In Maryland, limited access to nutritious food is a statewide issue that affects both urban neighborhoods and rural communities. This report addresses the results from a study by The Reinvestment Fund (TRF) aimed at understanding the inequity of access in Maryland and providing a framework for the State as it works to address the issue.

This report examines programs designed to influence individual food choices; presents a summary of evidence-based strategies that encourage healthy shopping and eating habits; and offers recommendations for further research. Given the growth of diet-related diseases as a public health risk in the United States, particularly among poor and minority populations as well as children, many are focused on slowing and reversing this trend. This report, funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, seeks to highlight some of the barriers to healthy eating as well as effective intervention strategies to address them.  The Reinvestment Fund summarizes the findings of existing research on healthy food interventions, with a particular focus on intervention strategies that seek to influence an individual’s personal food environment. TRF then highlights programs, or components of programs, that TRF believes have promise.

Across the country local stakeholders are adopting methods and strategies to improve access to healthy foods by advocating for policy change. This webinar uses The Food Trust’s recently published Healthy Food Financing Handbook: From Advocacy to Implementation to discuss how these efforts have led to the creation of healthy food financing initiatives at the city, state and federal level. This webinar offers a roadmap for how to successfully advocate for initiatives that improve access to healthy food through the development of healthy food retail. Additionally, the webinar provides an overview of how healthy food financing initiatives are administered by government agencies, community development financial institutions, and food access organizations. 

This webinar provides an overview of the “Find Money” section of the Healthy Food Retail Portal and provide examples of specific federal, state and local resources that can be tapped to create or expand healthy food retail opportunities in underserved communities.

Officials in cities across the nation are launching their own healthy food policy initiatives designed to bring healthier food options into their communities. Baltimore offers an important example of a city that has successfully implemented an inter-governmental initiative to increase access to healthy and affordable foods in underserved neighborhoods. This webinar offers an in-depth exploration of Baltimore’s healthy food retail programs and accomplishments including its virtual supermarket program, the financing of two recent healthy food markets, and a just released study mapping food quality in Baltimore food markets.

Across the country talented grocers have opened successful stores in once undeserved communities to increase access to healthy food. More opportunities exist nationwide for similar projects that are profitable, sustainable and contribute to the health and economic well-being of neighborhoods. This training reviews the obstacles to grocery retail development in underserved communities and the strategies that grocers can utilize to overcome these challenges. It also highlights financial resources and tools available to grocers building or expanding stores in these communities.  Experts from the supermarket industry discuss lessons learned from the field and the innovative business models that have been adopted by grocers to improve healthy food access.

Across the country, markets are adopting unique and innovative business strategies to provide healthy food to underserved communities. The range and delivery of these alternative models run the gamut from farmers’ markets that incorporate community health clinics to large urban farms serving grocery stores and institutional clients. This webinar details successful strategies and highlights important impacts such as reduction in diet-related diseases and the revitalization of communities by providing needed jobs.

Limited retail access to healthy foods affects the dietary patterns and health outcomes of many Americans.  In this webinar, speakers discuss how new research and evaluation practices are helping to generate innovative solutions that stimulate change in local communities.

MyTown Marketplace, a supermarket that serves the Highland Falls community of New York State, opened in 2011 with a grant provided by the New York Healthy Food Healthy Communities (HFHC) Fund.  The HFHC Fund is a healthy food financing program that supports healthy food retail projects in communities where residents struggle with limited access to healthy foods. The HFHC Fund is administered by the Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF), a national community development financial institution, and The Food Trust, a national food access organization.

Northgate Markets, a family-owned grocer with 34 locations in Southern California, responded to Inglewood residents’ request for better access to healthy food.  Located southwest of Los Angeles, Inglewood is a diverse community, with large African American and Latino populations.  Coming out of the Great Recession, the Inglewood community has continued to face economic hardships, with 21 percent of the population living below the poverty level, compared to 14 percent statewide. With funding from the California FreshWorks Fund (CAFWF), Northgate was able to expand and open 30,000 square feet of new grocery retail, improving food access for 105,000 nearby residents. Northgate also serves as a critical economic anchor for the area, creating 125 new jobs, most of which are held by local residents.