CNN Business talked to UTTRI associated faculty Professor Michael Widener for a recent article on the negative impact of COVID-19 on food accessibility in the U.S. Professor Widener is Canada Research Chair in Transportation and Health at the University of Toronto.
The article states that “… even before the pandemic, millions of people in the United States were struggling with access to groceries — and the problem has gotten even worse for them.” In addition, food prices have gone up.
“Food insecure areas” are defined by distance from grocery stores or markets – more than one mile in urban areas or more than ten miles in rural areas – and low income. Added to the combination of low income and low access are new pandemic-related factors influencing food accessibility: reduced income, social distancing requirements, reduced transit service, reduced inventory, price increases and fear of exposure to COVID-19. Food insecurity, which previously affected an estimated 12.8% of the U.S. population, now affects many more.
“With the economic hit many people have taken over the last few months, it’s tougher to afford fresh, healthy food like fruits and veggies, which are more expensive than processed items,” said Michael Widener, geographer at the University of Toronto.
Widener’s ongoing research into how mobility and time use play critical roles in dietary behaviours explores the intersection of transportation and health. His current study Food Activities, Socioeconomics, Time-use, and Transportation (FASTT) seeks to answer the question “How do time use, transportation systems, and urban planning affect the foods we eat?”