At A Glance
As of December 2016, more than 52,000 residents in West and East Oakland, California, are better informed about healthier food options in their neighborhood. Mandela MarketPlace teamed up with California Black Media for an educational campaign in African American communities highlighting the availability of fresh produce at food co-ops, corner stores, and farm stands in or near food deserts. As a result, 76% of surveyed customers reported eating more fruits and vegetables, and a partnering store showed a 35% increase in sales.
Public Health Challenge
West and East Oakland are predominately African American neighborhoods that have long been considered food deserts (areas with limited access to healthy food). According to 2015 California Health Interview Survey data, in Alameda County (where West and East Oakland are located), 51% of low-income residents were food insecure, not always able to afford enough food. Over 1 in 5 adults (1 in 3 African Americans) in the county had obesity in 2015. Poverty and a lack of transportation can be barriers to accessing healthier food. When people cannot get to grocery stores that sell healthy foods, they may shop at nearby corner stores, which often carry foods high in fat, sugar, and sodium and fewer healthy options like fresh produce.
Find Out More
Fruits and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet. Since many residents in food deserts have limited options for purchasing produce, it is important to let them know when and where healthier food options are available. To learn more about Mandela MarketPlace, visit http://www.mandelamarketplace.org/healthy-retail.
As food trends change, more and more of my customers are asking for healthy foods, for fresh fruits and veggies. It's like a trickle-down thing. If it's in the expensive stores, why can't it be at my store, too?
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Ali Mohamed, General Grocery, Corner Store Owner
Approach
Mandela Marketplace, a nonprofit organization that works with residents, family farmers, and community business to improve access to healthy foods, partnered with California Black Media, an organization that reports on topics affecting African American lives and communities. Through this partnership, Mandela worked closely with the “Oakland Post,” a weekly community newspaper with a readership of more than 52,000. From July through September 2016, creative advertisements (i.e., “advertorials”) and images were featured weekly in the newspaper. The ads described where and how to access fresh fruits and vegetables in six West and East Oakland food co-ops, corner stores, and farm stands.
What's Next
Mandela MarketPlace will continue to expand its education initiative in West and East Oakland by using billboards to highlight when, where, and how to access fresh fruits and vegetables. They will also continue to partner with California Black Media to promote future educational campaigns on healthy eating. In addition, Mandela will work to promote healthier food options through blog posts, opinion pieces, and local news stories. This promotion campaign is supported by CDC’s Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health cooperative agreement.