With all the healthy eating craze, Urban farms and rooftop farming that are being built in every city, Bodegas are lagging behind, though they are the heart of the community.
Here are the current issues:
Food Deserts
When you live a mile or more in distance from a supermarket/bodega, and have limited access to fresh produce, meats, and healthy foods. Food deserts contribute to the U.S. obesity epidemic.
About 23.5 million people live in food deserts. Nearly half of them are also low-income. Approximately 2.3 million people (2.2% of all US households) live in low-income, rural areas that are more than 10 miles from a supermarket.
Food Swamp
A place where unhealthy foods are more readily available than healthy foods. This includes foods that are dense in calories, high in sodium, and high in sugar.
Physically transforming the bodega, while also providing the necessary training in areas such as economic development, marketing, and customer service, is the first step to successfully improving the community’s quality of life.
A refurbished bodega can:
- Attract more customers
- Increase community engagement
- Be better equipped to maintain fresh produce
- Serve as a brand advocate
- Create more jobs
