LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Having access to fresh food close to home is something many Arkansans overlook, but there are areas all over the state where people don’t have those options.
On Wednesday, in and out-of-state groups advocating for food accessibility met in Little Rock to explore community solutions and share what’s already working in other states.
“The solution is here today,” Bill Ludwig with the USDA said.
Ludwig said most people think it’s only a problem in rural areas, but that’s not the only place.
“There’s also food deserts here in the urban areas where you’ve got people three or four miles from the grocery store, no transportation,” Ludwig said.
According to the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, there’s at least one food desert in every county across the state.
The 2022 Arkansas Governor’s Food Desert Working Group defines a food desert as a community where residents must travel more than one mile in an urban area or more than 10 miles in a rural area to get fresh food.
“The USDA can’t fix this issue ourselves,” Ludwig said. “We have to have the community and partners in the city. That’s what the Arkansas Hunger Alliance is all about, bringing people together to solve this issue of food security.”
Roshun Austin with The Works, Inc. spoke about how mobile grocery stores are helping food deserts in the Memphis area.
“You’re going to the people who lack access to food,” Austin said. “You’re taking this 44-foot trailer to them and providing them low-cost groceries.”
Austin said going to them instead of having them come to you makes a big difference, and she thinks something similar could help increase food accessibility in Arkansas.
“It’s a very innovative solution,” Austin added.
The Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance plans to help communities develop ways to tackle the issue with technical resources and some planning dollars.
