Food Deserts: New Brunswick's Access Crisis

New Brunswick, New Jersey, has been labelled a food desert by the federal government, with residents lacking access to affordable, nutritional food. The city's median household income is just over $38,000, which is significantly lower than the state's median of $67,000. The area is characterised by fast-food restaurants and a lack of quality supermarkets, with the closing of the Fresh Grocer supermarket in 2014 leaving a significant gap in food access. This resulted in residents having to travel to neighbouring towns to access affordable groceries. However, the opening of Key Food Marketplace in 2015 helped to alleviate this issue, providing residents with access to fresh and affordable food options. Despite this positive development, New Brunswick continues to face challenges in ensuring equitable access to healthy food for all its residents.

New Brunswick's food desert map

New Brunswick, a city in the state of New Jersey, has been described as a food desert. Food deserts are defined by the United States Department of Agriculture as urban or rural areas without ready access to fresh, healthy, and affordable food.

In New Brunswick, the closing of the Fresh Grocer supermarket in 2014 left residents without a large commercial grocery store. While small corner markets and delis exist, they do not offer the same range of services or cater to the same volume of customers as a large grocery store. This situation resulted in a lack of access to affordable nutritional foods like fruits and vegetables for many residents, particularly those with lower incomes.

A food desert map of New Brunswick would highlight areas where residents are more than 5km or 1 mile away from a supermarket, grocery store, garden, or market. These areas are likely to be low-income neighborhoods, where residents struggle to access healthy and affordable food due to transportation and mobility issues. The lack of access to nutritious food can have negative health consequences, increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and depression.

However, it is important to note that the term "food desert" has been challenged by some. They argue that it implies a lack of food and abundance, when in reality, these areas may have access to traditional food systems that have sustained communities for generations.

To address the issue of food deserts in New Brunswick, initiatives such as community gardens, markets, mobile food markets, and new grocery stores have been proposed. Additionally, improving food access in these areas requires addressing underlying issues such as livable wages, community self-sufficiency, and support for local food production.

The Fresh Grocer's closing

The closing of The Fresh Grocer in New Brunswick has raised concerns about access to quality and affordable food in the area. The store's closure in May 2014 left a vacant space in the New Brunswick Health and Wellness Plaza, impacting the shopping options for residents.

The Fresh Grocer was a large commercial grocery store that served the community of New Brunswick. Its closure has highlighted the challenges faced by residents in accessing nutritious and affordable food. New Brunswick has a median household income of a little above $38,000, which is significantly lower than the state's median income of $67,000. This income disparity, coupled with the absence of a large grocery store, has led to a situation where the area is filled with fast-food restaurants and a lack of quality supermarkets.

While small corner markets and delis are present in New Brunswick, they cannot match the capacity of a large grocery store like The Fresh Grocer in terms of customer volume and the range of products and services offered. The space occupied by The Fresh Grocer was specifically designed for a large commercial grocery store, and its closure has created a significant gap in the community's food access.

The situation has improved since the grand opening of Key Food in September 2015. Key Food filled the vacant space left by The Fresh Grocer and addressed the community's need for a full-service grocery store. The new store offers a wide range of items, including fresh produce, meat, baked goods, seafood, and international foods. It also features a fresh juice bar and a bistro, providing residents with convenient access to healthy and affordable food options.

The opening of Key Food has alleviated the concerns of New Brunswick residents, who previously had to travel to neighboring towns like Highland Park and Edison to find affordable groceries. The new store has made it easier for the community to maintain a healthy diet and has particularly benefited Rutgers University students, who can now save money by buying groceries instead of relying solely on meal plans.

The Fresh Grocer's closure and the subsequent response have brought attention to the issue of food deserts and the importance of ensuring equal access to nutritious and affordable food for all communities.

Key Food Marketplace

The Key Food Marketplace in New Brunswick is a welcome addition to the city, which was previously considered a food desert. A food desert is an area where access to affordable, nutritious food is limited due to a lack of nearby grocery stores.

The marketplace, located in the New Brunswick Health and Wellness Plaza, offers a wide range of fresh and healthy food options. It features a large produce section with organic and conventionally grown fruits and vegetables sourced from local farms in New Jersey and across the country. The store also has a seafood department, a meat and poultry department with various cuts, and a deli with a juice bar, salad bar, and sushi. In addition, customers can enjoy a variety of bakery and hot food items from different cuisines, including American, Italian, Indian, and Asian, all prepared daily on the premises.

The Key Food Marketplace also offers international food items, with fresh and pantry goods sourced from around the world. The store caters to diverse dietary needs with a dairy department that includes Kosher and Halal products. Customers can also find a wide range of spices, dried beans, and fresh and frozen fish.

The marketplace is committed to providing good food at affordable prices and aims to be actively involved in the community. The store owner, Kevin Kim, expressed confidence that the store would set a new standard for grocery shopping in New Jersey, offering a well-trained and customer-oriented staff.

The opening of the Key Food Marketplace in New Brunswick is a significant step towards addressing the city's food insecurity issues and providing residents with convenient access to healthy and affordable food options.

With the addition of the Key Food Marketplace, New Brunswick residents now have better access to a variety of fresh and healthy foods at affordable prices, contributing to improved food security and overall well-being in the community.

The impact on Rutgers University students

New Brunswick, New Jersey, has been labelled a food desert, with 14% of New Jersey residents living in food deserts. This classification means that people have inadequate or limited access to affordable, nutritional, and healthy food. The issue of food deserts is especially pertinent to students at Rutgers University, who are vulnerable to food insecurity.

Food insecurity is an issue that affects many college students across the United States, and it can have a detrimental impact on their mental health and academic performance. Students of colour are disproportionately affected by food insecurity, and first-year students are particularly vulnerable as they transition to living away from home and managing their finances for the first time. The rising costs of education and living expenses also contribute to food insecurity among students, as they are often forced to choose between purchasing expensive textbooks and school materials or buying food.

The impact of food deserts on Rutgers University students is significant. Prior to the opening of Key Food in 2015, Rutgers students with off-campus housing had limited access to affordable groceries within walking distance. The nearest grocery stores were located in neighbouring towns, such as Highland Park and Edison. With the opening of Key Food, students gained access to fresh produce, meat, baked goods, seafood, and international foods at affordable prices. This improved their ability to maintain a healthy diet and saved them the time and expense of travelling to distant supermarkets.

However, despite the presence of Key Food, food insecurity remains an issue for some Rutgers University students. The establishment of food pantries, such as the Rutgers Food Pantry, has provided additional support for students at risk of food insecurity. These pantries offer free and accessible food to students in need, helping to alleviate the challenges posed by food deserts and food insecurity.

To address food insecurity among its students, Rutgers University has also implemented initiatives such as the Student-Organized Rutgers Against Hunger programme. Additionally, the university has resources available for students, faculty, and staff to better understand and address food insecurity, including articles and reports on the topic.

In summary, the impact of New Brunswick's food desert status on Rutgers University students is far-reaching. While the opening of Key Food has improved access to affordable and healthy food for students, food insecurity remains a concern for a significant number of them. The university has taken steps to address this issue through the creation of food pantries and student-led initiatives, but food deserts continue to pose challenges to ensuring that all students have consistent access to nutritious and affordable food.

The role of local corner stores

Local corner stores are often the only source of food for underserved communities. They are a staple in communities of marginalised people of colour and act as a one-stop shop for groceries, medications, and news, and they are a community gathering spot. However, they often lack staple items such as fresh fruits and vegetables and instead stock processed foods that are high in sodium, sugar, and fat.

The National Consumers League (NCL) conducted a survey of 20 corner stores in Washington, DC, and found that every store offered some form of fresh produce, with bananas, apples, and oranges being the most common. Forty percent of stores offered more than three types of produce, and 70% of stores displayed produce near the front of the store or by the cash register.

One approach to improving the healthfulness of corner stores is the "corner store conversion" strategy, which involves partnering with small 'corner' food stores to expand access to high-quality fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foods. Common intervention strategies include:

• Partnering with an existing store: This is a fundamental part of the corner store conversion strategy as corner stores are often the primary food source in low-income and minority neighbourhoods. By partnering with an existing store, interventions can leverage the store's established client base and community ties to increase the reach of the intervention.
• Stocking healthy foods: Interventions encourage stores to stock a greater variety of culturally appropriate, high-quality healthy foods, including fresh, canned, and frozen fruits and vegetables, low-fat milk, healthy grains, and healthier cooking oils. Interventions may also provide training, information, and equipment to help stores overcome barriers to stocking and selling healthy foods.
• Social marketing and nutrition education: To create community buy-in and support, interventions use some form of in-store or community-based social marketing or nutrition education to promote healthy foods. This can include distributing flyers, offering cooking demonstrations and taste tests, providing healthy recipes, and using posters, shelf labels, and educational displays to highlight the nutritional benefits of healthy foods.

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