Wards 7 and 8 in Washington, D.C., which are predominantly African American locales, have long been home to food deserts — areas where access to affordable, nutritious food is limited or nonexistent. This lack of healthy food options has fueled diet-related health conditions, such as diabetes, obesity, and heart disease, impacting residents’ health and quality of life.
Dave Kiyvyra, co-founder and lead meal packer of To Be Well Fed, an organization dedicated to fighting children’s food insecurity in D.C., explained the connection between health and food.
“I think that when people don’t have access to healthy food, it’s very difficult to stay healthy, and it requires a fair amount of work to eat healthy food, especially if you’re in a food desert and you lack the ability to easily get access to it.”
According to the D.C. Policy Center, an area is considered a food desert when the walking distance to a grocery store is over 0.5 miles, over 40% of the household has no vehicle, and the median household income is less than 185% of the federal poverty level for a family of four.
Caroline Howe, D.C.’s Food Policy Director at the D.C. Office of Planning prefers the term “food apartheid” when discussing the lack of nutritious foods in Wards 7 and 8.
“I think that shifting our terminology to talking about ‘food apartheid’ has been so essential to make it clear that food is not an ecological condition, it is a social condition. Food is one of the key social determinants of health, but it is not the only factor that is impacting people’s food access and people’s access to healthy, nutritious food in particular,” Howe explained. “Using the term food apartheid has made it clear that food is part of this larger social system and that we need to be addressing both physical geography of food access as well as all of these other factors.”
Wards 7 and 8 have 83 % and 82% Black residents, respectively. A 2021 report from the National Library of Medicine (NIH), indicates that 39.9% of Ward 7’s population and 41.9% of Ward 8’s population are obese. Additionally, 13.4% of Ward 7 residents and 19.7% of Ward 8 residents have Type 2 diabetes.
These health conditions are related to the lack of nutritional grocery stores in both wards.
“Having just one grocery store with that many people assumes that folk can have a car to drive to get to groceries … or take safe public transportation. They might have to take their kids along with them… each factor can inhibit people’s ability to access food safely,” Kiyvyra said.
Investing in Communities
Historically, food deserts have been linked to redlining, the practice of denying loans or insurance to residents in certain neighborhoods based on race, resulting in economic disadvantage for marginalized communities.
According to the National Library of Medicine (NCBI), the lack of investment in historically redlined neighborhoods has impacted food access for those who live in food deserts.
“Well, I think it’s generational. If the environment doesn’t change, then nothing changes. So, that means that their health doesn’t change, and that affects their life expectancy,” said Rhonda Watson, the founder and executive director of Roots for Life, an organization focused on raising awareness about the impact of food insecurity.
Tariq Sheriff, the business development and strategy manager at the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development explained the benefits of the Food Access Fund.
“The purpose of the Food Access Fund is to increase equitable access to fresh, healthy, and affordable food by securing grocery stores, restaurants, fast casual restaurants and other food access points in areas with low food access, with a focus on Wards 7 and 8,” Sheriff explained.
“Additionally, the Food Access Fund supports existing small businesses, attracts new businesses, increases the District’s tax base, creates new job opportunities for District residents, and transforms emerging commercial corridors into inviting and thriving neighborhood centers.”
D.C. continues to create more food security programs such as food pharmacies, Sun Bucks, a summer food stamps program targeting child food insecurity, and Nourish D.C., which provides funding and assistance for food business owners.
“In fiscal year 2024, the District invested $66 million in local food access and food economy programs. So, $6 million in local nutrition programs, $40 million in temporary snap increases, $15 million in senior nutrition programs and then $5 million specifically for grants available for local businesses,” Howe said.
“We are increasing food access, but we are also increasing jobs. We are increasing ownership, and we are increasing wealth in those communities,” she continued.