Wandering and Wondering About Food Deserts
Investigating Obstacles to Food Access in a Small Midwestern City
Kyle Bianconi, Kali Kelleher, and Roberta Reed, University of Wisconsin-Superior
Deborah Augsburger, University of Wisconsin-Superior
Introduction
Discussion and Conclusion
This poster presents a research project undertaken in Superior, Wisconsin, a
small Midwestern city with distinct neighborhoods lacking grocery stores, and
limited public transportation. The study began as a partnership between an
anthropology class at the University of Wisconsin-Superior (UWS) and Northwest
Wisconsin Community Services Agency (NWCSA).
• Cars make a difference. Households
without vehicles reported transportation
difficulties.
• Physical access problems are compounded
by the local climate, poor sidewalks, and
limited bus routes.
• However, even with vehicles, low-income
households face financial difficulties in
obtaining food.
Our Questions:
What obstacles do low-income residents of Superior face
in obtaining healthy, affordable food?
How does this relate to the food desert concept?
Food Desert vs. Food Access
Food Desert: a census tract where at least 20% of the population is
below the poverty line, and at least 33% (or 500 people) live more
than one mile from a supermarket or large grocery store. (USDA 2009)
Food Access Approach: Barriers to food access can be physical,
financial, and attitudinal.
Methodology
How to investigate barriers to food
access?
•The survey was sent to all residents of public
housing in the city.
•As of March 28, 2003, 76 surveys had been
received (16% return rate).
•Results were tabulated by percentages and
significance.
•The majority of respondents lived in public
housing in the North End (see map), but also
came from locations scattered throughout the
city.
•Roughly half of responding households were
single adults. One-third of households had
children (0-18).
•Over 90% had household incomes of less than
$25,000.
Questions focused on:
• Location, income,
mobility, etc. adapted
from Pine et al. (2011)
• Food insecurity
• Fruit and vegetable
consumption as an
indicator of nutritional
quality of diet
“At times money can be a little short so I don’t always buy the
healthiest, I go for convenience”
Superior, Wisconsin (pop. 27,211)
Adapted from U.S.D.A. 2013. ERS Food access research atlas.
Adapted from U.S.D.A. 2013
Superior, Wisconsin (pop. 27211)
Survey Findings
More than a quarter of
respondents (26%) did not have a
household vehicle. Some of these
lived in census tracts that were
not official food deserts, because
incomes were too high.
Not surprisingly, more than
half the households without a
vehicle (58%) reported
transportation difficulties as
an obstacle to food access.
Close to 50% of respondents –
both with and without cars -listed financial difficulties as a
barrier to food access.
Almost three-quarters of
respondents reported some
degree of food insecurity in the
previous twelve months.
Respondents without cars were
slightly more likely to report signs
of food insecurity.
Average consumption of fruits
and vegetables was low, with
slight differences in relation to
vehicle and food security status.
74% of respondents thought that
they did not eat enough fruits
and vegetables.
The leading reported obstacle
to consuming more fruits and
vegetables: Fruits and
vegetables cost too much.
• The most frequently cited obstacle to increased fruit and
vegetable consumption was lack of money, not access to a
source of produce.
“I see many others have the same problem I do – transportation. I
see many families take cabs or push shopping carts”
Many of the poorest sections of Superior do count as food deserts
by USDA standards (see map). These neighborhoods would benefit
from more food choices and more convenient public transportation.
But census tracts do not go hungry – people do. The artificial
construct of the “food desert” can be used to erase the presence of
hungry people as much as call attention to them. The idea of food
deserts has been a useful tool for community organizing, and may
prove to be one in Superior as well. Yet better physical access to
grocery stores, however it is achieved, will not in itself solve the
multiple obstacles that people face in obtaining affordable,
nutritious food.
“There isn’t enough money available to those who need help to be
able to afford eating healthy.”
Acknowledgements
Thanks are due to: Emily Hammersborg, Greg Mertzig, Rich Smith, Brian Lester,
and Klay Longstreet of Fall 2012 Anthropology 491 for their essential contributions
in laying the foundation of this project; Millie Rounsville and the Northwest
Wisconsin Community Services Agency for partnering with us; Sandy Liang and the
UWS Center for Academic Service-Learning for material and program support; the
Superior Housing Authority; Dr. Adam Pine, University of Minnesota-Duluth for
sharing knowledge from the Lincoln Park Food Access Project; Dr. Eric Edwards and
Dr. Eri Fujieda of UWS for help with statistics, survey design, and funding; the
Department of Social Inquiry for support; Brianne Olson for maps; and Stacy Leno
for help with poster production.