Leading Grocery Retailers Commit to Increasing Access to Healthy, Affordable Food

[OneGrassRoot]

(not thrilled about Walmart's involvement, but otherwise a positive development, imho)

WASHINGTON, July 20, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Brown's Super Stores, Calhoun Enterprises, Klein's Family Markets, SUPERVALU, Walgreens, Walmart and The California Endowment's FreshWorks Fund Pledge to Expand Access

The Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA), together with First Lady Michelle Obama, announced today that leading grocery retailers have committed to bring healthy, affordable food to nearly 10 million people over the next five years in the form of new and expanded stores in areas that desperately need them.

Brown's Super Stores, Calhoun Enterprises, Klein's Family Markets, SUPERVALU, Walgreens and Walmart have committed to open or expand over 1,500 locations combined over the next five years in low-income areas that lack stores likely to sell affordable and nutritious foods. The California Endowment, through their FreshWorksFund, has pledged to make $200 million in financing available to new, independent retail channels and innovative food distribution programs in California through financing and grants.

Currently, 23.5 million Americans live in low-income areas that lack stores likely to sell affordable and nutritious foods. Of these 23.5 million, approximately 11.5 million are individuals living in households with incomes at or below the 200% poverty line, and 6.5 million are children. These new and expanded stores will provide nearly 10 million Americans with the ability to purchase fresh, nutritious foods close to home.


FULL PRESS RELEASE HERE: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/leading-grocery-retailers-commit-to-fight-childhood-obesity-by-increasing-access-to-healthy-affordable-food-for-10-million-americans-2011-07-20?reflink=MW_news_stmp

[HockeyMom]

1. Fresh Market

Well, they aren't cheap that is for sure, but they have outrageous salad and veggie bars, fresh made soups, international (Mediterranean and Middle Eastern incl.) hot food take out, etc. My daughter and I went there to eat lunch one day. I was like a kid in a candy store. I just couldn't decide. I love all those kinds of food, unfortunately I could not do this on any regular basis for the expense of it.

Would the average, or more specifically poor, American like or afford this? Probably not. I cannot see a Walmart customer buying it.

[madmom]

2. So walmart tries to do something good and you still critisize.....

:eyes:

[OneGrassRoot]

3. No, I applaud when they or any other company, huge or not...

does something positive.

There was mention in the article about the retailers talking about expanding -- that's what I'm not thrilled about as it concerns Walmart.

[madmom]

4. If they go where there's a need..what's not good?

[OneGrassRoot]

5. Really? Well....

I personally prefer more community-owned and worker-owned ventures, rather than conglomerates like Walmart providing the bulk of the products, services and employment. They control too much of our lives, imho. Walmart and other big box stores take business away from mom and pop stores. So, even when they do something good, I balance that with the harm I feel they're doing in the big picture of it all.

[get the red out]

7. Their underlying motives, probably

They aren't exactly the most high minded business venture out there.

[The Big Vetolski]

8. Walmart's being subsidized to do it. They are not doing it out of

the goodness of their cold, capitalist hearts. So no, I give them no credit at all, especially after all of the damage they have done to communities across the country.

[madmom]

9. They are ALL being subsidized, so the double standard lives !

[get the red out]

6. This is very important

I just wish our nation could stand to take a bigger step and look at subsidizes and change them in a way that would make nutritious foods easy to afford and be good for farmers' bottom lines.