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Supermarket Campaign

Improving access to supermarkets in underserved communities

The Issue

Lack of access to healthy, affordable foods has a direct, measurable impact on our health. Research has shown that the presence of grocery stores selling fresh fruits and vegetables in a community helps people maintain a healthy weight.

Learn more: Food Geography: How Food Access Affects Diet and Health (PDF)

The Food Trust Solution

Through the identification of economic development resources, active public/private partnerships, rigorous research and policy advocacy, The Food Trust has successfully addressed the lack of supermarket access in numerous communities, including Pennsylvania, New York, New Orleans and Illinois.

Our Work in Pennsylvania: The Creation and Management of the Fresh Food Financing Initiative

Philadelphia is not exceptional in terms of the characteristics or poverty status of its residents when compared to other large urban areas, yet it has the second lowest number of supermarkets per capita of major cities in the nation. The Food Trust began its efforts to address supermarket-access issues here.

In 2001, The Food Trust released a report, The Need for More Supermarkets, which showed that poor supermarket access in Philadelphia is linked to the high incidence of diet-related diseases in many low-income neighborhoods.

Following the release of the Need for More Supermarkets report, the Philadelphia City Council directed The Food Trust to convene a Food Marketing Task Force to produce a report recommending policy changes to improve the availability of affordable, nutritious food in Philadelphia. The Food Marketing Task Force was composed of more than 40 experts from city government, the supermarket industry, and the civic sector.

In 2004, The Food Marketing Task Force released its report, Stimulating Supermarket Development: A New Day for Philadelphia (PDF), with 10 recommendations to increase the number of supermarkets in Philadelphia’s underserved communities.

Acting on these policy recommendations, the Pennsylvania legislature created the Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative, a first-of-its-kind grant and loan program to encourage supermarket development in underserved neighborhoods throughout the state. The Food Trust also published Philadelphia’s New Markets: Ripe Opportunities for Retailers (PDF) in 2006 to promote supermarket development

Now in its fourth year, the Fresh Food Financing Initiative, managed by The Food Trust, The Reinvestment Fund and Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition, has become a model for communities nationwide committed to combating obesity and improving food access. It is being studied by the Institute of Medicine and the National Institute of Health as a national public health model. And in 2008, Harvard University named the initiative one of the nation’s most innovative government programs.

But most importantly, the Fresh Food Financing Initiative has committed more that $63.3 million in funding for 68 supermarket projects in 27 Pennsylvania counties, creating or preserving 3,700 jobs.

Learn more: The Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative

Our work in New York: The Implementation of Recommendations from the New York Supermarket Commission

The Food Trust published The Need for More Supermarkets in New York (PDF) in 2008 and based on those finding, advocated for a replication of the Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative in New York. In his January 2009 State of the State address, New York Governor David A. Paterson announced the Healthy Foods/Healthy Communities Initiative, a revolving loan fund modeled on the Pennsylvania initiative.

In May 2009, the New York Supermarket Commission, a group representing private, public and civic center interests convened by The Food Trust, released a list of public policy recommendations to encourage supermarket development Stimulating Supermarket Development: A New Day for New York (PDF). And Governor Paterson and New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, who announced the Food Retail Expansion to Support Health (FRESH) program in May 2009, began implementing these recommendations.

Learn more: Contact The Food Trust’s Brian Lang.

Our work in Louisiana: The Creation of The Fresh Food Retail Incentives Program

In 2008, The Food Trust, as a member of the New Orleans Food Policy Advisory Committee, co-authored Building Healthy Communities: Expanding Access to Fresh Food Retail in New Orleans (PDF), a list of 10 recommendations for bringing more supermarkets to New Orleans

Currently, the Food Trust is providing guidance and support to New Orleans’ efforts to create the Fresh Food Retail Incentives program, a public/private partnership modeled on the Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative.

Learn more: Contact The Food Trust.

Our work in Illinois: The Illinois Food Marketing Task Force

In 2008, The Food Trust published the Need for More Supermarkets in Chicago (PDF). The findings of the report led to the development of the Illinois Food Marketing Task Force, which is currently developing recommendations for encouraging supermarket development in Illinois.

The Food Trust also partnered with the Center for Urban Environmental Research & Policy at Loyola University Chicago to map underserved supermarket areas throughout Illinois (PDF).

Learn more: Contact The Food Trust’s Caroline Harries