USDA's new Food Environment Atlas

By geographically mapping indicators like “pounds of fruit/vegetables per capita” and “average monthly WIC participants,” the project enables policymakers and the general public to visualize the food environment, thereby helping to develop policy strategies that can improve food security and health in distressed areas across the country.

With such a tool, we can ask: where are the big gaps in service and access to healthy food, and how are those gaps affecting health? How are prices inhibiting the consumption of healthy food in many communities? Much of the map’s data focus on low-income communities, as does the First Lady’s entire childhood obesity project.

The Atlas summarizes a vast amount of data at the county, regional, and state levels. But in many ways, food security is a truly local issue – and at the moment, this tool is significantly limited in application at the local level. The smallest unit of measurement is the county – and this is especially problematic in DC, for example, where there is no distinction between sub-regions of the city. Therefore, if we’re looking at, say, the number of grocery stores per 1,000 people, we will get the same data point for all of DC – despite the fact that food environments vary widely throughout the District.

The limitation of local applicability becomes even more severe in cases where data is only available at the “regional” level. This puts DC in a category with some counties in MD and VA. These kinds of data include amounts of food eaten at home (fruits/veggies per capita, the ratio of fruits/veggies to prepared food, etc) and food prices (ratio of fruit prices to sweetened snack prices, ratio of whole grain prices to refined grain prices, etc).

The Atlas also uses the same level of indicator for all population densities across the nation – this is also a problem. In an urban area it is important to show the number of grocery stores per 10,000 people, while in rural area, that number of people will indicate a much broader swath of land.  A useful tool would have to find a way to factor in population density.
All that being said, this is the first tool of its kind – and it’s encouraging to see the Federal government finally getting engaged in this way.  The Atlas provides a promising base that could be developed into a truly powerful tool for policymakers and local change agents alike.

[Esta entrada en español!]

Come, be a part of connecting community, culture and food in Columbia Heights this summer.

The Columbia Heights Community Marketplace kicks off its inaugural season the first weekend of June 2010 at one of the neighborhood’s key commercial, cultural and social hubs: the plaza and fountain at the intersection of 14th Street, Kenyon Street and Park Road in Northwest D.C., one block from the Columbia Heights Metro, and across the street from a major shopping center, eateries and the Tivoli Theater.

The various aspects and components of the Columbia Heights Community Marketplace, including the farmers market, arts, entertainment and services, will show the key role that locally and sustainably grown food has in connecting, celebrating and strengthening community and culture.

But your help is needed to make the Columbia Heights Community Marketplace experience the best possible. Please take a few moments to complete a survey that seeks your help and ideas about a number of issues related to the market schedule and which activities, foods and services you would like to see available. For example, your input will help decide which day and hours the market should operate.

Click here to take the survey.

Thank you for taking the time to help make the Columbia Heights Community Marketplace a world class affair.

Esta entrada en español a continuación.

Ven, sea parte importante de la conexión de la comunidad, la cultura y la alimentación en Columbia Heights este verano. El Mercado de Columbia Heights (Columbia Heights Community Marketplace) inicia su temporada inaugural de la primera semana de junio de 2010, uno de los principales centros del barrio comercial, cultural y social – la plaza y fuente en la intersección de 14th Street, Kenyon Street y Park Road en el noroeste de DC, una cuadra del Metro de Columbia Heights, y en la calle de un importante centro comercial, restaurantes y el Teatro Tivoli. El mercado de los agricultores y las artes, entretenimiento y servicios que van junto con ella llevará a la forma en que muestra el papel fundamental que los alimentos cultivados y criados de manera sostenible y localmente tiene en la conexión y la celebración de la comunidad y la cultura.

Sin embargo, su ayuda es necesaria para que Columbia Heights Community Marketplace sea la mejor experiencia posible. Por favor, tome unos momentos para completar una encuesta que busca su ayuda e ideas acerca de una serie de cuestiones relacionadas con el programa de mercado y que actividades, alimentos y servicios que le gustarían ver disponible. Por ejemplo, su aporte ayudará a decidir qué día y hora el mercado debe funcionar.

Tomar la encuesta, haga clic aquí.

Gracias por tomarse el tiempo para ayudar a que la Columbia Heights Community Marketplace (el mercado) un asunto de clase mundial.