Food Security in Buffalo, NY

Food security is often thought of as a problem of developing countries. Sadly, however, it is also a problem in American cities like my hometown of Buffalo, NY. Many Buffalo neighborhoods contain very few business establishments (e.g. supermarkets, farmers markets, etc.) that sell affordable and healthy food. Even when such businesses are fairly close by the difficulty of getting there if one doesn't have a car makes it much more likely that a busy mother will pick up some groceries at a corner store after a long day at work. Anyone who has ever perused the scant offerings at corner/convenience stores knows that they don't provide the healthiest fare, and what is available is almost always more expensive than the same item found at a supermarket.

Fortunately, there are some very positive developents happening locally on the food security issue. Urban farms have been popping up in several neighborhoods, providing fresh, healthy, and inexpensive food to their neighbors (http://www.queencityfarm.org/; http://www.mass-ave.org/). The Partnership for the Public Good (http://ppg-buffalo.wikispaces.com/) a not-for-profit whose mission is to build a "more just, sustainable, and culturally vibrant community through action-oriented research, policy development, and citizen engagement", has made food security one of the issues that it is focusing on in 2010. This will undoubtedly bring greater attention to the problem. I am hopeful that this increased focus on the issue will lead to government policies that will make food security a priority and expand urban agriculture in Buffalo.