The Food Access Policy Commission was launched in February 2013 by Together Baton Rouge, Mayor-President Kip Holden and the Mayor's Healthy City Initiative, to address the lack of grocery stores in low-income communities throughout East Baton Rouge Parish. This presentation shares key findings from the Commission's Interim Report into addressing food deserts in Baton Rouge.

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East Baton Rouge Parish
Food Access Policy Commission
Presentation to Metro Council
October 23rd, 2013

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This started with stories …
Ms. Angela Johnson,
Resident of Scotlandville

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Good things are happening …
Scotlandville Mobile Pantry
Together Baton Rouge & Greater BR Food Bank
Distributing surplus fresh
produce in Scotlandville.
In 2013 so far …
-- 225,065 pounds of fresh fruit
and produce distributed.
-- 18,071 residents served.
-- 1,123 volunteers!
Plans to expand to Old South.

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Good things are happening …
Redstick Mobile Farmers Market
BREADA
Launched in May 2013.
Bringing farm-fresh products from local
farmers to food desert neighborhoods.
Currently serving 4 locations
Scotlandville Library
Star Hill Church
Delmont Service Center
Mckinley Alumni Center

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Good things are happening …
Healthy Corner Store Initiative
EBR Redevelopment Authority
Location of grant recipients
6 corner stores receiving
grants up to $20,000.
Grants help stores make
improvements to stock fresh
produce and meats.
Targets zip codes 70802,
70805 and 70807.

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But we also need to address the
root causes of food deserts …
That’s the mission of the Food
Access Policy Commission.

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What is a “food desert”?
USDA
definition
A low income census tract where a substantial
number or share of residents has low access to a
supermarket or large grocery store.
“Low-income”
Census tract with at least
20% of residents below
poverty OR median family
income below 80% of area’s
median family income.
“Low-access”
At least 500 people or 33%
of the population resides one
mile or more from a
supermarket or large grocery
store (10 miles for rural census
tracts).

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Commission Mandate
#1) Problem Analysis
To examine the causes and consequences of food deserts
in East Baton Rouge Parish.
#2) Best Practice Analysis
To analyze national best practices to attract retail and
other high-quality food providers to low-income, low foodaccess communities.
#3) Recommend Solutions
To develop concrete policy and practice recommendations
to address food deserts in East Baton Rouge Parish.

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Commission Members
Rev. Jesse Bilberry, Pastor, Mount Pilgrim Baptist Church; Moderator, 4th District
Baptist Association
Mr. Chip Boyles, EBR Redevelopment Authority, Vice Pres of Admin & Programs
Dr. Stephanie Broyles, Pennington Biomedical, Assistant Professor
Dr. Adell Brown, Jr., Southern University AgCenter, Vice Chancellor for Research
Mr. Edgar Cage, Together Baton Rouge, Food Access Team Co-chair
Mr. Clint Caldwell, Supervalu Incorporated
Mr. David Gray, Louisiana Budget Project, Policy Analyst
Mr. Ty Harvison, Latter & Blum, Commercial Real Estate
Mr. Ed Johnson, Wal-mart
Dr. Kenneth Koonce, LSU Dean, College of Agriculture, LSU Agricultural Center
Mr. Mike Manning, Greater BR Food Bank, President & CEO
Mr. Jared Smith, Baton Rouge Area Chamber, Director of Business Development
Mr. Leroy Watts, Liberty Bank, Executive Vice President / CFO

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Key Finding:
Food deserts are a significant problem
in East Baton Rouge Parish
About 100,000 EBR residents live in food
deserts, more than 20% of our population.
National average is about 8%.
About 25,000 food-desert
residents in EBR are children.

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Locations of EBR Food Deserts
Areas within 1
mile of grocery
store
1
4
2 5
Low-income
census
tracts
6
7
3
Katy Drazba, MPH & Stephanie Broyles, PhD; Pennington Biomedical

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Key Finding:
Food deserts have major negative
effects on residents & neighborhoods
#1) Strong correlation between food deserts and
high obesity rates.
-- But obesity is complex and depends on more than just access.
#2) Residents in food deserts pay more for food.
-- Costs at corner stores are from 7% to 25% higher than at grocery
stores.
#3) Lack of grocery stores has a strong downard pull
on area economic development.
-- Grocery stores are anchors and effect residential and
commercial development.

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Key Finding:
EBR has different types of low food-access
areas, which require distinct strategies
Some areas have seen major
population loss, e.g.:
Other areas have seen stable
population, e.g.:
Old South Baton Rouge
Scotlandville
1960 Population: 40,478
1960 Population: 24,687
1990 Population: 15,300
1990 Population: 24,989
2010 Population: 14,629
2010 Population: 23,393
Here, low economic demand
is likely cause of food desert.
Here, there is likely a market for a
retail grocery store.
Addressing it will likely include
heavy retail incentives, addressing
low residential density or non
grocery store options.
Addressing food desert will likely
include more aggressive retail
recruitment (probably with some
incentives).

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Key Finding: Market analysis shows retail
potential in many food desert neighborhoods
Retail
“BrandScore”
Map
Discount grocer model

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Key Finding: Market analysis shows retail
potential in many food desert neighborhoods
Retail
“BrandScore”
Map
Discount grocer model

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Key Finding: Market analysis shows retail
potential in many food desert neighborhoods

17. Key Finding:
To seize these opportunities, our cityparish will need to development stronger
retail attraction capacity targeted toward
low-income communities.

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Next Steps
Over next six months, Commission will:

Analyze successful strategies across the
country to address food deserts.

Develop a preliminary set of
recommendations for community engagement.

Compile and deliver a final report with
recommendations.

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QUESTIONS?