Food Insecurity – General Summary
All urban areas encounter unique challenges when it comes to food access and nutrition, and Philadelphia is no different. Across the Philadelphia region, one out of every 10 households doesn’t have access to affordable, healthy food on a consistent basis, according to 2020 data1. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) classifies households in this predicament as “food insecure”, meaning that the members of these households do not have access to enough food for an active, healthy lifestyle. According to data collected by Philabundance, a non-profit food bank that serves the Philadelphia region, 1 in 10 people are food insecure within Philabundance’s service area, and overall child food insecurity increased 25% from a rate of 13.8% in 2019 to 17.3% in 20202. There are also significant racial disparities in relation to rates of food insecurity in the Philadelphia region. Data has found that people of color experience food insecurity at a much higher rate, with Black and Hispanic people across the region experiencing food insecurity 3 to 5 times more than White people2. In Philadelphia as a whole, an estimated 250,000 residents are food insecure, with North Philadelphia considered to be a “food desert”, meaning that access to fresh, quality, affordable food is a particular challenge in this region of the city3. North Philadelphia has poverty rates of over 45%4. In impoverished communities, food options are often lacking in nutrients and are highly processed. To alleviate food insecurity and increase access to fresh, healthy food, two significant solutions are currently in place: food banks and urban farms.
Hunger Relief Initiatives
Philabundance is the most prominent and widespread food bank in the Philadelphia region, partnering with over 350 organizations throughout nine counties in the greater Philadelphia region5. As a part of the Feeding America network, their primary goal is to alleviate hunger, with an emphasis on food distribution. Other goals of the organization include decreasing food waste, increasing access to nutritious meals, and addressing the root causes of citywide hunger6. I had the opportunity of volunteering with Philabundance back in 2016, tasked with sorting through canned goods and deeming whether or not they would be adequate for distribution. Philabundance does important work in alleviating hunger in impoverished areas, as they salvage and repurpose discarded canned goods, accept donations for communities in need, and provide culinary training to low income adults.
The Share Food Program is another food bank that focuses on redistributing wasted food items. The program operates by distributing nutritious leftover food to thousands of individuals every month through collaboration with local food cupboards, schools, and community centers to ensure that fresh produce and essential grocery items reach those in need. This program is beneficial both in alleviating food insecurity and in eliminating food waste, which makes their mission sustainable in multiple ways.
Swipe Out Hunger is a national hunger relief non-profit that focuses on food insecurity within colleges and universities. It collects unused meal swipes from students to be given to those that are considered food insecure. This national movement spans more than 750 colleges in all 50 states and Canada and has enabled 12.3 million nutritious meals to date. The University of Pennsylvania, located in Philadelphia, hosts swipe drives for students to donate their unused swipes.
Urban Agriculture
In recent years, there has been a revolution in urban agriculture in the Philadelphia region. In 2019, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation began to work on a city-wide agricultural plan. This plan includes the culmination of individual gardens, community gardens, school gardens, community farms, and market farms citywide, particularly in neighborhoods that sit below the poverty line. There are already 450 active agricultural spaces citywide, equating to nearly 130 acres of land7. The majority of active gardens and farms are in areas where at least a fifth of the population lives below the poverty line, specifically in neighborhoods where there is low access to stores that supply fresh produce8. The ten year plan was established to support and optimize the use of sustainable agriculture in Philadelphia’s urban environment. The plan hones in on environmental justice, focusing on how food insecurity disproportionately impacts marginalized communities.
The plan aims to acknowledge the legacy of structural racism and land based oppression in Philadelphia, whilst uplifting and cultivating the city’s history of urban farming and gardening, establishing a 10-year framework for investing in agriculture and food justice. The plan provides recommendations to the City of Philadelphia on how to achieve the plan’s goals, putting the city on a path to become a fair local food system that supports urban agriculture.7 The plan was completed with Growing from the Root9, a publication that clearly states the plan’s goals whilst exploring the implications of environmental and social justice in the Philadelphia region. Growing from the Root centers around citywide goals including access to growing space in all neighborhoods, harboring support for urban agriculture initiatives within the city’s policies and programs, investing in existing and new agricultural systems, supporting locally-sourced nutritious meals, increasing fresh food access, committing to zero waste, and recognizing the role urban agriculture can play in the lives of people and communities7. The way in which the plan hones in on environmental justice is reflective of the core values of sustainability, as urban agriculture is integrated citywide to ensure equitable access to freshly grown produce.
Farmphilly is the urban agriculture program of Philadelphia Parks & Recreation. Through this program, which began in 2014, Parks & Rec hosts 19 community gardens on park land. At these gardens, 500 community members grow over 10,000 pounds of food each year. Through this community garden network, residents across the city are able to grow food, share gardening skills, conduct community-led programming, support families and neighbors through farm stands, farmers’ markets, and food donations, and create a larger sense of community and advocacy. Through this program, Farmphilly staff provides gardeners with access to land, compost, mulch, and wood chips, supplies and outreach materials, workshops and training, technical support, and information on grants. The Philadelphia Horticultural Society also uplifts community gardening projects through their Green Equity Initiative, which involves vacant lot cleaning and greening, workforce development and training, protecting land and supporting community gardeners.
Setbacks & Limitations in Urban Agriculture
Urban agriculture comes with unique setbacks and challenges. In the case of Greensgrow Farm, formerly located in West Philadelphia, financial implications ultimately led to inevitable shutdown. The organization allegedly struggled with sustainability practices and lacked adequate staffing necessary for operation and maintenance, and lost $33,000 in revenue due to a counterfeit check scheme, ultimately resulting in bankruptcy10. Failed operations such as Greensgrow are indicative of the greater need for citywide support when it comes to urban agriculture, especially for farms in underserved areas.
Aquaculture
Aquaculture is also becoming increasingly common in Philadelphia. Evergreen Lane Farm uses the Aquaponics approach, which combines aquaculture (raising fish in a contained environment) and hydroponics (growing in a soil-less, recirculating water system). In the process of aquaponics, water is drained from the fish tank into a trough. Beneficial bacteria then break down the toxic ammonia in fish waste and convert it to Nitrite and then to Nitrogen, a key nutrient for plant development. This naturally filtered water is then pumped into the grow troughs. The cultivation of the crops and the growth of the fish assist one another in this process. Through this method, a variety of crops, from specialty salad greens to tomatoes, can be grown. This growing approach is sustainable in that it involves minimal resources, as it uses around 90% less water & 90% less energy than conventional in-ground growing. Some other benefits of this method is that both the crops and fish are fast growing and can be grown year-round.
Stakeholders & Moving Forward
Food insecurity issues involve a number of stakeholders. A group of primary concern within this issue is those that live in food deserts, for within these areas families lack access to healthy food options. College students that cannot afford meal plans are also stakeholders, as programs like Swipe Out Hunger aim to alleviate this crisis. Both primary and secondary education institutions are also a stakeholder group, as many students that attend these institutions may struggle with food insecurity. Philadelphia Parks & Recreation is also a prominent stakeholder, as they are responsible for the functionality of community gardens and urban farms.
While food banks and urban farming and gardening operations continue to aid food concerns in the Philadelphia region, the city’s endeavors to tackle food insecurity extend into a full food policy roadmap11, implemented by the Philadelphia Food Advisory Council. This roadmap encompasses food concerns from all angles, ranging from school lunches to urban agriculture to food distributors within the city region. This roadmap combined with that presented in Growing from the Root advocates for a future that upholds the values of sustainability by honoring environmental justice in a pursuit for an equitable urban food system.
Evaluating Successes & Setbacks in Sustainability
Philadelphia has embraced several initiatives like urban agriculture, aquaculture, and hunger relief programs to address food insecurity and promote sustainability. Urban agriculture in Philadelphia has proven beneficial by transforming vacant lots into productive green spaces, thereby increasing local food access and promoting community engagement. However, these projects often face challenges such as limited land availability, funding shortages, and the need for more robust infrastructural support. Aquaculture and aquaponics, on a smaller scale, have shown potential through in offering sustainable seafood options with a minimal environmental footprint. Yet, it remains less prevalent and requires significant investment in technology and training to become widely viable. Hunger relief programs in Philadelphia, such as Philabundance, the Share Food program, and the Swipe Out Hunger Program, have been pivotal in providing immediate food assistance to those in need. These programs have succeeded in mobilizing large networks of volunteers and distributing millions of meals annually. Nevertheless, they sometimes struggle with consistent funding and the logistical complexities of food distribution. Collectively, while these initiatives contribute positively to urban sustainability and food security, they reveal the necessity for increased financial support, policy integration, and community involvement to optimize their impact and sustainability.
Assets:
- Philabundance:
- 302 W Berks St, Philadelphia, PA 19122,
- 3616 S Galloway St, Philadelphia, PA 19148
- 2224 N 10th St, Philadelphia, PA 19133
- Map of gardens in the Farmphilly community network
- List of active urban farms & gardens
References
6n.d. Philabundance: Leading the Fight Against Hunger. Accessed March 20, 2024. https://www.philabundance.org/.
5“Become a Community Partner.” n.d. Philabundance. Accessed March 20, 2024. https://www.philabundance.org/our-community-partners/.
3“Combating Food Insecurity in North Philly.” 2023. Tower Health. https://towerhealth.org/articles/combating-food-insecurity-north-philly.
7Fava, Darren. 2023. “Philadelphia’s first-ever urban agriculture plan.” Phila.gov. https://www.phila.gov/2023-04-25-philadelphias-first-ever-urban-agriculture-plan/.
2“Food Insecurity Rates for Our Service Area.” 2022. Philabundance. https://www.philabundance.org/food-insecurity-rates-for-our-service-area/.
10“Greensgrow West closes amidst financial crisis; Fundraising campaign underway.” 2022. West Philly Local. https://www.westphillylocal.com/2022/07/27/greensgrow-west-closes-amidst-financial-crisis-fundraising-campaign-underway/.
9“Growing from the Root: Philadelphia’s Urban Agriculture Plan.” n.d. https://www.phila.gov/media/20230421153052/Philadelphia-Urban-Agriculture-Plan.pdf.
1KHALIFA, HEATHER, and Henry Savage. 2022. “What is food insecurity and how does it affect the Philly region?” Philadelphia Inquirer. https://www.inquirer.com/philly-tips/philadelphia-food-insecurity-resources.html.
11“A PHILADELPHIA FOOD POLICY ROAD MAP.” n.d. City of Philadelphia. Accessed March 20, 2024. https://www.phila.gov/media/20170221163657/A-Philadelphia-Food-Policy-Road-Map-Digital.pdf.
8Schmidt, Sophia. 2022. “Philadelphia releases first urban agriculture plan.” WHYY. https://whyy.org/articles/what-do-you-think-of-phillys-first-urban-agriculture-plan-the-city-wants-to-know/.
4“The State of Philadelphians Living in Poverty, 2019.” n.d. The Pew Charitable Trusts. Accessed March 20, 2024. https://www.pewtrusts.org/-/media/assets/2019/05/state_of_poverty.pdf.