in Fort Greene & Clinton Hill, Brooklyn 2011 Community Food Assessment with 2012 updates in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill, and with guidance from various Get Fresh! Food access, food justice and collective action in Fort Greene & Clinton Hill 2011 Community Food Assessment with 2012 Updates Contents Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................................................3 About MARP ..................................................................................................................................................5 2012 Updates ................................................................................................................................................6 The Fort Greene & Clinton Hill Community Food Council Steering Committee .......................................6 A Changing Local Food Environment .........................................................................................................7 Emergency Food Pantry Closures ..............................................................................................................8 Build Up and Upon Our Work ....................................................................................................................8 Executive Summary .......................................................................................................................................9 Introduction to Fort Greene and Clinton Hill ............................................................................................9 Purpose Statement ................................................................................................................................. 10 Methodology .......................................................................................................................................... 11 Findings................................................................................................................................................... 11 1. Access to Quality, Affordable Fresh Food is Limited .................................................................. 11 2. The Food Retail Environment Limits Access to Healthy Food .................................................... 11 3. Emergency Food Assistance and Benefits Programs Provide Crucial Access, but Could Serve More Residents .................................................................................................................................. 12 4. Farmers’ Markets, CSAs and Food Co-ops Remain Unfamiliar and Underutilized by Many Residents ............................................................................................................................................ 12 5. Residents Desire Greater Access to Nutritional Awareness and Education ............................... 13 Strategies for Strengthening Our Community Food System .................................................................. 13 1. Take Action to Increase Access to Fresh Food ........................................................................... 13 2. Focus on Emergency Food Assistance and Benefits ................................................................... 14 3. Increase Access through Alternative Models ............................................................................. 14 4. Encourage Healthier Choices by Fostering Nutritional Knowledge ........................................... 15 5. Build Up and Upon Our Work ..................................................................................................... 15 6. Alter the Food Retail Environment through Policy .................................................................... 15 Key to Reading This Report ........................................................................................................................ 16 Get Fresh! Food Access, Food Justice and Collective Action in Fort Greene & Clinton Hill ....................... 17 Context: A Tale of Two Food Systems .................................................................................................... 17 1 Mission Statement: Providing the Foundation for Change through Research and Collaboration ......... 20 Understanding Food Security and Community Food Assessments ........................................................ 22 Methodology .......................................................................................................................................... 23 Limitations of this CFA ............................................................................................................................ 29 Community Profile: Fort Greene and Clinton Hill ................................................................................... 31 About the Study Area ......................................................................................................................... 31 Neighborhood Demographics ............................................................................................................ 32 Economic Snapshot: Poverty, Unemployment and Public Assistance ............................................... 34 Health and Health Disparities ............................................................................................................. 41 The Impact of Health Disparities Here ............................................................................................... 43 Research Findings ................................................................................................................................... 45 1. Access to Quality, Affordable Fresh Food is Limited .................................................................. 46 2. The Food Retail Environment Limits Access to Healthy Food .................................................... 47 3. Emergency Food Assistance and Benefits Programs Provide Crucial Access, but Could Serve More Residents................................................................................................................................... 53 4. Farmers’ Markets, CSAs and Food Co-ops Remain Unfamiliar and Underutilized by Many Residents ............................................................................................................................................ 55 5. Residents Desire Greater Access to Nutritional Awareness and Education ............................... 57 Strategies for Strengthening Our Community Food System .................................................................. 62 1. Take Action to Increase Access to Fresh Food ........................................................................... 62 2. Focus on Emergency Food Assistance and Benefits ................................................................... 64 3. Increase Access through Alternative Models ............................................................................. 64 4. Encourage Healthier Choices by Fostering Nutritional Knowledge............................................ 65 5. Build Up and Upon Our Work ..................................................................................................... 66 6. Alter the Food Retail Environment through Policy..................................................................... 67 Appendix ..................................................................................................................................................... 68 Appendix 1: Advocacy Interview Questions ........................................................................................... 68 Appendix 2: Resident Food Survey ......................................................................................................... 69 Appendix 3: Store Assessment Survey ................................................................................................... 71 Appendix 4: 2011 Store Assessment Survey Price Point Comparison .................................................... 72 Appendix 5: 2012 Store Assessment Survey Price Point Comparison .................................................... 77 Appendix 6: Focus Group Questions ...................................................................................................... 81 2 Get Fresh! Food access, food justice and collective action in Fort Greene & Clinton Hill 2011 Community Food Assessment with 2012 Updates Interviews were conducted with Acknowledgements representatives from the Community food assessments, by their nature, require a following organizations: great deal of cooperation and collaboration. This assessment is .............................. no exception, and would not have been possible without Brooklyn District Public Health Office numerous contributors and community volunteers who Brooklyn Food Coalition (BFC) generously donated their time and expertise throughout this Child Development Support process. Corporation (CDSC) Cumberland Medical Center First, we must thank members of the Fort Greene and Catholic Charities Clinton Hill Community Food Council Steering Committee, which Dr. White Community Center includes representatives from the Ingersoll Garden of Eden, St. Emmanuel Baptist Church Joseph’s College, Families United for Racial and Economic Families United for Racial and Economic Equality (FUREE) Equality (FUREE), Fort Greene SNAP, Myrtle Eats Fresh, Brooklyn The Greene Hill Food Co-op Food Coalition, Child Development Support Corporation (CDSC), GrowNYC and a number of local residents.