“Many people around the country rely on inadequate sources such as gas stations and convenience stores for grocery needs... access and affordability is also an important part of this conversation, which is why encouraging people to use farmers' markets, community gardens are really critical."

                                                                 First Lady Michelle Obama

                                                                 Remarks by the First Lady during Bancroft Elementary School Visit

Healthy Food, Healthy Communities

In many communities across the country, residents lack access to high-quality, affordable fresh produce.  Yet access to fresh food is fundamental to community health. This page contains tools and resources for advocates seeking to support better access and affordability of healthy foods for all communities.

Healthy Food Retail Talking Points for Advocates

Here are some talking points which will help support your argument when writing letters to newspaper editors and op-ed columns, or pitching a story to a journalist.

Letter to the Editor

• Daylong ordeal

By Sam Davidson, San Francisco

Related Resources

• Designed for Disease

This report by the California Center for Public Health Advocacy (CCPHA), the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, and PolicyLink, demonstrates that people who live near an abundance of fast-food restaurants and convenience stores compared to grocery stores and produce vendors, have a significantly higher prevalence of obesity and diabetes, regardless of individual or community income.

Rapid Resonse E-Alert

• Healthy Food, Healthy Communities: Improving Access and Opportunites Through Food Retailing

This report by PolicyLink shows that access to healthy, reasonably priced food in low-income communities of color can be achieved--with dramatic results.

Strategic Alliance Talking Points