Buffalo is often valued for its variety of eateries; but this, paired with fewer and fewer supermarkets, is contributing to severe hunger issues in the Western New York community.
In 22 countries around the world, food is a human right described within each country's constitution; but America is not one of those countries, according to Samina Raja, assistant professor in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning.
"Everyone should be in a place, living in a system where people can get food for themselves," Raja said.
Hunger is not simply an issue of people lacking required amounts of food, but an issue that addresses food security and food justice, Raja said.
The idea behind food security is that everyone should have access to healthy, affordable and culturally-appropriate foods. This means that each household should have equal access to fruits, vegetables and other healthy foods and have them readily available within their particular region, Raja said.
Food justice is the idea that people's access to food is their own business. Each individual should have a say in what types of foods they can access, Raja said.
"In the U.S. there is a growing paradox of obesity and hunger. This is due to the fact that easily accessible foods are normally high in calories and low in nutrition," Raja said.
These foods contribute to hunger because they offer little nutritional value, according to Raja. In order to overcome hunger, everyone should have access to healthy food they can afford.
"The food system in the U.S. has become relatively invisible," Raja said.
Large corporations and the U.S. government control the majority of resources and the distribution of foods to American citizens. This leaves Americans with little knowledge about where foods come from and how it arrives to individuals, Raja said.
Because they have no say in the U.S. food system, Americans have become unaware of the issues and growing hunger rates in the country and local areas.
In Buffalo, many residents cannot access fruits, vegetables or large markets due to location and lack of transportation. For this reason, the residents are limited to pricey convenient stores and gas stations for food, Raja said.
In Erie County, restaurants dominate the food environment, providing 26 establishments per 10,000 people. Fruits and vegetables are distributed in a way that there are only .16 units per 10,000 people, according to Raja.
Food destinations that distribute fruits and vegetables are located within 10 percent of Erie County; meaning 90 percent of the population must travel in order to have access to them.
"There is a significant racial disparity in the types of food destinations available in neighborhoods," Raja said.
UB students can improve issues concerning hunger in many ways. Students can donate time and food and make individual changes when it comes to their consumption. "Everyone can agree that food is an important issue," Raja said. "Food banks play an important role but are not sufficient."
Students make Buffalo's food system stronger by eating seasonally, joining a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), shopping at farmer's markets, encouraging supermarkets to sell local produce and purchasing local products, Raja said.
"I always buy my fruits and vegetables from Niagara County Produce," said Johannah Farugia, 51, Buffalo. "They get everything locally so it is always fresh."
According to Raja, another huge way students can help is by simply educating themselves on the matter of hunger in Buffalo and around the country. By knowing more, more can be done to help and prevent further hunger issues from occurring.
"I had no idea about the hunger problems in Buffalo," said Jeff Gadawski, 23, a UB alumnus. "I am definitely going to read more on the subject."
By making small changes, each individual can help take a step to contribute to a more educated and healthful community.
"Anything you can do is positive," Raja said.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
