Mapping the Food Environment

In Baltimore City, as in far too many other American cities, access to food is a challenge for low-income residents.  Baltimore City, in collaboration with Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future (CLF) produced the 2015 Food Environment Map and Report to draw attention to food access patterns in Baltimore City’s neighborhoods and to assist with policy development and implementation. Based on Baltimore’s food desert definition, the map shows where the need for improved access to healthy food is concentrated in terms of economic resources and store locations. The food environment map has been instrumental in developing BFPI’s Food Desert Retail Strategy to address healthy food access challenges and barriers in Baltimore City.

A food desert in Baltimore City is defined as:

• An area where the distance to a supermarket or supermarket alternative is more than ¼ mile
• The median household income is at or below 185% of the Federal Poverty Level
• Over 30% of households have no vehicle available
• The average Healthy Food Availability Index (HFAI) score for all food stores is low

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