Food Access and Distribution
Why is Food Access a Priority?
Addressing the local food supply chain is beneficial to local farmers and consumers alike and has the potential to create more equitable food access and resilience across the local food system. Due to Arizona’s diverse geography, food can be produced in the state all year around. However, as the sixth largest state in the nation, Arizona’s sprawling landscape makes it difficult to transport food throughout and across regions. As such, farmers, food hubs, and other organizations require more coordination and funding for infrastructure such as cold storage, refrigerated trucks, and processing equipment to move local food across the state and especially into rural communities, where food access continues to be a challenge. A more robust supply chain will open new markets to local farmers, enabling them to produce more food for Arizona communities and increase profits.
Increasing access to healthy, affordable, culturally appropriate food will require collaboration between many different partners, including food producers, food hubs, hunger relief agencies, and tribal leaders. It also requires centering the community in planning and implementation of programs and policies. In order to ensure that farmers are able to get a fair price for the food they grow and consumers are able to afford it, it is important to bolster nutrition assistance programs that make local produce more affordable and accessible, including Double Up Food Bucks, Friends of the Farm, School Meal Programs, Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA), Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP), Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP), and Produce Prescription programs. Lastly, there is a need to research and help partners adopt innovative tools and systems, such as SNAP Online and e-marketplace platforms, that help modernize and improve food access.
Food Access Goal
Improve community-driven distribution networks to increase access to healthy, affordable, culturally appropriate food.
What AZFSN members shared about food access as a statewide priority
When AZFSN members named food access as a priority, they talked specifically about the need for more robust supply chain development and infrastructure; programs that subsidize the cost of local food for people who have less resources; and innovative tools and systems to support food access work.
The overarching theme throughout food access planning discussions was moving beyond emergency food programs toward comprehensive food access and anti-hunger work that addresses systemic barriers to local food production and distribution. Throughout the food access planning process, there was strong consensus around supply chain development as the top priority, with particular emphasis on connecting Arizona’s southern, central, and northern regions through improved infrastructure and administrative support.
Stakeholders recognized that increased policy and advocacy efforts are crucial to address food access, especially in rural areas. Advocates must find ways to support growers with infrastructure, cost-saving mechanisms, and consistent revenue streams while simultaneously ensuring community members have access to affordable, proximate food. Participants called for continued investment in successful programs like Friends of the Farm and Purchase Local AZ; greater inclusion of agricultural producers and Tribal partners in planning processe;, and a focus on middle-supply chain jobs that connect producers to consumers.
Potential Food Access Activities
| Aggregation and Distribution Networking |
| Develop food hubs and “highways” that make it easier to aggregate, process, and deliver local food across Arizona, thus increasing access to local food. |
| Create a statewide online marketplace for all Arizona producers and food institutions such as food hubs. |
| Create a hyper-local cold storage chain that supports & uplifts our local urban farms and farmers markets. Equip local farmers markets with local or DIY cold storage. |
| Build upon the Regional Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) program by investing in the “middle-of-the-supply-chain” to create storage, address transportation needs, and support processors to create new markets for raw and value-added products. |
| Increasing Food Options |
| Increase the number of community gardens at schools and churches that build community members’ capacity to grow and prepare fresh, seasonal, nutrient-dense food. |
| Increase access to fresh food for people living in Navajo County with a focus on those who receive commodity food boxes. |
| Build community empowerment by integrating local food systems and food justice through intentional spaces that unite funders, food access organizations, producers, and community members to co-create adaptable plans for equitable food access and holistic community well-being. |
| Create community-owned and driven food distribution networks and vehicles, especially mobile markets, pop-up markets, and mobile grocery stores. |
| Improve food quality in food access programs to include cultural, dietary, locally grown, fresh, and healthy food options. |
| Assist food pantries and other hunger-relief organizations in innovating new food production and delivery programs that present working alternatives to the charity model of food banking. |
| Better connect local producers with institutional buying programs to promote access to healthy, culturally appropriate food. |
| Education |
| Expand knowledge of local markets through a multi-phase public awareness campaign. |
| Build a collective resource hub of food education resources including nutrition assistance programs, storage and preparation tips, and food availability. |
| Create information-sharing platforms to connect farmers, gleaners, and other food producers with information about needs in their communities. |
Are you working on a relevant food access initiative?
We are asking AZFSN partners to help us gather and collect data across the state to help track and monitor the progress of the food action plan.
