The food deserts of Memphis: inside America's hunger capital | Divided Cities

Summary

The transcript highlights the severe issue of food deserts in South Memphis, where residents lack access to quality groceries, leading to poor health outcomes. It contrasts the abundance of food options in wealthier areas with the scarcity in impoverished neighborhoods. Many residents, like Dolores and Michelle, rely on long bus rides for groceries, while nearby convenience stores offer only unhealthy options. Historical issues like redlining have exacerbated the problem, and while efforts like the South Memphis Farmers Market are helping, the lack of investment continues to limit access to healthy food.

Takeaways

• 🍽️ 23.5 million Americans live in 'food deserts,' areas lacking access to quality food, especially in South Memphis.
• 🚶‍♀️ Many South Memphis residents, like Dolores Bateman, struggle with long commutes to distant grocery stores due to lack of transportation.
• 🏙️ Once-vibrant areas in South and North Memphis now have many vacant buildings, some replaced with liquor stores, worsening the food desert issue.
• 🍔 Convenience stores offer limited healthy options, with most food being low-quality, processed items like chips and sugary drinks.
• 🚌 For some residents, trips to the grocery store require taking multiple buses, making food access time-consuming and frustrating.
• 💸 Affluent areas like East Memphis have abundant access to grocery stores and fresh food, contrasting sharply with poorer neighborhoods.
• 🏚️ Redlining policies from the 1930s still impact where banks invest, making it hard for grocery stores to open in low-income, minority areas.
• ⚕️ Poor food access contributes to rising health issues like type 2 diabetes and hypertension, even in young children.
• 🌱 Initiatives like the South Memphis Farmers Market help bring fresh produce to the community, though more solutions are needed.
• 🌍 The issue is systemic, with environmental factors, not individual choices, being the root cause of poor health in food deserts.

Q & A

What is a 'food desert' as described in the transcript?

A food desert is a place where the majority of residents do not have access to a supermarket, and a large percentage of them lack transportation. These areas are often economically distressed, with limited availability of fresh, high-quality food.

Why is access to high-quality food a recurring issue in South Memphis?

Access to high-quality food is a recurring issue in South Memphis because many grocery stores have closed, and the area is sparsely populated with low economic investment. Residents are left with only convenience stores and fast food options, which offer limited nutritious food.

How does the lack of transportation affect residents' ability to access food?

Residents without cars must rely on public transportation, which can take up to an hour or more to get to the nearest grocery store. This makes it difficult to purchase fresh food regularly, forcing many to rely on quick, unhealthy meals from local convenience stores.

How has redlining contributed to the current situation in South Memphis?

Redlining was a federal policy that marked certain neighborhoods, often minority and low-income areas, as high-risk for investment. This discouraged banks from offering mortgages or loans for businesses, leading to economic decline and a lack of development, including grocery stores.

What role does poverty play in the food access issue in Memphis?

Poverty plays a major role, as many residents in areas like South Memphis cannot afford to move to better-served neighborhoods, and the economic distress discourages grocery stores from opening due to the perceived lack of profitability.

How does food availability differ between affluent areas like East Memphis and poorer areas like South Memphis?

Affluent areas like East Memphis have multiple grocery stores and access to fresh, high-quality food, often within a short distance. In contrast, poorer areas like South Memphis have few grocery stores, and residents often rely on unhealthy convenience store offerings.

What are some of the health issues resulting from poor food access in South Memphis?

Common health issues include pre-diabetes, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and elevated blood pressure. These problems, once primarily seen in older adults, are now being diagnosed in children as young as eight due to poor diets and lack of access to nutritious food.

How has the South Memphis Farmers Market helped the community?

The South Memphis Farmers Market has provided residents with access to fresh, healthy food and has become a vital part of the community. It emerged from a neighborhood revitalization plan that identified food access as a top priority.

What are the challenges in attracting grocery stores to underserved areas like South Memphis?

Grocery store operators often perceive such areas as economically unviable due to low population density and safety concerns. The cost of property and incentives needed to attract a store may also be prohibitive, leading to missed opportunities for investment.

What is the significance of the brewery development mentioned in the transcript?

The brewery development, while creating jobs and contributing economically, replaced what was seen as an ideal site for a grocery store. This reflects the difficult balance between fostering economic growth and addressing the specific needs of the community, such as food access.