Search results

1 – 10 of over 2000
Article
Publication date: 5 June 2017

Van Wood and Manoj Thomas

This paper aims to examine the realities of food deserts and the vulnerable populations in urban areas in the USA; review underlying causes of these realities; and propose a set…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the realities of food deserts and the vulnerable populations in urban areas in the USA; review underlying causes of these realities; and propose a set of solutions to address challenges facing vulnerable populations living in urban food deserts.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents a case study with a focus on a specific vulnerable population living in a food desert in the inner city of Richmond, Virginia.

Findings

While vulnerable populations and food deserts have much in common, in general, they both reflect, for specific groups of people, a failure to achieve or even having a chance to achieve the American dream. In particular, they reflect the economic, social, culture and education disenfranchisement of many citizens in society.

Originality/value

This exploratory paper and case study offers a beginning reference point to both understand and deal with urban food deserts and the vulnerable populations that reside there-in. Food deserts are a serious problem that is historically based and contemporarily reinforced by economic, social and cultural/community realities in society. By first understanding these realities, the paper calls for research and action.

Details

International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Marketing, vol. 11 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1750-6123

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 July 2017

Francine Rodier, Fabien Durif and Myriam Ertz

Previous research has extensively examined “food deserts,” where access to healthy food is limited. However, little is known of the buying behavior at the individual household…

1506

Abstract

Purpose

Previous research has extensively examined “food deserts,” where access to healthy food is limited. However, little is known of the buying behavior at the individual household level in terms of buying habits and consumption in these areas. The purpose of this paper is to determine to what extent other factors than access can account for the purchase of healthy food products, namely, fruits and vegetables.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper proposes to partially fill this gap through a qualitative (n=55) and quantitative (n=512) study of those people who are in charge of their household purchases in two food deserts in the city of Montreal.

Findings

Results show that geographical access to supermarkets is not the main factor fostering the purchase of healthy foods (fruits and vegetables). Indeed, food education (e.g. information, simple recipes, cooking classes), associated with a changing mediation process through product diversification (e.g. availability of local products in bulk) and supply (e.g. farmers) seems to be more significant.

Research limitations/implications

Future studies could compare the results obtained through this study in different socio-demographic contexts. Longitudinal analyses could also increase the understanding of the social and commercial challenges.

Originality/value

In contrast to previous studies, the results show that geographical access to supermarkets is not the main factor fostering the purchase of fruits and vegetables. Indeed, food education (e.g. information, simple recipes, cooking classes), associated with a changing mediation process through product diversification (e.g. products in bulk) and supply (e.g. farmers) seem to be more significant.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 119 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 April 2009

Jesse McEntee

Food deserts are an attractive metaphor, but because defining this phrase and actually identifying food deserts as geographic places are a contentious endeavour, it is more…

2757

Abstract

Purpose

Food deserts are an attractive metaphor, but because defining this phrase and actually identifying food deserts as geographic places are a contentious endeavour, it is more revealing to discuss related terms. Inherent in the debate around food deserts (i.e. how they are defined, if and where they exist) is the topic of access. The central purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that access is a more accurate and less misleading concept than food deserts when it comes to highlighting food inequalities.

Design/methodology/approach

Social exclusion, choice, food security, and public health are fields on which the paper draws. The proposition is that food security studies have entered a postmodern food security paradigm, which can readily be seen in US‐based community food security efforts.

Findings

Progressing beyond the initial attention‐grabbing nature of the food desert term, a conceptually thin foundation is discovered that impedes universal understanding and acknowledgment that areas of inadequate food access do exist. Food access, on the other hand, is an established phrase that has evolved and been applied in different arenas to address food security. Food access is a readily understood concept that can be tailored to specific applications; whether it is physical, economic, or informational food access.

Originality/value

It is proposed here that access is a more accurate and less misleading concept than food deserts when it comes to highlighting food inadequacies.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 111 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 November 2021

Samantha Mogil, Evanah Hill and Jennifer Quinlan

Lack of access to supermarkets and fresh produce continues to be a problem for low income consumers in many countries. The purpose of this research was to identify the shopping…

Abstract

Purpose

Lack of access to supermarkets and fresh produce continues to be a problem for low income consumers in many countries. The purpose of this research was to identify the shopping preferences and needs of such consumers in the Eastern U.S. Additionally, the research sought to determine the interest and preferences of low income consumers in a mobile grocery intervention which would provide neighborhoods with a consistent, convenient shopping experience.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed methods approach included conducting focus groups in low-income neighborhoods in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. and a quantitative survey (n = 202) administered via Survey Monkey to low-income consumers. Thematic analysis was conducted on focus group data and surveys were administered and analyzed to assess applicability of themes identified to consumers over a larger geographic area.

Findings

Results indicated that consumers in food desert neighborhoods reported an interest in purchasing a wide range of food staples, household goods, and personal items from any shopping intervention. Participants indicated a need for a more convenient overall shopping experience for a range of foods and goods in addition to fresh food choices. Findings indicate that mobile interventions to increase food access may benefit from expanding products available through the intervention beyond fresh produce and perishable goods.

Originality/value

This research explored purchasing preferences with low income consumers living in food deserts. It identifies products and goods they would prefer to see in an intervention to increase food access and is unique in that it explores the wants and preferences of consumers living in food deserts.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 124 no. 11
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 February 2006

Hillary Shaw

The ‘consumer society’ has become a ‘consumer oligopoly’ in Britain as the big four supermarkets, Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury, and Morrison have between them captured a 75% share of…

3029

Abstract

The ‘consumer society’ has become a ‘consumer oligopoly’ in Britain as the big four supermarkets, Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury, and Morrison have between them captured a 75% share of the grocery market. This has been achieved through globalisation, the attainment of large economies of scale, and major deployment of buying power. Total annual profits of the ‘big four’ UK supermarkets now stand at £3 billion, and several millions of this is spent on charitable causes and other CSR activities such as promoting sustainable development. However the spectacular growth of the supermarkets over the past fifty years has not been to the benefit of all. Some consumers have seen their access to healthy food curtailed as local shops have closed, and the quality of their diet has fallen; this is often referred to as the ‘food deserts’ phenomenon. The spatial scale of ‘food deserts’, the coping strategies employed by those affected by such ‘deserts’, and the solutions proposed to alleviate food access problems, are profoundly local in character, typically operating over distances of less than two kilometres. This paper suggests that a re‐focussing of the CSR activities of supermarkets towards the local scale can not only boost the social image of the supermarkets in fields where their impact is seen as negative, but can also be profitable for these corporations. Further benefits of a more local perspective include environmental advantages such as the maintenance of biodiversity and support for farmers whose incomes may be in decline. In tandem with a global commercial outlook, supermarkets have engaged with government at a national level to further their business interests. Simultaneously, governmental power within Britain has also moved from the local to the national level. In contrast, many organisations representing disadvantaged groups call for a localised, ‘bottom‐up’, approach. Britain's current centralised ‘top‐down’ approach to governance may be driven by financial pressures or ideological considerations, but this has nevertheless alienated some voters from government. This shift has prompted a certain disengagement with political processes for some individuals, and a shift towards ‘direct action’ tactics which may be damaging to commercial activities. It is argued here that a realignment of the supermarket's engagement with politics from the national to the local level is possible, financed by the resources the supermarkets currently devote to CSR activities. This re‐localisation of supermarket political activity would in fact pay dividends for the ‘big four’ retailers, because by helping to re‐build the legitimacy of national government it would create a more stable environment for business within the UK.

Details

Social Responsibility Journal, vol. 2 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1747-1117

Article
Publication date: 7 January 2020

Carlos J.L. Balsas

The purpose of this paper is to examine public market functions in three different continents (Europe, North America and Asia) and to identify a set of planning implications for…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine public market functions in three different continents (Europe, North America and Asia) and to identify a set of planning implications for their use in contexts of urban regeneration.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents a comparative analysis of four downtown market functions based on the LABiMAAM framework: [L]ocation; [A]ccessibility; [B]uilding; [i]nternal structure; [M]ain trading area; [A]menities and services; [A]nimation program; and [M]anagement structure.

Findings

The lessons learned suggest that centrally located public markets possess: social functions aimed at guaranteeing food security, urban development goals that prevent the leap-frog suburbanization of the territory, walkability goals that reduce automobile dependence and welfare goals that support disenfranchised, usually minority, populations.

Research limitations/implications

Positive and dire implications are identified. The former are structured in terms of these five categories, namely, social, financial, macro-spatial, environmental and public space; while the latter tend to result mostly from the abandonment of the public good orientation associated with having a public market function in a central location.

Originality/value

This study results from the realization of increasing developmental pressures and widespread tendencies to multiply specialized retail offers in both traditional, and especially, innovative commercial formats. The findings comprise the identification of public policies aimed at augmenting the relevance of commercial urbanism and urban regeneration strategies.

Details

Journal of Place Management and Development, vol. 13 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8335

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 June 2022

Feyza G. Sahinyazan and Ozgur M. Araz

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of food access and other vulnerability measures on the COVID-19 progression to inform the public health decision-makers while…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of food access and other vulnerability measures on the COVID-19 progression to inform the public health decision-makers while setting priority rules for vaccine schedules.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the authors used the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) data combined with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s social vulnerability score variables and diabetes and obesity prevalence in a set of models to assess the associations with the COVID-19 prevalence and case-fatality rates in the United States (US) counties. Using the case prevalence estimates provided by these models, the authors developed a COVID-19 vulnerability score. The COVID-19 vulnerability score prioritization is then compared with the pro-rata approach commonly used for vaccine distribution.

Findings

The study found that the population proportion residing in a food desert is positively correlated with the COVID-19 prevalence. Similarly, the population proportion registered to SNAP is positively correlated with the COVID-19 prevalence. The findings demonstrate that commonly used pro-rata vaccine allocation can overlook vulnerable communities, which can eventually create disease hot-spots.

Practical implications

The proposed methodology provides a rapid and effective vaccine prioritization scoring. However, this scoring can also be considered for other humanitarian programs such as food aid and rapid test distribution in response to the current and future pandemics.

Originality/value

Humanitarian logistics domain predominantly relies on equity measures, where each jurisdiction receives resources proportional to their population. This study provides a tool to rapidly identify and prioritize vulnerable communities while determining vaccination schedules.

Details

Journal of Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Management, vol. 12 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-6747

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 May 2019

Pia Carreño and Andres Silva

The purpose of this paper is to explore fruit and vegetable (FV) procurement disparity across income groups.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore fruit and vegetable (FV) procurement disparity across income groups.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses mean comparison and quintile regression to explain FVs variations.

Findings

Households from the highest income quantile spend more than two times on FVs than households from the lowest quantile; however, this expenditure disparity is largely mitigated in terms of purchase quantity. This paper presents evidence that, rather than quantity discounts or income neighborhood, the type of store (traditional markets vs supermarkets) plays a relevant role in explaining the smaller gap in terms of purchase quantity.

Research limitations/implications

Traditional markets help low-income households access low-cost FVs.

Social implications

The authors generate evidence to show that traditional markets play a relevant role to supply affordable FV to low-income households.

Originality/value

The paper used a high-quality and uncommon data set. It is a topic of high social impact.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 121 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 20 October 2021

Virva Tuomala and David B. Grant

Access to food through retail supply chain distribution can vary significantly among the urban poor and leads to household food insecurity. The paper explores this sustainable…

4530

Abstract

Purpose

Access to food through retail supply chain distribution can vary significantly among the urban poor and leads to household food insecurity. The paper explores this sustainable supply chain phenomenon through a field study among South Africa's urban poor.

Design/methodology/approach

Urban metabolic flows is the theoretical basis in the context of supply chain management (SCM). The field study comprised 59 semi-structured interviews in one South African township. Data were recorded, transcribed and translated, and coded using NVivo 12 to provide an inventory of eight themes categorized and patterned from the analysis.

Findings

Findings indicate societal factors play a significant role affecting food distribution, access and security from a spatial perspective of retail outlet locations and a nutritional standpoint regarding quality and quantity of food.

Research limitations/implications

The study is exploratory in one township, and while rigorously conducted, the generalizability of findings is limited to this context.

Practical implications

The study practically contributes by providing guidance for food retailers and policymakers to include nutritional guidelines in their distribution planning, as well as the dynamics of diverse neighbourhoods that exist in modern urban contexts.

Social implications

New forms of retail food distribution can provide better security and access to food for the urban poor, contributing to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2 Zero Hunger and 11 Liveable Cities.

Originality/value

The study is interdisciplinary and contributes by linking UN SDGs and SCM through urban metabolic flows from development studies as an overarching framework to enable analysis of relationships between physical, social and economic factors in the urban environment.

Details

The International Journal of Logistics Management, vol. 33 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0957-4093

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 June 2021

Andres Silva, David Magana-Lemus and Daniela Godoy

The objective of this article is to analyze fruit and vegetable (FV) purchasing decisions between 2011–12 and 2016–17 in Chile, and FV purchases by level of education in this…

Abstract

Purpose

The objective of this article is to analyze fruit and vegetable (FV) purchasing decisions between 2011–12 and 2016–17 in Chile, and FV purchases by level of education in this period as determinant to explain dietary disparities across population groups.

Design/methodology/approach

Using Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition, the authors analyze FV purchases over time. Taking into consideration censoring, this study uses two waves of the Family Budget Survey (national representative) by the National Statistics Institute of Chile.

Findings

The authors find that when comparing income quintiles 1–4, between 2011–12 and 2016–17, the years of education of the household head cannot explain FV purchases disparities. In contrast, in income quintile 5, between 2011–12 and 2016–17, the marginal effect of education of the household head has significantly decreased FV purchases. When analyzing social determinants, gender and income quintiles in 2016–17, they do not have a significant effect on FV purchase disparities. However, the zone of the household, metropolitan zone vs other urban zones in the country has a significant effect on FV purchase disparities.

Research limitations/implications

The datasets cover food home purchases.

Practical implications

The authors can conclude the relevance of implementing policies and programs to lead for healthier food environments such as offer more FVs in the school feeding program and social protection nutrition sensitive measures.

Originality/value

Using two waves of a nationally representative dataset, this article decomposes the effect of education of the household head to explain FV purchase disparities.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 123 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 2000