Atlanta’s Fresh Food Initiative receives millions of dollars in funding

ATLANTA — Atlanta’s food desert is receiving funding after the Atlanta City Council unanimously approved a $6 million investment in the Atlanta Fresh Food and Grocery Suppliers Initiative.

This multimillion-dollar investment comes after 2020 results showed that only 75% of metro Atlanta residents had access to fresh, affordable food. Now the city’s goal is to ensure that fresh, affordable food is available to less than 85% of residents by 2025.

“There are fewer than 50 grocery stores (with 50 or fewer employees) in Atlanta, and the difference in quality of grocery stores is markedly different in the northeast quadrants of the city compared to others,” a statement from the mayor said.

According to a food insecurity study conducted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), non-Hispanic black households are more than twice as likely to experience food insecurity than the national average.

He also says that location and physical access to food amplify the problem, because lower-income areas have fewer full-service grocery stores and stores in these areas offer monotonous food options at higher prices and of lower quality.

The city’s $1 million investment aims to change food security in Atlanta.

In addition to ensuring residents are close to fresh food, the city also aims to:

• Create relationships with local food producers to better support and showcase regional agriculture
• Creating a sustainable, community-focused grocery store that meets the diverse needs of residents across the city of Atlanta
• Amplifying food security and accessibility to food regardless of income

District 11 Councilwoman Marci Collier Overstreet, a driving force in grocery investment legislation with Councilwoman Andrea Boone, believes making affordable fresh food accessible to metro residents is “critical” to the successful resurgence of low-income neighborhoods in Atlanta.

“Overcoming the prolonged disinvestment that has led to a very visible shortage of grocery stores and fresh food options in parts of Atlanta requires a concerted effort,” Councilwoman Overstreet said in a statement.

This effort takes many forms: securing additional funding through the Dickens administration and city council, Invest Atlanta and America’s Healthy Food Financing Initiative.

“Through this fund, we can make a real difference in District 10 for our residents who have limited access to healthy foods. My constituents don’t have enough options, forcing them to buy food at local gas stations and fast food restaurants,” said Councilwoman Boone.

After city council’s initial decision to invest $1.5 million in a grocery store along the Campbellton corridor last September, Invest Atlanta began seeking entrepreneurs to help it develop a city grocery store after several chains grocery stores refused to help fight food insecurity in the city.

(I have reached out to see if these contractors have been found – awaiting response)

Days after Mayor Dickens’ plea, America’s Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) selected Atlanta as one of its 16 public-private partners to receive nearly $3 million and advance health food initiatives. equitable access to food in Atlanta’s low-income neighborhoods.

“Atlanta’s selection for the Healthy Food Financing Initiative reinforces our ongoing commitment to reaching underserved communities and solving the urgent problem of food access and food insecurity,” Mayor Dickens said in a April press release. “We are grateful to the USDA for this investment that will allow us to increase access to healthy foods, spur economic development, and foster a more vibrant and resilient city for all residents.”

In a May announcement, Atlanta County revealed that an additional $1 million would be allocated to combat food insecurity through job creation, investment incentives and provision of necessary tools to increase development.

“The lack of grocery stores pushes people to eat unhealthy foods too often and creates economic disparities. This partnership with Invest Atlanta will give residents much better access to fresh, healthy food, which will have a long-term positive impact on our citizens in the City of Atlanta,” said Councilwoman Boone.