Touring the City of Stockton, the last thing anybody might think is that, on a large scale, Stockton has food security issues (especially in comparison to other places in the world). After all, aren’t there grocery and convenience stores on every corner?
It turns out that living in fear of starvation is not the only indicator that a community is food insecure:
According to FAO, somewhat of an authority on the matter, “food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.”
Using this definition as our “lens”, let’s take another look at the greater Stockton area:
- Fewer than 15 percent of school children in our community eat the recommended servings of fruit, and less than 20 percent eat the recommended servings of vegetables (California Project LEAN).
- About 25 percent of what adolescents eat is considered junk food, such as deep-fried foods, desserts, regular soft drinks, candy, cookies, pies and cakes (California Project LEAN).
- Excepting Rancho San Miguel, most of the “convenience” stores located south of Harding primarily sell alcohol, processed foods, and sugar-laced sweets.
- In 2001, the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research conducted a survey of the prevalence of Food Insecurity among Adults (Ages 18+) below 200% poverty (les than half the poverty line income): Over 44,000 people – while not starving – did not have access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences!
It should come as no surprise, than, that one of the primary concerns in public schools is the increasing obesity among school children who daily fill themselves with unhealthy, and empty, calories.
There are organizations in Stockton trying to do something about this, like the Emergency Food Bank of Stockton/ San Joaquin, yet 44,000 people are a huge constituency to serve.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimated that roughly 9 million households during 1999 were food insecure. With the ongoing economic crisis we are experiencing, the numbers can only be similar, if not worse.
The time is ripe to form Community Supported Gardens, not unlike the Victory Gardens of the WWII era, and to help families in the greater Stockton area meet nutritional needs at little or no cost.
Imagine the benefit of teaching YOUR children how to turn the Earth to produce tasty produce!