| Standing on a corner in downtown Detroit, the smell of fresh chicken barbecuing emanates from Sweetwater Tavern and floats down Congress St. toward Campus Martius and the heart of the city. Glancing up, one can see the worn facade of Jacoby's, which serves up delicious German dishes like a smoked pork chop with red cabbage and hot potato salad. A few blocks up, in Greektown, the choices of eatery are as diverse as the city itself. Even Iron Chef Michael Symon is on the Detroit food scene with his restaurant "Roast." Yet, the image of Detroit as a city void of food options persists. The term "food desert" sparks images akin to the Sahara Desert or the surface of the Moon. It evokes dry bones and desolation, and it's probably fitting to use this term to describe a city devoid of accessible food options. |
Much has been made of Detroit's lack of fresh food accessibility. The most commonly cited study backing this assertion (a portion of which can be found here) is that of the Mari Gallagher Consulting Group. The study takes a significant look at proximity and quality of markets, as well as the economic and racial diversity of those markets available to residents, finding that the vast majority of markets available to the economically disenfranchised were "fringe markets" such as convenience stores, liquor stores, and gas stations. Furthermore, over 50% of all food stamp purchases during the study were made at these "fringe markets." [1] The study has also been cited in work by Michigan State University and the National Institute of Health. While the study doesn't account for some viable food options present in the city such as locally owned cafes and farmers markets, it does present an accurate picture of food access in Detroit. Frankly, as of the 2007 study, Detroit was a food desert.
Since the publication of the study in 2007, there has been a concerted effort by Detroit to refute its findings. One doesn't need to venture further than a search engine to find data-backed counter-arguments to the Gallagher study. Datadrivendetroit.org has a fairly coherent page devoted to debunking what they call the "myth" of Detroit as a food desert, referencing variables overlooked by the Gallagher study. Some of these include the choice of food stamp users to purchase from farmers markets, bakeries, and butcher shops. They also cite the availability of produce at convenience stores that they feel was overlooked.[2] Even Huffington Post got in on the debunking of the Detroit food desert myth back in 2010 by providing a platform for Detroit based photographer/blogger/activist Noah Stevens to showcase his work. Stevens has created a powerful blog documenting people, the availability of food options to those people, and the choices they make. Visit The People of Detroit to see Stevens' work.
So, is Detroit actually a food desert? A drive around the city provides the simplest answer. Detroit, for many years, has been a city in decline. Much of its infrastructure was built when the city population was double its current population. Today, roads decay and end abruptly in neighborhoods of empty houses. The city literally is crumbling around its inhabitants. This blight has found more media attention than Detroit as a food desert. Addressing one without the other is impossible. Also, Detroit has the highest unemployment rate of any major city, accounting for nearly %25 of the population. These factors help to round out the picture.
Detroit exists as a vast, patchwork city connected by threads of deteriorating infrastructure. Public transportation is unreliable at best. Large scale, national grocery chains simply cannot be supported by these crumbling neighborhoods. Yet, small vendors fill the gap. People, no matter their income, will always make choices about their food purchase based on personal interest and habit. Nowhere is this more clear than in Detroit where these corner stores, liquor stores, gas stations, and pharmacies offer a variety of both staple grocery items and fresh produce. Where else can you find sweet potatoes, dried spices, and fresh baked baklava in a liquor store? Pricing, of course, remains an issue. So does availability of specialty products and transportation access. However, there is a resilience in this "food desert" that is distinctly Detroit.
The slideshow above documents a trip to Lafayette Foods on Detroit's east side. It is a small, full service grocery store that caters to its population. Remarkable, however, is the availability of novelty items. This isn't Kroger, or Meijer, or Wal-Mart, but it's better. Beyond the pigs feet and fresh butter in the pictures, the store offers a full bakery, deli, and produce section. It lacks none of the variety of its larger competitors in the areas that really count. There aren't 30 varieties of lunch meat. There aren't 12 brands of prepackaged spinach. Yet, the produce is fresher than anything you might find at a big box store. The three brands of pickles are the best of their kind. The steaks are cut fresh daily or cut to order. The whole place feels curated, as if it were a testament to the best of food. Sure, shopping at a place like this might cost a few hundred dollars a year more, but this fact forces them to be better and more versatile than the national chains. Many of the expanded convenience stores mentioned above offer a similar experience.
So, where does that leave those looking for food in Detroit? Statistically, Detroit is a food desert. It lacks accessibility and proximity to major grocery retailers. Yet, scattered about this vast and barren plateau are hundreds of "food oases." Detroiters aren't under-served in this area. Typical of the people of this city, they have found a way to take a major problem and turn it into a local solution that is better than where they started. Challenges will continue to surface, but Detroit can be confident in its ability to eat well.
Since the publication of the study in 2007, there has been a concerted effort by Detroit to refute its findings. One doesn't need to venture further than a search engine to find data-backed counter-arguments to the Gallagher study. Datadrivendetroit.org has a fairly coherent page devoted to debunking what they call the "myth" of Detroit as a food desert, referencing variables overlooked by the Gallagher study. Some of these include the choice of food stamp users to purchase from farmers markets, bakeries, and butcher shops. They also cite the availability of produce at convenience stores that they feel was overlooked.[2] Even Huffington Post got in on the debunking of the Detroit food desert myth back in 2010 by providing a platform for Detroit based photographer/blogger/activist Noah Stevens to showcase his work. Stevens has created a powerful blog documenting people, the availability of food options to those people, and the choices they make. Visit The People of Detroit to see Stevens' work.
So, is Detroit actually a food desert? A drive around the city provides the simplest answer. Detroit, for many years, has been a city in decline. Much of its infrastructure was built when the city population was double its current population. Today, roads decay and end abruptly in neighborhoods of empty houses. The city literally is crumbling around its inhabitants. This blight has found more media attention than Detroit as a food desert. Addressing one without the other is impossible. Also, Detroit has the highest unemployment rate of any major city, accounting for nearly %25 of the population. These factors help to round out the picture.
Detroit exists as a vast, patchwork city connected by threads of deteriorating infrastructure. Public transportation is unreliable at best. Large scale, national grocery chains simply cannot be supported by these crumbling neighborhoods. Yet, small vendors fill the gap. People, no matter their income, will always make choices about their food purchase based on personal interest and habit. Nowhere is this more clear than in Detroit where these corner stores, liquor stores, gas stations, and pharmacies offer a variety of both staple grocery items and fresh produce. Where else can you find sweet potatoes, dried spices, and fresh baked baklava in a liquor store? Pricing, of course, remains an issue. So does availability of specialty products and transportation access. However, there is a resilience in this "food desert" that is distinctly Detroit.
The slideshow above documents a trip to Lafayette Foods on Detroit's east side. It is a small, full service grocery store that caters to its population. Remarkable, however, is the availability of novelty items. This isn't Kroger, or Meijer, or Wal-Mart, but it's better. Beyond the pigs feet and fresh butter in the pictures, the store offers a full bakery, deli, and produce section. It lacks none of the variety of its larger competitors in the areas that really count. There aren't 30 varieties of lunch meat. There aren't 12 brands of prepackaged spinach. Yet, the produce is fresher than anything you might find at a big box store. The three brands of pickles are the best of their kind. The steaks are cut fresh daily or cut to order. The whole place feels curated, as if it were a testament to the best of food. Sure, shopping at a place like this might cost a few hundred dollars a year more, but this fact forces them to be better and more versatile than the national chains. Many of the expanded convenience stores mentioned above offer a similar experience.
So, where does that leave those looking for food in Detroit? Statistically, Detroit is a food desert. It lacks accessibility and proximity to major grocery retailers. Yet, scattered about this vast and barren plateau are hundreds of "food oases." Detroiters aren't under-served in this area. Typical of the people of this city, they have found a way to take a major problem and turn it into a local solution that is better than where they started. Challenges will continue to surface, but Detroit can be confident in its ability to eat well.
[1] Examining the Impact of Food Deserts on Public Health in Detroit. Mari Gallagher Research and Consulting Group. 2007. 9-12. http://www.marigallagher.com/site_media/dynamic/project_files/5_Det-Pages9-12Only.pdf.
[2] Devries, Danny and Robert Linn. "Food for Thought: Addressing Detroit's Food Desert Myth." The Common Denominator. Data Driven Detroit. September 8, 2011. http://newsletter.datadrivendetroit.org/2011/09/08/food-for-thought- addressing-detroit%E2%80%99s-food-desert-myth/.
[2] Devries, Danny and Robert Linn. "Food for Thought: Addressing Detroit's Food Desert Myth." The Common Denominator. Data Driven Detroit. September 8, 2011. http://newsletter.datadrivendetroit.org/2011/09/08/food-for-thought- addressing-detroit%E2%80%99s-food-desert-myth/.