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Bailey Cleere
Comp. II (MWF 8:30)
Mrs. Davis
September 28, 2015
Relationship of Fresh Food and Poverty
Think of the word poverty. What is the first image that comes to mind? The media
depicts malnourished children in areas such as Haiti or Zambia, searching for food in the garbage
piled high on the streets. Yet what about inside the United States? Where is the media coverage
of families and young children malnourished in places as close as neighboring communities? I
see none, and what I do see focuses on larger cities. Does that mean poverty isn't as largely
spread in America? Absolutely not. Although I applaud the efforts of individuals who address
these issues in foreign countries, I believe as a nation, we need to tackle problems on our home
soil before taking on problems elsewhere. As I mentioned earlier, poverty is all around us. It can
rear its ugly head in various forms and in areas we may not realize are in need. The causes and
effects includes the large amount of wasted food, access to fresh food, and the medical risks that
accompany poor diets due to the costs of fresh food versus fast food.
Think of the Sears Tower located in Chicago, Illinois. This skyscraper is so great in size,
the occupants on the top floors see those on the ground as the size of ants. Now visualize this
massive structure with 43 identical buildings positioned next to it, each one filled with food that
has been thrown out. That is the amount of food wasted every year, nearing 133 billion pounds
(Aubrey). Food that has soured and been disposed of is one of several factors that contribute to
the enormous amount. Not only are individual households responsible for this, but also
restaurants and grocery stores. Farmers tend to be guilty as well when they refrain from

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harvesting food that does not meet superficial standards (Aubrey). The complexity of shipping is
also a variable. Fruits and vegetables are good only for a certain time after they are harvested.
These products often rot before they reach their destination. If repurposed, the quantity of food
wasted each year holds the potential to make a immense impact on the poverty level in America.
The question now becomes: how can we reduce the sum of wasted food? Recently,
"Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina
McCarthy announced the United States' first-ever national food waste reduction goal, calling for
a 50-percent reduction by 2030" (Food). The United States Department of Agriculture, USDA,
hopes to collaborate with local governments, as well as charitable organizations, with the
common motive of securing and preserving our nation's food supply (Food). Various people
involved in the food industry support this plan, but the best chance of successfully carrying it out
is community participation. For instance, Americans should only buy what we know will be
consumed. It is less wasteful to return to the grocery store for more bananas versus throwing
them out due to rotting. Restaurants have the chance to partake by boxing up excess food from
the kitchen and donating it to food pantries or other organizations dedicated to feeding those in
need. Grocery stores holds the option to purchase flawed fruits and vegetables from farmers,
giving them the incentive to harvest such foods. Furthermore, Vilsack claims "it's mulling
legislation that would increase tax deductions for farmers and other big wasters who donate food
to the needy" (Aubrey). Increasing tax deductions contains the possibility to motivate farmers,
grocery stores, and restaurants to decrease the amount of food wasted. This can be achieved by
those individuals and companies providing their excess food or food near its expiration date, yet
is still safe to consume, to those in poverty. These efforts are not the only ways Americans can
aid in reducing the poverty level.

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Communities have the ability to take charge of providing for those in need. Programs
capable of reducing the poverty level should be set into place, backed by local, state, and federal
government funding. Establishing a community garden in a designated area is one example.
With this garden, the city has several options to assist those in need. One possibility is hiring
people in poverty to maintain the garden. This not only provides a portion of food for the
community, but can also offer extra income to struggling individuals. Another alternative is to
section out the garden, allowing the individuals receiving the fruits and vegetables to maintain
their section. A city garden presents the opportunity for residents to rely on community land
instead of costly fruits and vegetables that have been shipped across the country.
Notice the costs of fresh foods versus unhealthy junk food. Fresh fruits and vegetables
are significantly higher priced than processed foods. The difficulty of shipping produce is a
major contributor to the high costs. For instance, strawberries are cheaper when they are in
season and can be grown closer to grocery stores or farmers markets where they are sold. When
strawberries are out of season, they are shipped from around the country. Extra precautions must
be taken when shipping produce these long distances. The fresh food must be harvested at a
particular time established by the farmer and other advisors. Temperatures in which the product
is shipped must be monitored regularly. Because of these safety measures, farmers receive a
lower price for their goods, which is sold at a high price to grocery stores. In order to profit from
these goods, grocery stores must raise their prices as well. This, in turn, makes it difficult for
low-income people to afford fresh produce. People in poverty decide to purchase cheaper,
processed food, which they can buy in bulk for the same price of fresh food but in half the
quantity. When decisions such as this are made, it extensively impacts the health of individuals
in poverty. Gilligan supports this claiming "...people suffer more often from illnesses that better

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diets may delay or prevent, including high blood pressure, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
They will die, on average, years earlier than wealthy Americans" (Gilligan). Without the proper
funds, it can be difficult for these people to receive appropriate health care. As a result, taxpaying citizens in the United States are affected by this.
Because every tax-paying American is affected by the poverty level, it is our duty and
responsibility as a country to contribute any way possible. In rural areas, such as Western
Kansas, the nearest grocery store can be as far as an hour away, making access to fresh produce
limited. Although this is thought to be a contributing factor to poverty, multiple studies reveal
access to fresh food and the chance of low-income people purchasing fresh food is not related
(Gilligan). These studies appear to be reliable, but those who conducted them did not factor in
the cost of fresh food. The first step is granting people in poverty access to fresh produce. "The
Health Food Financing Initiative has distributed more than $500 million to increase fresh food
access..." (Gilligan). While this money has been used to provide low-income individuals access
to fresh fruits and vegetables, they still decide not to purchase the produce. This is due to the
high costs of fresh food. So how can Americans lower these costs? If produce is suspected to rot
before reaching its destination, shipping companies should be given the option to stop at the
nearest soup kitchen or other organization and donate the produce before it is inedible. If this is
considered a tax deduction, as mentioned earlier, then the company will suffer a smaller loss of
revenue. Once again, community gardens should offer the potential to reduce the need of
shipping food to those areas. Greater precautions can be taken to ensure shipping costs are lower
and in turn making costs at the grocery store lower.
With the reduced costs of fresh food as well as lower amount of food wasted, we as a
nation can lower the poverty level of our country. Governments teamed with farmers, company

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owners, and small businesses have the chance to reduce food waste by donating excess food to
people in poverty. They also have the ability to reduce the costs of fresh produce and make it
available to low-income individuals. Household owners can restrict the amount of fresh food
wasted by purchasing only what will be consumed. If everyone commits to working as a team in
order to achieve this goal, we can create a better, healthier living environment for ourselves, our
families and friends, our communities, and our country.

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Works Cited
Aubrey, Allison. It's Time To Get Serious About Reducing Food Waste, Feds Say. 16 September
2015. 17 September 2015.
Food Retails, Agriculture Industry, and Charitable Organizations Support First National Goal to
Reduce Food Waste by 50 Percent by 2030. 16 September 2015. 17 September 2015.
Gilligan, Heather Tirado. Food Deserts Aren't the Problem. 10 February 2014. 17 September
2015.

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Bibliography
Aubrey, Allison. It's Time To Get Serious About Reducing Food Waste, Feds Say. 16 September
2015. 17 September 2015.
This writing brings to light the amount of food that is wasted, the responsible parties of wasted
food, and what individuals can do to help decrease wasted food. It is a recent article published
this month. Sources include the United States Department of Agriculture, specifically
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, signifying the information in the article is reliable. Writing
quality is considered high due to the solid numbers as well as charts provided. It is a well put
together article that offers numerous links to related articles if the reader is interested in deeper
research. In conclusion, I decided this article will help open the eyes of my readers to the
significant issue of wasted food and the dreadful affects it can carry with it.
"Food Retails, Agriculture Industry, and Charitable Organizations Support First National Goal to
Reduce Food Waste by 50 Percent by 2030." USDA. 16 September 2015. 17 September
2015.
This article announces the USDA's plan to cut the amount of food wasted in the United States in
half by 2030. The USDA is responsible for numerous programs pertaining to agriculture,
including the safety of the food we consume. Due to the fact they are a government funded
group, they have the resources to create and help implement this plan. This article came straight
from their official website. It was posted the day before I discovered it so therefore it is a recent
article. I believe this to be a reliable source I can use to help readers of my paper understand
what is being done to solve the food desert.
Gilligan, Heather Tirado. Food Deserts Aren't the Problem. 10 February 2014. 17 September
2015.

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Heather Gilligan uses this article to discredit the correlation between the availability of grocery
stores and the health of low-income individuals. Further research indicates the sources she
received her information from are credible, such as the Archives of Internal Medicine. It also
concludes her point of view is similar to these credible sources. The date of which this article
was published proves to be recent, making her work relevant to my paper. Because this article is
an equal combination of information gathered from sources and the author's personal opinion, I
consider it a higher quality of writing. I established this author and her piece of literature
reliable. I feel it can aid in explaining why it is important for people in poverty to have access to
fresh food and the plans that seem to be failing.