Sam Kass Interview: Food-Desert Fight Is Real
“Last month a front-page story in the New York Times emphasized two studies that appeared to challenge the notion that food deserts — districts with limited or no access to affordable and nutritious foods, yet rich in stores hawking junk food — are a real problem…
… One such campaign that focuses on fresh-food access in underserved neighborhoods is first lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! initiative, launched in 2010 wit
h a pledge to eradicate all U.S. food deserts within seven years. Right-wing critics of the first lady pounced on the Times story, which also noted that many poor neighborhoods have plenty of grocery stores, as indisputable proof that food deserts are a make-believe issue and Let's Move! a waste of time and money…
…Kass argues that an all-of-the-above approach is needed. “It's going to take all strategies to solve problems as difficult and challenging as the ones we're facing,” he said, adding that other government efforts — such as the Department of Agriculture's “Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food” initiative, which helps connect consumers to local producers, and Treasury Department grants (pdf), which fund community-owned food retailers — are committed to local, sustainable solutions…”
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