Building healthy food environments: Supermarket development in underserved areas

Research suggests that food access is an important component of community health and that supermarket access can increase fruit and vegetable consumption, aiding in the prevention of a variety of diet-related diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and certain forms of cancer. Despite the positive effects that supermarkets can have, many studies have documented the lack of supermarket access in communities throughout the country. To address this issue in Pennsylvania, the Food Trust, The Reinvestment Fund, and the Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition have formed a public-private partnership with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to create the Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative (FFFI). The initiative is an $80 million statewide program to help remove financial obstacles of supermarket operators interested in locating in underserved communities. Not only do supermarkets positively affect the physical health of a community, but they also have a dramatic impact on economic vitality, by providing jobs and revitalizing neighborhoods. The FFFI is a major innovation that brings together economic development and public health to address the impact of poor access to food. To date, the initiative has financed 22 supermarket projects in low-income communities across the state, which will create or retain more than 2,500 jobs and represent more than 1,133,500 square feet of food retail space. The process behind how FFFI evolved will be discussed and ‘lessons learned' will also be shared.