Food security is inextricably connected to food access. That may sound like an obvious statement, but the word "access" here can mean several things. It might mean that families simply can't afford to buy food even though it's readily available, or that very little food is actually available for sale or relief. But one meaning of "access" that might not immediately come to mind is simply transportation access to food retailers. It may be surprising that in countries like the U.S., which appear to be cluttered with supermarkets and convenience stores, and teeming with cars and buses, but the results of many community food assessment studies have shown that for many people.

Over the past ten years, many cities and towns have conducted food assessments to better understand the spatial relationship between people and food, particularly as food security has begun to be considered more seriously by community planners. Community food assessment is, basically, food mapping. The basic idea is to be able to see where people live in relation to where food is located. These assessments are particularly concerned with the geographic areas that are food insecure and are in greatest need of food. Many mapping projects include specifics, such as the location of fresh fruits and vegetables versus fast food, where ethnic food markets are located, and the affordability of grocery stores in relation to the economic make-up of the nearby population.

Why bother mapping food? One is to ensure that good public transportation is available in areas that are out of walking radius to food. But really the data gleaned from food assessments can be used to inform a whole host of projects. For those of you itching to start some sort of food project, like a community garden or soup kitchen, check to see if a recent community food assessment is available for your town or neighborhood. Knowing the locations of communities that need access to food, and what kind of food they need, can help you better place your project and be more effective. It can also help avoid the duplication of similar programs in geographic proximity thereby widening the range of impact. Food mapping is also very important for the development of larger food and health initiatives or policy changes, providing a clearer picture of what sorts of programs would be beneficial to specific areas, as well as developing an evidence base.

To try to tackle food security issues, food assessments and mapping can go a long way in showing how geographic and transportation access overlap with the location of quality food that is also affordable. Encourage your town or city to map food accessibility if it hasn't been done already, and volunteer to help with the project!