UNDERSTANDING FOOD INSECURITY IN NORTH TEXAS: EXISTING FOOD NEEDS ASSETS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Purpose: Food insecurity is defined as having limited availability or ability to gain access to safe and nutritionally sustainable food as a consequence of limited financial resources. For many low income families living in Dallas County, food insecurity is heightened as a result of living in food desert areas. Living in a food desert reduces access to affordable nutritious food options. Many residents are forced to rely on convenience stores and fast food restaurants that provide affordable but unhealthy alternatives low in nutrition.The goal of this research project was to 1) identify existing assets in North Texas capable of meeting the nutritional needs of low-income Americans, 2) find long-term solutions and possible next steps in helping to address the issue of food insecurity in North Texas, and 3) present a case study analyzing the Nashville Mobile Market (NMM) model as a potential solution to addressing food insecurity in North Texas Methods: Site visit and personal conversation was used to gather information for the case study. Results: Results from the case study analyzing NMM model showed that the mobile food market increased access to healthy foods while cutting down on time and money spent on transportation to a grocery store for residents living in food deserts. Also, the operating model of the NMM is set up in such a way to allow all the mobile markets to be self-sustainable though grocery sales after the initial start up period. Working with local community leaders and organizations allowed the mobile markets to function at an optimal level with the most benefit to the community members. Conclusions: Although there are many individual food pantries and organizations already in place to help narrow the gap leading to food insecurity, increased collaboration and dialogue among these organizations can lead to a more organized and effective method of reaching out to residents facing food insecurity. Due to their inherently diverse structure, food policy councils are in an excellent position to address the issue of increased collaboration among food pantries. Bringing in healthy fruits and vegetables into food deserts via the use of Mobile Markets has been shown to increase intake of healthy foods and decrease travel time and distance for food desert residents. Development of a mobile market system in collaboration with community members, local businesses, and academia is one innovative solution to narrowing the food insecurity gap among low-income communities in North Texas.