2000 calorie diet on junk food costs about $3.52 a person but consuming a low-calorie nutritious diet takes about $36.32 per day. This is a huge amount to pay for a low-income individual. The average American would spend about $7 a day on food whereas a low-income individual is likely to spend $4. (Sanger-Katz, Margot).An abundance of fast food chains is seen in impoverished areas, which leads to obesity and diabetes in children and adolescents.
The solution to such controversies is not difficult to impose and find. Of course at first glance, the reasonable solution would be the increased prevalence of supermarkets but this requires a lot of capital going into putting them up, and the affordability of low-income neighborhoods inhibits them from purchasing these foods. Hence, the plausible solution brought forwards by the Mayor, and the City Council Speaker was the introduction of Green Carts all over the food desert areas of New York. (Jaffe). This meant that fresh produce would be available to people. The vending permit allowed to sellers of the produce allowed them to sell fresh fruits and vegetables to people in low-income areas so they can purchase whatever fits their pocket and there is not enough waste at the end of the producers as well because the food is not being sent in large amounts. Moreover, the Green Carts initiative gets its support from the Illumination Foundation, which has also given marketing and resources training to the vendors. It provides employment to people who need it for income sake hence they can sell the produce to these areas and moreover the people who lack transport to reach these foods can avail the benefits of Green Carts. (Jaffe).
Another method by which the people can help themselves is by growing their own
produce. New York has an overabundance of empty rooftops that can be used to grow sustainable crops like fruits, vegetables, herbs and other such items, then, at least, one household could benefit from it and save a large amount of money they would need to spend on farm grown produce. Also, farmers and producers can begin a regional food system whereby farming and agricultural activities can take place near the food deserts. (Jaffe). Cultivating crops nearly within hundred miles of the place and then providing it to the people who cannot access it easily will greatly serve as an oasis in the food desert. The most important solution, however, is education. There are a solution such as home-grown food and reaching out of their way to buy a quality product, but many parents are not even aware of the fact that their local deli or bodega is not providing them healthy food. Therefore, the target audience to be reached is students. Many non-profit organizations such as Food Trust have a mission of education children in schools about the importance of eating healthy food and they also introduce healthy food prepared well, which encourages children to go home and persuade their parents into purchasing the healthier choice of food. (Sanger-Katz, Margot). Presently in New York, there are many nutritional and food programs that educate people on eating healthy and spreading awareness about areas that have become food deserts.
Conclusively, food deserts in New York are a major threat and a major food controversy that affects the lives of millions of New Yorkers every day. People in low-income homes are deprived of good quality food because of a lack of supermarkets and inaccessibility to whole foods because of their expense as well as their distance from their neighborhoods. This causes nutritional problems as well as health problems amongst the people. Therefore, solutions to these problems exist in the form of Green Carts, the spread of urban farms, producing crops and food at home and within New York’s vicinity. Educating children and adults are also helpful programs which can change the perception of people regarding the purchase of organic produce.
Work Cited
Jaffe, Claire. Green carts are tackling New York City’s food deserts. Smart Growth America.
2015. Web. 18 Mar 2016.
Kanno-Youngs, Zolan. Creating Oases in New York City’s food deserts. The Wall Street
Sanger-Katz, Margot. Giving the poor easy access to healthy food doesn’t mean they’ll buy it.
International New York Times. 2015. Web. 18 Mar 2016.
Segal, Adi. Food Deserts: A Global Crisis in New York City. Causes, Impacts, and Solutions.
Consilience: The Journal of Sustainable Development. Vol 3. 197-214. 2010. Web. 18 Mar 2016.
