Food System Disparities

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to identify food system and health indicators to determine if there were patterns of food system inequities based on race, ethnicity and/or socio‐economic class in New England, the Northeast (USDA Designation) and the United States. Indicators include, but are not limited to, farm and land ownership, food desserts and population profiles, poverty status, obesity and diabetes. Federal food assistance program participation rates such as WIC, School Breakfast & Lunch and the Supplemental Nutrition Program were reviewed. Employment rates, wages and health care access are also considered. In addition to the moral call to a more equitable system, recent healthcare and economic analysis indicate the quality of life and financial benefits of a more just food system Results indicate being White (Non‐Hispanic) puts you at a food system advantage you are far more likely to own farm land, have better access to food and purchasing power, and have healthier diets and more robust incomes than Blacks or Hispanics. Strategies that may help to identify disparities through better tracking, and those designed to structurally promote more equitable food system will be briefly identified.