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One in four Baltimore residents lives in a "food desert," according to a new study released Wednesday by Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, who pledged to improve access to affordable and healthy food.
In the 2015 Food Environment Map Report, researchers defined food deserts as areas where distance to a supermarket exceeds a quarter-mile; the median household income is at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty level; more than 30 percent of households lack a vehicle; and there's a low score on the so-called healthy food availability index.
"We've never analyzed the food environment at this level before," Rawlings-Blake said, calling the report a "monumental step forward" in making Baltimore a healthier city. "I know that we can increase access to healthy and affordable foods as we move forward to dismantle this inequality in our city."
The study, by the Baltimore Food Policy Initiative and the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, found that children are disproportionately affected, with one in every three living in a food desert. The study also found that African-Americans have less access to quality food.
"When we look at many of our neighborhoods, there are life-expectancy disparities as much as 20 years," Rawlings-Blake said.
Read more here. (Baltimore Sun)
In the 2015 Food Environment Map Report, researchers defined food deserts as areas where distance to a supermarket exceeds a quarter-mile; the median household income is at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty level; more than 30 percent of households lack a vehicle; and there's a low score on the so-called healthy food availability index.
"We've never analyzed the food environment at this level before," Rawlings-Blake said, calling the report a "monumental step forward" in making Baltimore a healthier city. "I know that we can increase access to healthy and affordable foods as we move forward to dismantle this inequality in our city."
The study, by the Baltimore Food Policy Initiative and the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, found that children are disproportionately affected, with one in every three living in a food desert. The study also found that African-Americans have less access to quality food.
"When we look at many of our neighborhoods, there are life-expectancy disparities as much as 20 years," Rawlings-Blake said.
Read more here. (Baltimore Sun)
