Fighting Food Deserts with the First Lady
Posted by Janet McLaughlin on Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Parents and caregivers who take Cooking Matters courses tell us all the time how they want to cook healthy meals for their families but that sometimes it can be tough to buy healthy foods close to home. Some are taking multiple busses to the nearest grocery store; others are making do with the limited selection at stores in their neighborhoods, like gas stations and mini-marts. According to USDA, 23.5 million Americans live in food deserts, or areas with little access to healthy foods. Of that 23.5 million, 6.5 million are children.
Today, there’s exciting news for our Cooking Matters families and 10 million more Americans. In an event at the White House, First Lady Michelle Obama announced that leading grocery retailers – including Cooking Matters national sponsor Walmart - have committed to expand and build new stores selling healthy, affordable food in food deserts nationwide.
Share Our Strength applauds this effort, and has been working closely with the Let’s Move campaign and the Partnership for a Healthier America to reach our mutual goals of ending childhood hunger and combating childhood obesity. As Josh said in the Partnership for a Healthier America’s press release today, “At Share Our Strength, we’re working to make sure that every child in America gets the nutritious food he or she needs to learn, grow and thrive. Improving access to healthy food is key to our success, and we applaud this new effort to build or expand grocery stores in low-access areas. This commitment will open the door to affordable, nutritious food for millions of Americans and will help us get closer to our goal of No Kid Hungry by 2015.”
We’re particularly proud to partner with Walmart, which has demonstrated a true commitment to fighting hunger and building healthier families. Earlier this year, the company embarked on a campaign to offer healthier foods in its stores, including reducing sodium and sugar in the products it sells and lowering the price of healthy foods like whole grains and fresh vegetables. Today, Walmart committed to build or expand as many as 300 stores over the next five years. The stores will be located nationwide, and will serve 800,000 individuals in low-access areas. Walmart will be evaluated on its progress annually, and those evaluations will be released to the public.
Expanding access to healthy foods is a tremendous step toward ending child hunger. But we also need to empower people with the skills and knowledge to use the fresh foods they will soon be able to buy more readily to make healthy, budget-friendly meals for their families. Cooking Matters volunteers across the country are doing just that.
July 20, 2011 | 0 comment(s) | Tags: food deserts, michelle obama, walmart
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