Back to previous page
Will Philadelphia’s experiment in eradicating ‘food deserts’ work?
By Sarah Kliff,
View Photo Gallery:A city grappling with obesity begins stocking corner store shelves with nutritious snack alternatives.
Philadelphia has the highest obesity rate and poorest population of
America’s big cities. It also has an ambitious plan — launched out of
632 corner stores — to put healthy food on every table.
The
$900,000 investment in better health depends on apples and oranges,
chips and candy, $1,200 fridges and green plastic baskets. The results
could steer the course of American food policy.
Philadelphia is
trying to turn corner stores into greengrocers. For a small shop, it’s a
risky business proposition. Vegetables have a limited shelf life, so a
store owner must know how much will sell quickly — or watch profits rot
away. He also lacks the buying power of large supermarkets and is often
unable to meet the minimum orders required by the cheaper wholesalers
that grocery stores use.
No comments:
Post a Comment