Presentation about food deserts in Baton Rouge and the charge for the Food Access Policy Commission, created by Together Baton Rouge. (Effort is supported by the Mayor's Health City Initiative and BlueCross BlueShield.)

1. EAST BATON ROUGE
PARISH
FOOD ACCESS
POLICY
COMMISSION
Launch &
Orientation
Mt. Pilgrim Baptist
Church
February 14, 2013

2. Commission Mandate
#1) Problem Analysis
Examine the causes behind food deserts in East
Baton Rouge Parish.
#2) Best Practice Analysis
Determine best practices around the nation for
attracting retail and other high-quality food
providers to food desert communities.
#3) Recommend Solutions
Develop concrete policy and practice
recommendations for East Baton Rouge Parish to
address food deserts and other areas with low food

3. Commission Members
Rev. Jesse Bilberry, Pastor, Mt. Pilgrim Baptist Church; Moderator, 4th District
Baptist Association
Mr. Chip Boyles, EBR Redevelopment Authority, Vice President of
Administration & Programs
Dr. Stephanie Broyles, Pennington Biomedical, Assistant Professor
Dr. Adell Brown, Jr., Southern University AgCenter, Vice Chancellor for
Research
Mr. Edgar Cage, Together Baton Rouge, Food Access Team Co-chair
Mr. Clint Caldwell, Associated Grocers, Director of Business Development
Mr. David Gray, Louisiana Budget Project, Policy Analyst
Mr. Ty Harvison, Latter & Blum, Commercial Real Estate
Mr. Ed Johnson, Wal-mart
Dr. Kenneth Koonce, LSU Dean, College of Agriculture, LSU Agricultural
Center
Mr. Mike Manning, Greater BR Food Bank, President & CEO
Mr. Jared Smith, Baton Rouge Area Chamber, Director of Business
Development

4. What is a “food
desert”?
General an area with inadequate access to
definition fresh, affordable foods needed to
maintain a healthy diet.

5. What is a “food
desert”?
USDA A low income census tract where a
definitio substantial number or share of residents
n has low access to a supermarket or large
grocery store.
“Low-income” “Low-access”
At least 500 people or
Census tract with at
33% of the population
least 20% of residents
resides one mile or more
below poverty OR
from a supermarket or
median family income
large grocery store (10
below 80% of area’s
miles for rural census
median family income.
tracts).

6. USDA Data for EBR Parish
(2010)
USDA food About 75,500
desert EBR residents
census live in food
tracts deserts.
39% in poverty.
16,700 are
children.

7. Pennington Data for EBR Parish
(2012)
Areas within 1
mile of
grocery store
As many as
103,000 EBR
residents live in
food deserts.
Low-
income
25,000 are
census children.
tracts
Katy Drazba, MPH & Stephanie Broyles, PhD; Pennington
Biomedical

8. A closer look at 7 food
deserts …
1 4
6
2 5
7
3
Katy Drazba, MPH & Stephanie Broyles, PhD; Pennington
Biomedical

9. #1) Scotlandville
About
25,900
persons.
34% living in
poverty
6,500
children
Katy Drazba, MPH & Stephanie Broyles, PhD; Pennington
Biomedical

10. #2) Downtown / Old South
About
15,700
persons.
39% living in
poverty
3,300
children
Katy Drazba, MPH & Stephanie Broyles, PhD; Pennington
Biomedical

11. About
#3) South Baton 20,000
persons.
Rouge
41% living in
poverty
3,300
children
Katy Drazba, MPH & Stephanie Broyles, PhD; Pennington

12. #4) Zion City /
Greenwell
Springs
About
14,400
persons.
22% living in
poverty
4,000
children
Katy Drazba, MPH & Stephanie Broyles, PhD; Pennington
Biomedical

13. #5) Mid City
About
11,900
persons.
38% living in
poverty
3,400
children
Katy Drazba, MPH & Stephanie Broyles, PhD; Pennington

14. #6) North Forest / Red
Oaks
About 9,000
persons.
38% living in
poverty
3,300
children
Katy Drazba, MPH & Stephanie Broyles, PhD; Pennington
Biomedical

15. #7) S. Sherwood Forest / I-
12, Coursey
About 6,300
persons.
24% living in
poverty
1,500
children
Katy Drazba, MPH & Stephanie Broyles, PhD; Pennington
Biomedical

16. Sample of other mapping
resources
Grocery store
Poverty
access
Katy Drazba, MPH & Stephanie Broyles, PhD; Pennington
Biomedical

17. Proposed Work Plan
July -
Februar March & May &
October
y April June
Formalize
Launch 1 Problem analysis 2 Best practices analysis 3 Options & Draft
Recommendations
CONCURRENT
LY
Market opportunity analysis

18. Special Committee
Market opportunity analysis
Objective
Identify areas with current market potential and lay foundation
for development deals.
Actions
Conduct market analysis of all low food access areas.
Conduct “gap analysis” to determine area leakage.
Identify the areas with most market demand potential.
Identify prospects for land or land acquisition.
Conduct any other analysis that would be useful for attracting
retail.
Work toward possible deals.
Timeline
Starting at launch and continuing throughout.

19. Phase 1 Committee
Problem analysis
Objective
Examine the causes behind food deserts and other low food
access areas in East Baton Rouge Parish.
Key
Questions
What are the causes behind food deserts in EBR?
What are the consequences for residents living in food
deserts?
Analysis of different food deserts in EBR.
Why did previous food retail outlets in food desert areas close
down?
What are the barriers to development for high-quality food
Timeline
options?
March & April 2013

20. Phase 2 Committee
Best practice analysis
Objective
Determine best practices around the nation for attracting
retail and other high-quality food providers to food desert
communities.
Actions
Identify, categorize and assess the success of model
approaches across the country, including efforts to:
a) attract retail;
b) address area demand;
c) foster non-traditional options (e.g. food co-ops, farmer's
markets, urban agriculture, etc.)
Timeline
May & June 2013

21. Phase 3 Committee
Recommending solutions
Objective
Conduct public engagement around options for action and
develop final recommendations.
Actions
Formalize options for action to address food deserts.
Conduct public engagement around possible options.
Conduct feasibility and cost assessments for various
strategies.
Develop final report of recommendations.
Timeline
July – October 2013

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