Community-based research to affect local food policy and practice: A Minnesota Somali community food assessment

Minnesota is home to the largest Somali immigrant community in the United States. Somalis began moving to Minnesota in the early 1990s and since then population estimates have ranged from 25,000 to 60,000. With the steady growth of the Somali community in Minnesota there has been a growing demand on the local food system to provide nutritious, culturally-appropriate and affordable foods. Previous research conducted by Minnesota International Health Volunteers (MIHV) showed that since coming to the US, Somalis have dramatically changed their dietary habits and are consuming fewer fresh fruits and vegetables than they had in Somalia. To better understand the environmental factors that influence dietary behaviors of the Somali community, MIHV partnered with local Somali community-based agencies and conducted a community food assessment to determine the availability of nutritious culturally-appropriate foods in the Twin Cities. Researchers visited fifty-eight stores in Minneapolis and St. Paul to observe availability and price of specific food items. Additionally, twenty Somali adults, identified as the primary household shopper, were interviewed to identify barriers to acquiring culturally-appropriate foods. Preliminary results of the assessment showed that there are a number of small Somali-owned grocery stores in the Twin Cities that carry culturally-appropriate foods. Many of these stores, however, do not carry a wide selection of fresh fruits and vegetables despite the fact that there is a demand for such foods from Somali families. The results of this food assessment are being used to implement strategies to increase access to affordable quality foods for the Somali community.