Bridging Food Deserts and Creating Healthy Local Food Systems

Urban agriculture and community gardens have been proposed as an alternative path to improving food access in underserved food desert areas.  However systems to identify and ensure safe site selection are piecemeal and need further strengthening.  To begin filling that gap, EPA published interim guidelines for Brownfields and Urban Agriculture in 2010 (http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/urbanag/pdf/bf_urban_ag.pdf).  EPA's Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization and other land cleanup programs, children's health and environmental justice leaders recognized the opportunities gardens provide in underserved areas. 

Discussants will include Dr. Leslie Rubin, a pediatrician with Emory University and lead organization of Breaking the Cycle, an annual conference on addressing health disparities who's 8th 2013 conference shed new light on gardens as agents for change.  Art McCabe manages the Community Development Department in the City of Lawrence, Massachusetts where the City is using innovative garden approaches to address gang violence. Dr David Wallinga will share lessons on research, outreach and lessons learned from Healthy Food Action to create healthier local and sustainable food systems.

This panel discussion will discuss the risks and benefits of brownfield revitalization and ways to protect public health while expanding safe growing areas that are growing communities of care with new skills and new ways to create healthier communities.   This panel also will highlight urban agriculture and other examples of successful projects launched on formerly contaminated properties and new ways public health leaders can work with environmental and community development leaders in making sustainable safe spaces.