Food system dynamics in racialized urban neighborhoods

Darcy Freedman, PhD

Although Cleveland is among the nation’s largest cities for urban agriculture and has one of the oldest food policy coalitions, many Clevelanders struggle to access healthy food items like fresh produce. But a team of Case Western Reserve University researchers and two dozen community partners is examining the disconnect—and how low-income neighborhoods in Northeast Ohio can gain better access to nutritious, affordable food.

The study, completed through the Swetland Center for Environmental Health at the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, examines what is known as “food insecurity,” or lack of available food resources. Residents experiencing food insecurity may not know where their next meal is coming from or have the financial resources to buy adequate food.

The research, published this week in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, marks the culmination of a three-year project. The project combined Case Western Reserve scholars with community researchers, leaders and activists who provide perspectives that help inform their collaborative research.

Read the full Daily story here.  

Find the paper - Food system dynamics structuring nutrition equity in racialized urban neighborhoods - in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition here