Food Deserts In Rhode Island

In my last blog post, I introduced the term "food desert," as a factor of environmental injustice and explained who is affected and what efforts are being made to combat it. This post will dig deeper into this unfortunate phenomenon, and talk about local food deserts.

Recap: a food desert is geographical location where it is difficult to obtain fresh fruit and vegetables. A food desert mainly has a lot of fast food restaurants and corner stores, as opposed to supermarkets that offer produce and other nutritious foods. Food deserts are rampant among low-income minority communities, and rural towns. Food deserts are a form of environmental injustice. 

Food Deserts in Rhode Island:

Rhode Island is no stranger to food deserts. Even though we are the smallest state in the US, we still have communities that are victims of food deserts. From our rural towns, to the heart of the city of Providence, food deserts are unfortunately alive and well. 

Let's take a look:

Like I mentioned previously in my last blog, First Lady Michelle Obama partnered up with the United States Department of Agriculture to Food Access Research Atlas, to create a map where anyone can see if they live in a food desert.

I encourage you to take a look at the atlas, and test it out yourself. Put the town you live in and see if you live in a food desert, or if you live in a place where there are supermarkets that carry fresh and nutritious produce. (Comment with what you find!)

When I came across the atlas, I immediately searched where I live, Providence, to see where the local food deserts around me are. There are a number of communities that have low-access or even no access to vehicles to get them to their supermarket destination. The good news is there are no "red zones," zones in which a significant number of people who do not have to travel more than 1 urban mile, or 20 rural miles.

Keeping it local:

The Environmental Justice League of Rhode Island  is a non-profit organization made up of Rhode Island residents who care about their neighborhood's environment. The League started a Healthy Corner Store Initiative, which is a community campaign urging local small corner stores and bodegas to  add healthier options to their selection. By working with store owners, vendors, youth, and community residents, the initiative seeks to make it easier to find and cook healthier food.

Personally, I believe the League does a great deal of combating environmental racism, because most of the people in the League are indeed of color, and they cater to the people in their communities. For example, here is the Healthy Corner Store Initiative's poster:

The poster here is in Spanish, which I think is so important. This brings Spanish-speaking people into the conversation of food justice. 

When we make our actions and initiatives multi-lingual, we include people who otherwise might be excluded into the conversation of environmental justice.

Another powerful resource that takes on food justice in Providence, is the Providence Food Justice Mapping Project, a sustainability initiative specifically dedicated to exploring the opportunities and food barriers in Providence.

The project focuses heavily on providing detailed maps to where food is accessible in Providence. They have provided this excellent visual for guidance:

If you can, note which areas are green and which aren't. If you aren't too familiar with the neighborhoods in Providence, I will give you a hint, the green areas are the most affluent ones.

This is why environmental justice and campaigns like the two I mentioned are so important. If we do not take direct action, our rich, White neighbors will be the only ones with proper food access.