Where do we buy our food?: Food retail and access

Food Guardian Training

February 8, 2010

Food retail• Sale of food directly to

consumers• Supermarkets,

convenience stores, supercenters (Wal-Mart, Target, etc.), warehouse clubs (Costco), drugstores, dollar stores, etc.

• Trends: growth of nontraditional grocery retailers

Grocery stores cut costs by:• New technology (improves efficiency)• Focus on the most profitable stores and

geographic areas• Consolidation through mergers and takeovers• Carrying unique and superior products, such as

new food products• Updating store design and technologies to

improve service• Improving their image- advertising, etc.

Top 5 Food Retailers

Supermarket Grocery sales

1. Wal-Mart Stores $127 Billion

2. Kroger Co. $60 Billion

3. Supervalu, Inc. $34 Billion

4. Safeway, Inc. $34 Billion

5. Ahold USA, Inc. $24 Billion

Source: Progressive Grocer’s Super 50 (March 2007)

Food Retail in SF

Grocery Store AccessMost low-income households use supermarkets as their main type of food store.

– 90% mainly shop at supermarkets

– 42% use convenience stores

– 36% use bakeries– 33% shop at produce

stands

Source: Ohls et al. 1999

Grocery Store Access• Approximately 1/3 of

low-income households usually shop for food within a mile of where they live.

• Another third shop at stores 1-4 miles away

• Many food stamp recipients do not shop at the store nearest them.

Source: Ohls et al. 1999

Grocery Store Access For households who do not usually

shop in their neighborhoods, the most common reasons for going to other areas to shop were:

• Lack of stores – 51%• High prices in their neighborhood – 47%

Source: Ohls et al. 1999

Grocery Store Access• Most low-income households

use a car as their form of transportation for food shopping, but less than half use their own car.

• A majority often engage in “careful shopping” activities to stretch their food-buying resources

• 80-90% regard the store they go to as either “good” or “excellent.”

Source: Ohls et al. 1999

Poverty and Obesity• The most nutritious foods (fresh fruits and

vegetables) are more expensive low-income families may choose cheaper foods, which are higher in sugar and fat

• Families in poverty often skip meals, a habit that puts them at higher risk for obesity

• Easy access to supermarkets has been shown to lead to healthier eating; low-income neighborhoods have fewer supermarkets.

• Children in low-income communities lack safe places to exercise and are less likely to participate in organized physical activities

The cost of a healthy diet

Direct Marketing

• CSA• Farmers Markets• U-Pick• Farm stand• Food coop• Institutional

Purchasing (schools, hospitals, etc.)

• Farm to Restaurant

CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)

• Consumers purchase advance shares in a local farmer’s annual production and pick up weekly shares from a local distribution location, usually a member’s home or other convenient in-town location

• CSA members are active participants in local farming by:

- Financing the farm’s yearly operating expenses

- Sharing the risk and benefits of the growing conditions

- Taking part in distribution

- Working on the farm in some cases

Benefits of CSA• Gives growers the fastest return on their

product

• Encourages land stewardship

• Reduces potential food losses

• Supports biodiversity, agricultural diversity, and soil health by encouraging crop variety and rotation

• Maintains sense of community and builds stronger producer-consumer relationship

• Develops regional food supply and stronger local economy; keeps food dollars in local community

• Puts “the farmers face on food” and increases understanding of how, where, and by whom our food is grown

CSA Farms and Members

• Most CSA farms are small, independent, labor-intensive family farms

• Many use ecological, organic, or biodynamic farming practices and avoid heavy pesticide use and inorganic fertilizer

• Subscribers usually live in cities or towns

How it works• Once the produce is harvested, the

harvest is weighed and quantity of each item to be received by each share is determined (number of heads of lettuce, pounds of carrots, etc.) Some CSAs will have members count and weigh out their own share. Others have a distribution crew to weigh and package each share.

• One week’s share will contain enough vegetables for 2-4 people, typically 8-10 different varieties

• Shares are based on growing season, so selection and size varies throughout the season

Farmers’ Market• Outdoor markets where

farmers sell their products

• One of the oldest forms of direct marketing by small farmers

• Farmers markets in the US grew from 1,755 in 1994 to 4,385 in 2006.

• SF has 11 farmers markets, with a total of 250 farms selling at the markets.

Why are farmers’ markets important?

• Social/cultural

• Economy

• Health

• Environment• Agricultural

diversity

California Certified Farmers’ Markets

•Under CA law, farmers may only sell directly to consumers on the farm itself or at a Certified Farmers' Market. •Only CA-grown agriculture sold•Can only be operated by local governments, certified producers or nonprofit organizations.

U-Pick

• Farm that opens its fields to the public during harvest season

• Farms commonly offer fruits • Consumers enjoy the farm

visit, harvesting activity, fresh, high quality produce, and sometimes lower cost

• Farm saves on labor, packaging, and shipping costs

• Some also offer hayrides, birthday parties, petting zoo, pony rides, Harvest Festival and other activities

Farm Stand• Place where a single farm sells its

produce, either from the back of a truck, or from a roadside stand near or on the farm.

• Generally open only during warm weather, and may be “self-serve.”

Food Coop• Worker or customer owned

businesses that provide high-quality products at a good value

• Can be a retail store or buying club

• Committed to consumer education, product quality, and member control, and usually support their local community by selling produce grown locally by family farms

• Many were started in the 1960s and 1970s and the structure was shaped by social and cultural forces

Rainbow Grocery Cooperative, San Francisco, CA

• Worker-owned grocery cooperative• Over 200 worker-owners• Sells vegetarian food with minimal

negative environmental and social impact

• Buys food from local and organic farmers, collectives, bakers, dairies, and other local businesses

• Provides workers with livable wage• Nonhierarchical work space based

upon respect, mutuality, and cooperation

• Donate to other nonprofits• Encourage bicycling, mass transit,

and alternative forms of transportation

• In-store composting, recycling, and reusing resources when possible

Barriers to food access

• Lack of grocery stores

• Food availability at stores, especially healthy foods and variety of foods

• Transportation

• Cost

• Others???