The Food Trust and the Fresh Food Financing Initiative: Eliminating “Food Deserts”

Abstract

Summary

Obesity is a growing problem within the United States, with Philadelphia one of the hardest-hit cities. Many underserved communities in Philadelphia lack access to fresh, healthy and affordable food. The Food Trust, founded in 1992, is an innovative organization that is working to stem the proliferation of these “food deserts.” The Food Trust’s mission is to ensure that everyone has access to affordable, nutritious foods. It promotes healthy behaviors, nutrition education and advocacy for better public policy.

Among its programs is the Pennsylvania Fresh Food Financing Initiative (FFFI), run in concert with the Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition, The Reinvestment Fund, and the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. Recently spotlighted by the Obama administration, the FFFI provides financial and technical assistance to businesses that make fresh food available in urban and rural food deserts. The program is particularly innovative not only in its leveraging of public-private partnerships but also in its risk management approach and its versatility. The program’s large social return on investment is generated by the reduction of disease, increase in productivity and revitalization of low-income communities produced through its multi-pronged approach of research, education and strategic financing.