City studying residents’ access to healthy foods
Access to fresh food, the local cost of food and the efficiency of food transportation are issues that the city of Columbia is examining to determine its ability to feed residents in need.
A host of organizations and the city of Columbia are battling to give urban and rural poor citizens more access to healthy foods. Many popular methods of feeding the hungry — including food banks and food stamps — are short-term, emergency solutions. They often leave people facing daily shortages of fresh and healthy foods and lead to poor diet choices, poor nutrition and health problems.
“Food is a human right; without food, you die, and without access to water, you die,” said Billy Polanski, market coordinator for the Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture. “There are so many goods and services out there that you don’t need. You don’t need a $5,000 sofa. You don’t need life insurance. Food is something that you really need.”
The Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture is one of many groups working to increase access to more sustainable, healthy foods in Columbia. This year the organization kicked off its opportunity gardens program, funded by a grant from the Boone County Electric Cooperative and the PedNet Cooperative. The program starts urban gardens for free in poor neighborhoods and shows residents how to maintain them and grow food.
“We’re really trying to empower people to provide for themselves,” Polanski said. “A little extra food is going to help lower the cost of their food.”
The Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture is one group that has received funding from the PedNet Cooperative, which awarded the city of Columbia a $400,000 grant in 2008. Columbia has seen a spike in locally produced food amid a community movement toward a more sustainable, healthy food supply.
“Other cities like Kansas City and St. Louis are further along than Columbia, but everywhere I look I see tremendous growth in terms of mobile foods,” Polanski said. “In the last four years, three or four new farmers markets have opened. We’re on the right track.”
Columbia Public Schools has been making a transition in recent years to using more locally grown foods, and supermarkets such as Hy-Vee sell locally grown foods from their shelves.
This fall’s Community Food Assessment marks one small part of the larger PedNet grant and involves the Columbia-Boone County Health Department, Healthy Lifestyle Initiative with MU Extension and many other community groups associated with Unite 4 Healthy Neighborhoods.
“There are five action teams looking to address issues related to the food system in terms of sustainability, food production, food access, affordability and availability,” said Michelle Kaiser, researcher in the MU School of Social Work in the College of Human Environmental Sciences.
The Community Food Assessment will extend through October and will survey Columbia grocery stores and residents to find out the strengths, weaknesses and quality of access to food as well as prices. Columbia policymakers will then use the assessment’s findings to make laws, institute programs or change zoning regulations to increase access to healthy food. The Boone County Board of Health has recommended Columbia start a food policy task force, which may eventually become a recognized city commission to address with food issues.
A host of organizations and the city of Columbia are battling to give urban and rural poor citizens more access to healthy foods. Many popular methods of feeding the hungry — including food banks and food stamps — are short-term, emergency solutions. They often leave people facing daily shortages of fresh and healthy foods and lead to poor diet choices, poor nutrition and health problems.
“Food is a human right; without food, you die, and without access to water, you die,” said Billy Polanski, market coordinator for the Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture. “There are so many goods and services out there that you don’t need. You don’t need a $5,000 sofa. You don’t need life insurance. Food is something that you really need.”
The Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture is one of many groups working to increase access to more sustainable, healthy foods in Columbia. This year the organization kicked off its opportunity gardens program, funded by a grant from the Boone County Electric Cooperative and the PedNet Cooperative. The program starts urban gardens for free in poor neighborhoods and shows residents how to maintain them and grow food.
“We’re really trying to empower people to provide for themselves,” Polanski said. “A little extra food is going to help lower the cost of their food.”
The Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture is one group that has received funding from the PedNet Cooperative, which awarded the city of Columbia a $400,000 grant in 2008. Columbia has seen a spike in locally produced food amid a community movement toward a more sustainable, healthy food supply.
“Other cities like Kansas City and St. Louis are further along than Columbia, but everywhere I look I see tremendous growth in terms of mobile foods,” Polanski said. “In the last four years, three or four new farmers markets have opened. We’re on the right track.”
Columbia Public Schools has been making a transition in recent years to using more locally grown foods, and supermarkets such as Hy-Vee sell locally grown foods from their shelves.
This fall’s Community Food Assessment marks one small part of the larger PedNet grant and involves the Columbia-Boone County Health Department, Healthy Lifestyle Initiative with MU Extension and many other community groups associated with Unite 4 Healthy Neighborhoods.
“There are five action teams looking to address issues related to the food system in terms of sustainability, food production, food access, affordability and availability,” said Michelle Kaiser, researcher in the MU School of Social Work in the College of Human Environmental Sciences.
The Community Food Assessment will extend through October and will survey Columbia grocery stores and residents to find out the strengths, weaknesses and quality of access to food as well as prices. Columbia policymakers will then use the assessment’s findings to make laws, institute programs or change zoning regulations to increase access to healthy food. The Boone County Board of Health has recommended Columbia start a food policy task force, which may eventually become a recognized city commission to address with food issues.