1 00:00:01,800 --> 00:00:06,920 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of iHeart Radio. Hey 2 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:10,000 Speaker 1: brain Stuff, Lauren vogle bomb here with a classic episode 3 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:13,960 Speaker 1: from our archives. This one goes into the harsh realities 4 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:16,239 Speaker 1: of the gaps in our food supply chain here in 5 00:00:16,239 --> 00:00:20,599 Speaker 1: the United States and what's being done to improve the situation. 6 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:26,040 Speaker 1: Hey brain Stuff, Lauren voge bomb here. The United States 7 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:29,560 Speaker 1: still struggles to feed people adequately. According to a new 8 00:00:29,600 --> 00:00:34,280 Speaker 1: analysis by the nonprofit organization Reinvestment Fund, seventeen point six 9 00:00:34,360 --> 00:00:38,880 Speaker 1: million Americans lack access to healthy food. It's not all 10 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:43,000 Speaker 1: bad news. They analyzed limited supermarket areas or l says, 11 00:00:43,159 --> 00:00:46,720 Speaker 1: often called food deserts. Their analysis shows that in most states, 12 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:50,120 Speaker 1: access to healthy food has improved overall during the past 13 00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:53,640 Speaker 1: several years. Even in states with significant population growth, such 14 00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:57,080 Speaker 1: as Florida and Arizona, the percentage of people who lived 15 00:00:57,080 --> 00:00:59,840 Speaker 1: in alisas decreased from six point eight percent in to 16 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:03,680 Speaker 1: ten to five point six percent in twenty six. That 17 00:01:03,720 --> 00:01:06,440 Speaker 1: means three point one million people have better access to 18 00:01:06,480 --> 00:01:09,679 Speaker 1: fresh foods than they used to, but progress hasn't been 19 00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:13,640 Speaker 1: consistent across the country. Even though grocery stores aren't the 20 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:17,039 Speaker 1: only places to get fresh food. Other retailers, including drug 21 00:01:17,080 --> 00:01:20,280 Speaker 1: stores and corner stores. Health experts note that food prices 22 00:01:20,319 --> 00:01:23,440 Speaker 1: at grocery stores are lower than those at smaller stores, 23 00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:27,440 Speaker 1: and that large clubs like Costco and Sam's typically require 24 00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:31,319 Speaker 1: membership fees that may be a barrier for some families. Plus, 25 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:33,559 Speaker 1: when there are fewer grocery stores in a given area, 26 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:38,360 Speaker 1: food prices are typically higher. Additionally, the analysis found that 27 00:01:38,480 --> 00:01:42,000 Speaker 1: ls as are disproportionately found in areas where the demographics 28 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:45,160 Speaker 1: include more people with low incomes, people in poverty, and 29 00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:49,080 Speaker 1: people of color. For example, food access improved overall in 30 00:01:49,160 --> 00:01:52,040 Speaker 1: Rhode Island. The number of people living in alisas they're 31 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:55,760 Speaker 1: dropped thirty eight percent between twenty and twenty sixteen, but 32 00:01:56,920 --> 00:02:01,120 Speaker 1: of Rhode Islands remaining ls A population is income residents. 33 00:02:01,920 --> 00:02:04,440 Speaker 1: Access to healthy food is key for good health and 34 00:02:04,560 --> 00:02:07,320 Speaker 1: quality of life. People who live in areas with poor 35 00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:10,080 Speaker 1: access to healthy food are fifty cent less likely to 36 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:13,200 Speaker 1: have a good quality diet. In communities with good access 37 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:16,560 Speaker 1: to healthy food, there's a reduced incidence of diabetes, for example. 38 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:20,920 Speaker 1: Food access also impacts other health conditions, such as cardiovascular 39 00:02:20,919 --> 00:02:24,919 Speaker 1: disease and even some types of cancer. The Reinvestment Fund 40 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:28,840 Speaker 1: analysis identifies low supermarket areas by looking at criteria such 41 00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:32,399 Speaker 1: as income, car ownership rates, and the distance to existing 42 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:37,840 Speaker 1: grocery stores, making adjustments for differences in rural and urban areas. Still, 43 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:41,359 Speaker 1: residents of LSAs travel almost twice as far to get 44 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 1: to grocery stores as residents in places with good access 45 00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:47,200 Speaker 1: to healthy food, even when there is a similar population 46 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:51,880 Speaker 1: density and car ownership. Retailers typically place stores in areas 47 00:02:51,919 --> 00:02:55,040 Speaker 1: where there's enough demand to sustain operations, such as a 48 00:02:55,120 --> 00:02:58,880 Speaker 1: denser population with a higher income. Low income or rural 49 00:02:58,919 --> 00:03:03,359 Speaker 1: areas don't offer those characteristics to attract retailers without other incentives, 50 00:03:03,880 --> 00:03:06,960 Speaker 1: and in urban areas, retailers face barriers such as real 51 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:10,800 Speaker 1: estate costs, limited parking space for customers, and traffic issues 52 00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:13,200 Speaker 1: which can make it hard for large trucks to enter 53 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:17,679 Speaker 1: and make regular deliveries. The LSA analysis by the Reinvestment 54 00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:20,800 Speaker 1: Fund will help direct government assistance to communities to help 55 00:03:20,840 --> 00:03:24,720 Speaker 1: bring grocery stores and healthy food retailers to underserved communities 56 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:28,520 Speaker 1: through the government's Healthy Food Financing Initiative. In the past 57 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:31,680 Speaker 1: ten years, drug stores such as Walgreens have made efforts 58 00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:34,840 Speaker 1: to stock limited grocery items, including milk, eggs, and fruit 59 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:38,760 Speaker 1: calling these efforts a food oasis to combat limited access 60 00:03:38,800 --> 00:03:42,680 Speaker 1: in food deserts, and some communities address food access through 61 00:03:42,720 --> 00:03:46,080 Speaker 1: grassroots efforts such as mobile grocery stores, community gardens, and 62 00:03:46,160 --> 00:03:50,520 Speaker 1: farmers markets. For example, in Chicago, and urban Farming program 63 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:53,280 Speaker 1: that started back in seen with just a few acres 64 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:56,320 Speaker 1: of land and a converted bus, served its ten thousand 65 00:03:56,520 --> 00:04:00,920 Speaker 1: customer as of August. The program called Fresh Moves Mobile 66 00:04:00,960 --> 00:04:04,960 Speaker 1: Market serves senior centers, schools, and other locations on Chicago's 67 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:08,800 Speaker 1: South and West sides weekly, focusing specifically on areas with 68 00:04:08,840 --> 00:04:19,320 Speaker 1: no access to fresh foods. Today's episode is based on 69 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:23,240 Speaker 1: the article seventeen point six million Americans still lack access 70 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 1: to healthy food on house toworks dot com, written by 71 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:28,839 Speaker 1: Sean Chavis. Print Office production of I Heart Radio in 72 00:04:28,839 --> 00:04:31,040 Speaker 1: partnership with house to works dot Com and it's produced 73 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:34,200 Speaker 1: by Tyler Klang. Four more podcasts from my heart Radio 74 00:04:34,520 --> 00:04:37,120 Speaker 1: visit the I heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 75 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:38,599 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.