Solving Food Insecurity through Urban Agriculture in a Mid-West Food Desert

• In Event: 563 - Section on Community and Urban Sociology Roundtable Session (one-hour).
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 09. Sustainability and the City

Abstract

Various physical, financial and psychological factors contribute to the disparities in access to locally grown, fresh and healthy foods in the United States. According to a report by USDA, 13.4% of Michigan households experienced food insecurity in 2012 (Coleman-Jensen, Nord, & Singh, 2013). The fact that a 45% increase in food insecurity has been observed over the last decade in a state where agriculture is the second largest industry is alarming. The challenges faced by Michigan in addressing food insecurity indicate the need for empirical research exploring the causes, consequences and potential solutions to local food problems. In this paper, I examined specific drivers behind local community’s unequal access to fresh and healthy food in Lansing, Michigan. Based on my thematic analysis of six in-depth interviews with key stakeholders associated with local food production and distribution, I propose to define Lansing as a “attitude-based” food desert where food insecurity could be reduced by empowering and reconnecting local community through urban agriculture.

Author

• Hui Qian, Michigan State University