Why are there Barriers to Grocery Store Development in South LA?

I ended my last blog post with a meaningful statement from my professor, Lavonna Lewis Ph.D., as she said South LA residents would be willing to take extra measures to travel to West LA grocery stores if they have certain dietary preferences or restrictions.

But this makes me wonder why South LA is still a food desert despite some health policy progressions. Are there are racial disparities regarding food environments in certain neighborhoods to prevent South LA from ultimately being a FOOD OASIS?

The Community Health Council (CHC) discussed in a 2010 policy brief report titled Food Desert to Food Oasis: Promoting Grocery Store Development in South Los Angeles, that there are six key barriers for the establishment of full-service grocery stores in South LA.

(1) Difficulty Identifying Viable Sites

    South LA’s urban landscape is small and oddly-shaped

    Developers find it difficult to expand or create full-service grocery stores.

    There are too many factors to consider such as environmental contamination from construction of these grocery stores, demolishment of existing structures, relocation of businesses/ residents for redevelopment.

    Too much development costs and time spent overtime

(2) Costly Infrastructure Requirements

    Again, the issue with land use and infrastructure requirements outweigh the benefits as there are city of Los Angeles regulations that developers must consider in mixed-use development (ie. transit-oriented districts where it is pedestrian and public transportation friendly)

    Landscaping and layout for construction of full-service grocery stores must follow LA city’s regulations for development

(3) Lengthy Approval Process

    Development is usually a lengthy and cumbersome approval process

o   New projects need to be reviewed and approved by 12 different City departments!

o   During this time, the developers would have to incur more cost than benefit. 

(4) Lack of Skilled Workers

    Retail food industry is about ensuring food safety, customer service and efficiency

    Public education in South LA is lacking---where will managers find skilled laborers? Time to interview non-South LA jobseekers can be costly

(5) Presumed Lack of Spending Power

    Efficient market potential is undermined when low-income residents cannot afford to buy certain products (ex. organic, gluten-free, sugar free, etc.)

(6) Negative Perceptions of the Neighborhood

    Stigma of high crime rates and urban decay in South LA.

You now had a glimpse of the barriers that urban food environments in low-income areas undergo which prevents the residents from eating healthy and living an active lifestyle. But, do individuals have the power to fight for change? My answer: YES, they do!