The problem of food deserts — areas where residents have no convenient access to fresh produce — is a concern in the Chicago metropolitan area. One such area is Elgin, north of the city, where scholars and activists are measuring the limits of available produce and assessing ways of improving the local food supply.
[Northern Illinois University nutrition professor Beverly Henry] serves on the Activate Elgin, a coalition that focuses on both nutrition and the need to be active. It began in 2006 as part of the YMCA’s Pioneering Healthier Communities initiative with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“One goal for developing healthy lifestyles is to include children in food selection and preparation, which is hard to do when families are not living close (to grocers),” Henry said….
[In] some cases, “residents in under-served areas have little choice but to eat what is available, often foods high in calories and low in nutritional value at fast food restaurants or convenience stores,” Henry said. “As food insecurity is increased, access to fruits, vegetables, whole grains is less. Foods with more nutrient value are less available and cost more. More of the family’s income may go to food, and cheaper fast foods typically have more empty calories.”
Beyond Elgin, efforts are under way to address food deserts.
The Illinois General Assembly is looking to create a task force which would seek ways to stimulate supermarket development across Illinois, Henry said. She noted that Walmart, which now is the largest grocery chain in the country, has a five-year plan to make its food healthier and more affordable.
Sources said Walmart has been looking at at least 11 sites in Elgin, most on the east side of town, for locating a new store or stores. Since last year, the company has been opening smaller express stores on an experimental basis, including some in the Chicago market.
Walmart opened a Super Center in Elgin at Randall and Bowes roads in time for last Christmas shopping season and is building a Sam’s Club adjacent to this location. The company closed its store at Randall and Royal Boulevard in Elgin when the new spot opened.
Here in The City in the Suburbs, Mayor Dave Kaptain said he and Elgin staff [are meeting] with a major grocery retailer about opening a store somewhere in town. Kaptain and his wife, Sandy, live on the Northwest Side in the Eagle Heights subdivision, and without a market close to their home, they shop at several grocers in and around Elgin.
The existence and consequences of food deserts is discussed in several Roosevelt University sustainability courses, including the Summer 2011 online offerings SUST 240 Food and SUST 210 The Sustainable Future. If you are interested in taking these or any of our courses, we encourage you to investigate our degree options and our course listings. For more information, please visit our Sustainability Studies website, call 1-877-277-5978 (1-877-APPLY RU) or email applyRU@roosevelt.edu.
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