Addressing the Challenge
Food Deserts Impact National Health Goals
- The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recognizes that people living in food insecure environments consume fewer vegetables and fruits.
- As a result, these individuals are at higher risk for not meeting national health goals.
- In its State Indicator Report on Fruits and Vegetables (2009), the CDC recommends states and local communities employ strategies to make healthier foods more available in food retail outlets to increase the consumption of vegetables and fruits.
Beans&Greens Aligns with the CDC's Recommendations
The CDC:
- identifies farmers' markets as a means to increase the level of available healthy foods in communities; and
- supports those efforts that allow farmers' markets to accept food assistance currencies
Beans&Greens brings the CDC's recommendations to Kansas City in several ways:
- serving as a catalyst to create the Rosedale Farmers' Market;
- moving several farmers' markets from "cash only" to electronic payments systems for SNAP and debit cards;
- partnering with 10 plus farmers' markets for the dollar-for-dollar match; and
- creating a Mobile market to make healthy local foods to very underserved neighborhoods
Sources:
Center of Disease Control, The State Indicator Report on Fruits and Vegetables, 2009.
http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov/health.professionals/statereport.html