Why is there still a lack of fresh food in South LA?

If Americans are on board with the healthy, organic movement and First Lady Michelle Obama brought nationwide awareness of food deserts across the United States, why is there still a lack of quality food distributors? I may take my Trader Joes, Sprouts Farmers Market, Whole Foods and local Sunday farmers market for granted but residents in South LA would be extremely happy with access to a supermarket chain.

The federal government has made some progress through First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move initiative but low-income neighborhoods still lack the access to healthy and fresh foods. As I mentioned in my last two blog posts, food accessibility is extremely important so residents who live in low-income areas in South LA are not forced to resort to unhealthy alternatives. Through research for my third assignment, I decided to refine my topic to health policy economics and how unhealthy eating choices affect people’s happiness levels. Possibly dabble into talking about public health. Possible feedback from the blogging community on how to better refine my topic fields?

In this blog post, though, I will discuss in-depth about how health economics plays a role in why low-income areas still suffer from the lack of access to fresh fruits and vegetables. The civil unrest sparked by the 1992 Los Angeles riots resulted in burned-down independent and chain supermarkets, and operators of these stores were wary of returning.  The limited access to supermarkets definitely creates a significant barrier in healthful eating, as poor residents without adequate transportation to the inner city are stuck with processed food from convenience stores/fast food restaurants that end up increasing their waist lines. This is definitely not a healthy way to live and it contradicts the First Lady’s Let’s Move initiative.

Supermarkets know they can turn a profit by catering to people who desire certain products. It is classic supply and demand economics. If consumers do not buy certain products, grocery stores know that they should decrease the supply of those products in order to avoid profit losses. In perfect competition, markets and consumers are supposed to be informed and rational, and marginal benefit should equal marginal cost. However, the world unfortunately does not work this way. Interestingly, not all grocery stores offer the same products. It all depends on your socioeconomic status, geography and whether businesses feel that they will make a profit with a certain food item.

My former professor, Lavonna Lewis, Phd, made an interesting point in an article published in Intersections South LA as "... people will leave the community if they want to buy things they need". After all, low-income residents do deserve the same product choices as people who live in the West Side... Don't they? I believe they do.