Table of Contents
Introduction
Every person in the world are victims of climate change, situations may be different, and some people are affected more than others. the people in the DC that are heavily affected by this are residents in the low-income area, especially where access to things like healthy food or food at reasonable prices. I think that there are ways around such problems that can be beneficial to people in those situations and it starts with proper guidance and solid information about climate change. No matter what people from these communities, towns, states, or countries may face, the problems are always tied to climate change and in most cases, are caused by the lifestyle of the people.
Food insecurity and poor nutrition are two major factors that should be considered when addressing a problem based on the availability and access of food and water to certain areas and what can be done to make improvements in those locations. Residents in those areas who have little income coming in are faced with the reality of limitation when it comes to resources like food and water. Most of these people manage their consumption based on the budget for their expenses and their daily routine (mainly work). Food access has been known to be deeply connected to transportation and poverty in specific areas. Geographic areas where access to healthy and affordable foods are limited are called food deserts and those are areas that are most likely to be low-income and where minority residents would be located.
Washington DC is a city with an extended history of disparities, where racial and economic divisions play a huge part in contributing to the development of food deserts. The stability of whole food systems is at risk under climate change because of short-term variability in supply. However, on a regional scale the potential impact is less clear, but it is likely that climate variability and change will exacerbate food insecurity in areas currently vulnerable to hunger and undernutrition. Likewise, it can be anticipated that food access and utilization will be affected indirectly via collateral effects on household and individual incomes, and food utilization could be impaired by loss of access to drinking water and damage to health (Wheeler & Braun, 2013).
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Climate Change and Agriculture
Climate change affects agricultural production (crop growth and livestock performance) which usually occurs in the rural areas where products are distributed from. It can disrupt food availability, reduce access to food, and affect food quality. When climate temperature increases, precipitation pattern changes, water availability starts to reduce and changes in extreme weather events starts occurring, the quality/durability of products drops, and it also results in a decrease in agricultural productivity. Those agricultural produce must be distributed through transportation networks and must be properly stored to preserve its value and to be distributed through formal and informal systems as it makes it way to the consumers.
The effect of climate change has already had a negative touch of the production and quality of the products, so by not having proper storage during transportation it causes the loss of products. If food production in rural areas diminishes, dependent such as cities and urban areas will feel the effects of it; Which is why urban areas must improve on its local agricultural production. This may not happen in an instant but gradually putting the pieces together for such circumstances would be of great importance to the district.
Most people don’t realize how much food they throw away every day from uneaten leftovers to spoiled produce. A large percentage of food that is thrown away ends up in landfills or combustion facilities. Managing food sustainably and reducing waste can help businesses and consumers save money, provide a bridge in our communities for those who do not have enough to eat, and conserve resources for future generations. Food waste is a major reason for food insecurity in most low- and middle-income areas.
The majority of these losses happens before the food actually reaches the businesses or consumers, which happens due to climate change causing inefficient harvesting, transportation, and proper storage. Reducing food losses in low- and middle-income areas requires investment in improving storage facilities and transport infrastructure. Food storage may be affected by both damage to the storage structures themselves or by damage to services such as electricity for refrigeration. Even produce that does not require refrigeration, such as rice, is lost in great quantities to spoilage and pests (Smith, 2017).
As an indirect impact of climate change, pests and diseases are expected to increase in the next upcoming years, which makes it clear that implications for food security would be required. DC Food Recovery Working Group is an association of individuals working to reduce food waste and feed more people in the Washington, DC region. It is a group that is open to the public and people that seek interest in food recovery. They focus on the promotion of food recovery programs, organizations and the development of new food recovery partnerships, programs, and resources for greater DC.
In effort to allow residents to be able to participate in a sustainable system of urban food production to reduce hunger, malnutrition, and food-related health conditions across all wards, DC must continue to improve access to healthy foods, reduce their costs and also reducing the accessibility of unhealthy foods that requires healthy food and beverage procurement practices, Food system design, Healthy community design and local healthy food policies. There are health departments in the district that have the opportunity to reduce the availability and access of unhealthy foods that increases the risk of chronic disease.
Local public health practitioners know what partners and what issues need to be brought at the table and they are uniquely positioned to facilitate dialogue among diverse partners. The DC health department often serves as a connecting force in the community and is able to reach out to everyone. They have the trust of the many people to a point where they can speak for the communities and the concerned for community health because they know that communities are aware of the ongoing problems and the dynamics to changing problems. In addition to knowing their communities, local health officials stay abreast of current literature and are able to share resources and information and suggest evidence-based strategies.
Some of the neighborhoods in Washington DC that are high in poverty are located on the east of the Anacostia River, those two areas (ward 7 & ward 8) fall below, or slightly above the federal poverty level, $44,995 for a family of 4 are ward 7 which falls slightly above that level with $45,469 and ward 8 falling below that level with $32,967. Within those 2 wards, more than three-quarters of the food deserts are present.
DC Food Deserts Percentage by wWards
There are important correlations to be made in District residents access to food, the level of poverty and their overall health. The study entitled “Assessing the Need for Nutritious and Affordable Food in the District of Columbia” by graduate students at George Washington University found a correlation between diet-related diseases, poverty and access to grocery stores (DeRose, Messer & Millman, 1998). Their research has made some spectacular discoveries, showing that residents in Wards 7 & 8 (where grocery stores are scarce, and poverty is high) are more likely to suffer from diet-related diseases than residents that lives in the other wards throughout the District. It is found that 375 stores in DC are authorized to accept food stamps and of those 375 stores, small grocery stores and convenience stores make up 65% of them, while supermarkets only make up 15% of those stores.
Most food stamp recipients are using their benefits at supermarkets. Food stamps are government issued vouchers available for low income residents or families that they can use to exchange for food. Keeping that in mind, Ward 3 holds six chain supermarkets, while Wards 7 & 8 combined only have a maximum of two. It is understood that Ward 3’s poverty rate was 7.5% 2000 while the poverty rates in Wards 7 was 25% & Ward 8 was 36% respectively. This large difference in number of stores located in those Wards are unjust and clearly brings to light of where poverty exists and the reason for its existence in those locations which goes hand in hand with the lack of nutrition compared to other wards.
The government of DC can provide healthier and more affordable food to low income residents by increasing the agricultural land use within the district, ensuring universal access to secure, nutritious, and affordable food supplies to all residents of the district and developing certain food industries into strong and viable economic sectors. At least by ensuring provision to the 75% of the districts residents living within less than half a mile of a community garden, farmers’ market or healthy corner store would be a huge start in the right direction.
There’s an urban agriculture movement in the District that is continuing to grow and expand as residents seek to engage with the natural way (urban agriculture) to produce their food while building the community and opening up more opportunities for a sustainable food system. City Blossoms is one of the areas that is aimed to increase the youth’s awareness about caring for themselves and the environment by means of gardening/agriculture. All of its programs work with the needs of the local environment and community members. For the past couple years, City Blossoms has come up with a unique method of managing and developing strong and healthy green spaces where children and youth get engaged as the main cultivators, where they specialize in a hands-on, art-based approach that implies the unique qualities and strengths of each learning center.
Firebird Research Farm which is also known as the Agricultural Experimentation Station of the DC was established to do research and test techniques in urban agricultural that are consistent with sustainable practices. Both horticulture and agriculture are commonly known to be associated with the rural environment and large open spaces but to improve the production in urban areas, measures must be taken to approach the issue from a different angle. Those farms are focused on adapting highly efficient farming techniques to small urban spaces. Techniques are being explored by a hydroponic system to use nutrient enriched water rather than soil to grow a wide variety of vegetables. This unique growing method can be used for a variety of vegetables (cucumbers, squash, tomatoes, peppers, etc.) and can generate exceptionally high yields. Sustainable systems are being used to manage the research farm and methods that reduce strain on the environment as well.
Both of aquaculture and hydroponics are involve which includes the growth of fish and plants in one integrated system. The plants naturally filter the water for the fish, while the fish waste provides an organic food source for the plants. There are many ways that people in the district can use to produce and improve on the environment as well as the problem at hand. By just studying and monitoring how both organisms co-existing and producing for each other contribute to sustainability in a big way and can also become an additional food source to the District to improve the issue of costly and healthy food.
Poverty, food insecurity, and poor nutrition have serious consequences for the health and well-being of people at all ages, including a greater risk for diseases and even poor mental health. In addition to the consequences for individuals and families, they are also very costly actions for the economy and health care system (Hartline-Grafton, 2017). Low income families and residents are dealt with the same issue and more, unfortunately for the simple fact that their health is based on what is available and more importantly what is affordable to them. I do think that Nutrition Programs are important, effective, and widely available interventions to improve the health and well-being of vulnerable locals which makes the accessibility of healthier food for the target locals (low income families and residents). There are a large number of research that demonstrates how these programs can reduce food insecurity, poverty, support economic stability, improve dietary intake and health, protect against obesity, and boost learning and development.
One of those programs were the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) which is a program widely spread throughout the state that delivers and promotes physical activity and nutrition education to help SNAP participants and other individuals that are very limited resources and to encourage families to make healthy food choices and to control their budget while choosing an active healthy lifestyle. The people that are targeted to help are youth at child care sites, pre-schools, summer meals sites, summer camps, and recreation centers to teach them about making healthy food choices and participate in physical activities. Additionally, the adults, especially the ones that are inactive, so they can learn and develop skills to make healthy food choices and add physical activity into their daily lives.
Another program that is available to help is the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) which provides a monthly financial subsidy, training and technical assistance, nutrition education, and food safety information to child development centers, adult day care centers, after-school programs, and emergency shelters serving nutritious meals and snacks to eligible infants, children, and adults. CACFP provides assistance to children and adult care institutions and family day care homes for the provision of nutritious foods that contribute to the wellness, healthy growth, and development of young children, and the health and wellness of older adults and chronically impaired disabled person (World Health Organization, 2016). Connecting people to the federal nutrition programs is a critical way to support and improve the district’s health.
All in all, the unjust situations that many people in these communities, towns, cities, and countries are facing need to not only be more widely addressed but acted on. Specifically, in Washington D.C, the circumstances are daily struggles that the people in these communities, such as ward 7 and 8, have faced for a while now. The organizations like FEED DC, City Blossoms, Agricultural Experimentation Station of the DC, SNAP-ED, and CACFP are taking the right steps necessary to make a positive change for the DC area. Such programs are coming up with ideas and techniques to aid in a better environment that can create sustainable food sources, healthier food options, and the money needed to carry out these healthier life-styles to avoid the diseases and conditions they are subjected to. The food insecurity and poor nutrition these low-income families are a harsh reality that they deal with every day. The issue is not just having a low-income but more because it is all that is available to them.
Unfortunately, these people can only get what they have access to which is not a lot, and both that the selection is unhealthy. Moreover, the condition of the food is subpar, and most of it is inedible due to surroundings faced before even reaching the consumers. This is all stems from climate change, it causes inefficient harvesting, transportation, and storage. Improvement in storage facilities and transport infrastructure is one of the main issues. The government of DC has taken some steps to provide healthier more affordable food, along with ways to achieve it but they are nowhere close to being done with this movement. In order for this to be a successful movement low-income resident in the communities, along with these programs/organizations followed by the government itself have to come together and work actively to be on the same page to help reform the injustice going on.
References
- Bickel, G., Nord, M., Price, C., Hamilton, W., & Cook, J.. “Guide to measuring household food security”. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2000. http://www.fns.usda.gov/sites/default/files/FSGuide.pdf
- DUG Network., “Food Assistance and Justice” 2018. http://dugnetwork.org/food-assistance-and-justice/#Food%20Assistance%20Programs
- Kubala J. “Ways to reduce your food waste”, Health Line. 2017. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/reduce-food-waste
- Raven H. P., Hassenzahl M. D., Berg R. L , Environment 8th Edition.
- Smith R. “Food access in D.C is deeply connected to poverty and transportation”. 2017. https://www.dcpolicycenter.org/publications/food-access-dc-deeply-connected-poverty-transportation/
- Hartline-Grafton, H. “The Role of the Federal Child Nutrition Programs in Improving Health and Well-Being”. Washington, DC: Food Research & Action Center. 2017. http://frac.org/wp-content/uploads/hunger-health-impact-poverty-food-insecurity-health-well-being.pdf
- Wheeler, T., Braun, J. “Climate Change Impacts on Global Food Security”. 02 Aug 2013
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- Smith, R. “Food access in D.C is deeply connected to poverty and transportation” 2017. https://www.dcpolicycenter.org/publications/food-access-dc-deeply-connected-poverty-transportation/
- DeRose, F., L., Messer, E., Millman, S. “Food Poverty” Who’s hungry? And how do we know? Food shortage, poverty, and deprivation. 1998. http://archive.unu.edu/unupress/unupbooks/uu22we/uu22we0c.htm
- World Health Organization. “Healthy Ageing and the sustainable Development Goals”. Ageing and Life Course. 2012. https://www.who.int/ageing/sdgs/en/
