| |
| author |
Josephine Emanuelli
| | title |
Thinking Outside the Box: Using Alternative Food Networks to Alleviate Food Insecurity in New York City
| | abstract |
Traditional solutions for food insecurity, such as food pantries, soup kitchens and SNAP
benefits have helped make significant progress towards reducing and eliminating the
problem, however there are still gaps left by these programs, especially in New York
City. Oftentimes, low-income and minority communities are left with limited access to
affordable, nutritious food choices, leaving them vulnerable to food insecurity. To
alleviate this problem, alternative food sources, such as community gardens, community
supported agriculture drop-offs (CSA drop-offs), food cooperatives and Greenmarkets
can be used to provide affordable produce to these underserved communities and help fill
in the gaps that are often left by traditional solutions. Individually, these alternative food
sources cannot fulfill the needs of a food insecure community, so a network must be
developed so that they can better support the communities they are located in. By
creating alternative food networks (AFNs), several alternative food sources can be used
to provide fresh food to the communities they serve year round. Geospatial data of New
York City shows that alternative food sources tend to be clumped together, and are often
found in lower-income and predominantly minority communities, so they are already in
some of the communities that have the greatest need of their services. However, they are
not found in all food-insecure communities, so their reach needs to be expanded so that
they can have a greater impact on alleviating food insecurity. Federal and municipal
policies are also in place that can support these alternative food sources, however, there
are some important gaps. The One NYC plan, a master plan for making New York City
more just, equitable and sustainable, omits alternative food sources as a way to not only
reduce food insecurity but also increase green spaces and develop healthier
neighborhoods. Despite the overcrowding and limited access to land, vacant lots are
disproportionately located in low-income communities, and they can be used as places to
build alternative sources. To support this vision of turning vacant lots into a productive
part of a community, there are resources available to help the communities that these lots
are located in to help them reclaim the land. By utilizing already available resources, as
well as including AFNs in city planning, significant steps can be taken to reduce food
insecurity in New York City.
| | school |
The College of Liberal Arts, Drew University
| | degree |
B.A. (2019)
|
| advisor |
Maliha Safri
|
| committee |
Phil Mundo
Lisa Jordan
|
| full text | JMEmanuelli.pdf |
| |
