What are Food Disparities
Food disparities in Brooklyn are a significant issue, creating starkly different realities for residents depending on their zip code. Here is an overview of the key challenges, backed by data and focusing on the areas most affected.
The Core of the Problem: Food Deserts and Food Swamps
The primary issue in Brooklyn is not just a lack of food, but a lack of healthy, affordable food. This manifests in two ways:
- Food Deserts: These are areas where residents have limited access to full-service supermarkets that offer fresh produce, lean proteins, and other nutritious staples.
- Food Swamps: These areas are even more common in Brooklyn. They are saturated with unhealthy options—fast-food chains, corner bodegas stocking mostly processed snacks, and liquor stores—that far outnumber healthy food retailers.
This environment forces residents in the most vulnerable neighborhoods to rely on diets that are high in calories but low in nutritional value, directly contributing to poor health outcomes.
Which Neighborhoods Are Most Affected?
The disparities are heavily concentrated in Central and East Brooklyn. According to data from the NYC Department of Health and Hunger Free America, the neighborhoods consistently facing the highest levels of food insecurity include:
- Brownsville: Often cited as one of the most severe food deserts in New York City. Studies have shown that the neighborhood has an extremely high concentration of fast-food restaurants compared to grocery stores.
- East New York: Similar to Brownsville, this area has one of the highest rates of food insecurity in the city, with a significant percentage of the population living more than a half-mile from the nearest supermarket.
- Bedford-Stuyvesant (Bed-Stuy): While parts of the neighborhood have seen new grocery stores open, large sections still have limited access to affordable, healthy options.
- Bushwick: This area struggles with a high density of fast-food outlets and bodegas compared to supermarkets.
- Coney Island: Geographic isolation and high poverty rates contribute to significant food access challenges for residents.
The Stark Numbers: A Look at the Disparity
To put the problem in perspective, consider these statistics from various city and non-profit reports:
- Poverty and Hunger: Neighborhoods like Brownsville and Ocean Hill have poverty rates exceeding 30-35%, which directly correlates with food insecurity rates that are among the highest in the five boroughs.
- Disproportionate Impact: Food insecurity disproportionately affects communities of color. Across New York City, Black and Hispanic residents are roughly twice as likely to experience food insecurity compared to white residents.
- Health Consequences: The lack of access to nutritious food has direct health impacts. The same Brooklyn neighborhoods with the most severe food deserts also have the highest rates of diet-related diseases like diabetes, obesity, and hypertension—all major risk factors for the neurological issues your non-profit addresses. For example, the rate of preventable diabetes hospitalizations in Brownsville is often more than five times higher than in more affluent neighborhoods like Park Slope.
What It Means for Residents
For the people living in these neighborhoods, food disparity is a daily reality that means:
- Traveling long distances just to buy fresh fruit and vegetables.
- Paying higher prices for lower-quality food at local corner stores.
- Making difficult choices between buying food and paying for other necessities like rent or medicine.
- Facing a greater risk of developing chronic health conditions that can have lifelong consequences for them and their children.
Fact Sheet
Physicians Committee
https://www.pcrm.org/news/health-nutrition/mediterranean-diet-reduces-depression-risk
https://www.pcrm.org/news/health-nutrition/fruits-and-vegetables-improve-mental-well-being
