Ballestero 1

Marissa Ballestero

Dr. Kamahra Ewing

PS1010

28 March 2017

Detroits Battle For Food Security

Detroit is a city that often has its problems broadcasted to the public, such as its

economic decline, high crime rate, etc. However, there is one major problem that does not get

enough discussion, the battle with the lack of food security. Food security is having access to a

sufficient amount of affordable and nutritious food.1 There are not adequate means of obtaining

these foods available to the residents of Detroit. Many residents suffer from the effects of poor

nutrition due to the fact that they cannot get the foods they need in order to live a healthy

lifestyle. The effects of this problem can be greatly alleviated through means of expanding and

implementing urban farming initiatives throughout the city. By expanding urban farming

throughout the city, more people will be able to have easier access nutritious foods at affordable

prices. With increased understanding and exposure to the issue of food security/insecurity, and

the solution of urban farming, more policies can be created as a means to combat the problem.

Food insecurity occurs when an individual does not have access to affordable and

nutritious foods. Wayne County alone has a food insecurity rate of 22%, in comparison to the

states rate of 19.0% and the nations rate of 16.6%.2 Food insecurity for Wayne County is

highest in Detroit, concentrated in several of the citys high poverty areas.3 Residents of the low

1
See What is Food Security?
2
See Food Insecurity Across America
3
See Fighting Food Insecurity in Detroit
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income areas do not have the means necessary to make the trek to an actual grocery store, which

more often than not means traveling across city borders to a local Meijer or Walmart. This often

leaves individuals turning to the local party stores, dollar stores, gas stations, and fast food

restaurants in order to obtain affordable foods for themselves and/or their families.4 Several

issues with transportation also play a major role in the citys food insecurity issue. Metro Detroit

is known for its infamously poor system of public transportation, which poses another obstacle to

the people trying to get to a grocery store.5 Many people living within the city do not have access

to cars, and the ones they do have access to are most often unreliable. This essentially leaves

individuals with no option but to shop at the few stores throughout their neighborhoods, stores

that do not carry the nutritious foods needed to live a healthy life. In order to combat these

problems, public policy is created in order to implement ways to bring food security to the

residents of Detroit.

Cities, such as Detroit, that have experienced industrial decline often use empty and

vacant lots as areas for urban agriculture.6 These areas are then often maintained by members of

the surrounding communities. Urban agriculture is made possible due to creation and

implementation of policy that calls for using urban agriculture as a means to bring nutritious

foods to the city. Such policy is often drafted by locals who want to see a change made within

their community, dealing with the civic sphere of government. People wanted to have a say in

making a change that would not only affect them, but the future generations too. In 2008, an

organization led by Detroiters created and drafted the Detroit Food Security Policy.7 This policy

4
See Current Access to Food Quality in Detroit
5
ee Five Personal Stories of Food Insecurity in Metropolitan Detroit
S
6
See Urban Agriculture and Sustainable Cities
7
See Urban Agriculture Policy in Detroit History and Prospects
 Ballestero 3

defines community food security as, condition which exists when all of the members of a

community have access, in close proximity, to adequate amounts of nutritious, culturally

appropriate food at all times, from sources that are environmentally sound and just.8 In order to

increase the community food security, this policy calls upon urban farming to generate more

nutritious foods throughout the city. Urban farming/agriculture is a solution to food insecurity,

due to the fact that urban farms are community based and maintained, ensuring that nutritious

foods are easily accessible to members of the community. There was great support from the

general public for this policy, seeing as it would be a start in alleviating the effect of food

insecurity within the city. Implementation of this policy would also help clear some of the vacant

land within the city, helping to rid communities of illicit activities that occur in these areas.

In late 2008, the Detroit city council adopted the Detroit Food Security policy. Strong

public support for the policy itself, strongly influenced the decision of the Detroit city council.

Adoption of the policy then led to a unanimous vote for the formation of the Detroit Food Policy

Council.9 This council is dedicated to creating a sustainable local food system in order to create a

food secure city with a hunger-free populace.10 In order to create the local food system, this

policy opened the door for the creation of many different urban farming initiatives throughout

the city. Founded in 2011, one of the most notable initiatives created is MUFI, the Michigan

Urban Farming Initiative. MUFI aims to combat the problems of vacant land, poor diet, nutrition

illiteracy, and food insecurity within the city.11 Since its start up, MUFI has produced over

50,000 pounds of fresh produce that is readily available to members of the surrounding

8
See Food System Report
9
See Urban Agriculture Policy in Detroit History and Prospects
10
See Who We Are
11
See All About MUFI
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community. Operating on a pay-what-you-can model, MUFI has provided food to thousands of

families within two square miles of the farm.12 Passage of the Detroit Food Security policy has

proven to be effective in relieving some of the stress of food insecurity in some of Detroits high

poverty areas. If this policy would have failed, the city itself would more than likely have higher

rates of food insecurity than it currently has. Failure of this policy would not have opened the

door to the call for urban agriculture as a means to bring food into communities.

Although urban farming has not completely solved the problem of food insecurity within

the city of Detroit, it has so far allowed for more nutritious foods to be distributed to many of the

citys residents. Implementation of urban farming and food security policy plays a major role in

helping to ensure that everyone has adequate access to nutritious and affordable food. Without

these policies being created, the door to urban agriculture would never have been opened to the

city of Detroit. The current urban farms are just start as to what this movement has to offer. With

future policies aimed towards solving the problem of food insecurity in Detroit and towards

urban farming, the city will eventually have the opportunity to gain direct control over what they

are consuming. Residents of the city will no longer have to turn to the cheap, highly processed

foods that are so easily available to them. Strong support from residents of the city played a big

role in drafting and adoption of the Detroit Food Security policy, which was necessary in order

to show city officials just how serious the issue is and just how much people care about solving

it. Urban farming is still in its beginning stages, but will soon have an impact that will reach all

throughout the city.

12
See Whats Going on at MUFI?
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Works Cited

"All About MUFI." Mufi-html. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2017.

Bach, Louis. "Blog." Data Driven Detroit. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2017.

Clynes, Melinda. "Fighting Food Insecurity in Detroit." Model D. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2017.

"Current Access to Quality Food in Detroit." Detroit Food Justice Task Force. N.p., n.d. Web.

29 Mar. 2017.

Deelstra, Tjeerd, and Herbert Girardet. "Urban Agriculture and Sustainable Cities." N.p., n.d.

Web. 29 Mar. 2017.

"Five Personal Stories of Food Insecurity in Metropolitan Detroit." Fair Food Network. N.p.,

n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2017.

Pothukuchi, Kami. "Food System Report." The Detroit (2011): 4. Web. 29 Mar. 2017.

"Urban Agriculture Policy in Detroit History and Prospects." Urban Agriculture Policy in

Detroit History and Prospects (2015): 279-98. Web. 29 Mar. 2017.

"What's Going on at MUFI?" Mufi-html. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2017.

"Who We Are." Who We Are | Detroit Food Policy Council. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2017.

"World Food Programme." What Is Food Security? | WFP | United Nations World Food

Programme - Fighting Hunger Worldwide. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2017.