A Food Hub to Address Healthy Food Access Gaps: Residents' Preferences

Abstract

Interventions aimed at improving access to healthy food in low-income communities should consider the preferences of residents. Household food shoppers in two urban, low-income communities were asked about their preferences for vendors at, and qualities of, a potential nearby food hub. Universally, participants preferred availability of whole foods, primarily fruits and vegetables. They also favored cleanliness, quality, and affordability. The demographics and preferences of potential customers raise central issues that would need to be integrated into the development of a food hub, namely affordability (likely through subsidization), attention to accommodation and cultural accessibility, and programming that builds community.

Evaluating food hubs: Reporting on a participatory action project

“…While not every food hub includes social or environmental goals as part of its mandate, there is evidence that social considerations such as food security, racial equity, access to healthy food, and fair prices for farmers are important for many hubs, as are environmental issues, particularly support for sustainable agricultural practices (see Blay-Palmer et al, 2018;Colasanti et al, 2018). However, the literature also highlights how food hubs' social and/or environmental goals are often subsumed by financial considerations (see Clark et al, 2019;Cleveland et al, 2014;Franklin et al, 2011;Hoey et al, 2018), as evidenced in the headline of a report on food hub closures: "Kentucky food hub suffered when it emphasized social mission over financial viability" (Brislen et al, 2017). As Hoey et al (2018) explain, food hubs "may be one means of increasing affordable, healthy food access in certain scenarios, but it may be unrealistic and unsustainable for many to prioritize local sourcing, farm viability, and equitable food access simultaneously -unless they can figuratively 'put on their own mask before helping others,' ensuring their own financial stability" (p. 56).…”

“…Similarly, food hubs in Ontario reported top operational values to be locality, sustainable agriculture, profit, social justice, and community and civic engagement, and the benefits of their work ranged from increasing market access and employment opportunities for youth, to providing food education and food donations (Blay-Palmer et al, 2018). There are tensions inherent in working towards these varied goals within a system that remains largely governed by market principles, and this can push food hubs to prioritize economic concerns above social or ecological ones (see Clark et al, 2019;Hoey et al, 2018). However, while food hubs do need to maintain financial viability to survive, and not all hubs seek to challenge the conventional food system to the same extent, it is still clear that a significant degree of multifunctionality is a key characteristic of the food hub model (see LeBlanc, Conner, McRae, & Darby, 2014).…”

“…To make matters worse, a lack of food skills and knowledge contributes to high levels of food waste as well as diet-related disease (Allen, FitzSimmons, Goodman, & Warner, 2003). One of many responses to challenges such as these has been the emergence of food hubs, which serve as a model for developing a kind of "infrastructure of the middle" (Stahlbrand, 2017) that can increase the viability of more localized food systems and, in the case of some hubs, also work toward broader goals related to social justice and ecological sustainability (see Blay-Palmer, Landman, Knezevic, & Hayhurst, 2013;Clark et al, 2019).…”

“…The growing body of literature on food hubs highlights the diversity that exists within the sector, as a wide variety of actors employ different approaches, with considerable variation in the extent to which they challenge (or not) the con-ventional food system paradigm (see Berti & Mulligan, 2016, Blay-Palmer et al, 2013Cleveland, Müller, Tranovich, Mazaroli, & Hinson, 2014;Levkoe et al, 2018;Perrett & Jackson, 2015). This diversity produces some tensions, particularly as many food hubs grapple with how or if to engage in programs that may not be directly or immediately profitable, such as those that focus on social justice objectives (see Clark et al, 2019;Hoey, Fink Shapiro, & Bielaczyc, 2018;Levkoe et al, 2018) and/or pursue environmental goals (see Cleveland et al, 2014;Franklin, Newton, & McEntee, 2011). In spite of debates regarding the precise role that food hubs can or should play in a transition toward more sustainable food systems, it is clear that they are playing some role, as they create a range of economic, social, and environmental impacts through a wide variety of activities and programs (see Colasanti, Hardy, Farbman, Pirog, Fisk, & Hamm, 2018;Jablonski, Schmit, & Kay, 2015;O'Hara, 2017;Schmidt, Kolodinsky, DeSisto & Conte, 2011).…”

Agroecological Transition: A Territorial Examination of the Simultaneity of Limited Farmer Livelihoods and Food Insecurity

“…Cooperative management arrangements such as food hubs, cooperatives, and growers' collectives can provide an opportunity to benefit SB farmer livelihoods. Food hubs address the lack of market access and growth opportunities by aggregating, distributing, and selling products from multiple producers [35]. Moreover, they attempt to reterritorialize regional and local agri-food systems [16,17,36] through innovative organizational strategies based on creating shared value and shortening regional supply chains.…”