How long would it take you to access fresh food? How much money for gas would be added to the cost of your groceries? How much time would you spend walking, or on buses?
For residents of Albuquerque’s International District the answer is unfortunately simple: too long. But now, that could change for the better.
On Oct. 2, a collaboration between district six City Councilor Nicole Rogers and researchers from the University of New Mexico based in the Sustainability Studies Department was announced.
The major outcomes of this event are the establishment of an ID Food Policy Council, as well as a presentation of existing food policy initiatives like the Harvest Market.
“Bodegas are basically outlawed in the city of Albuquerque,” Rogers said. “The corner stores provide us access to food in a different way than these big box stores that have left our district, and left us in food deserts."
Bodegas would also allow transit dependent populations to easily get to places where they can purchase fresh food, according to Rogers.
“It would allow seniors to easily walk to the cornerstore, and grab some odds and ends, rather than taking a 30-45 minute trip on the bus to the nearest grocery store,” Rogers said.
The UNM-based participants of this endeavor are Andreas Hernandez, Director of the UNM Sustainability Studies Program, Esther Hewitt, Graduate Student in Latin American Studies and Hope Smith, a fourth-year Geography major. The City Council District 6 Food System Map was created by Smith under the supervision of Hewitt. The Food Policy Council’s Membership is comprised of Rogers and Hernandez as co-founders and 20 of the event’s attendees.
To address the sparse distribution of affordable sources of fresh food in the International District, some next steps that have been put forward are the building of a commercial kitchen with cold storage, updating city zoning laws to permit bodegas, creating a Small Growers Micro Grant Program, and increasing fresh food purchasing power in vulnerable zip codes.
Lack of access to a food preparation area and cold storage are frequently cited as problems by hopeful vendors and advocates who hand out free food, according to Rogers.
The International District is currently classified as a mixed use residential area according to the City of Albuquerque. According to the Integrated Development Ordinance, while there is no specific category for “bodegas” or “corner stores,” comparable enterprises such as baked goods shops, farmers’ markets and general small retail stores did have various designations. These designations allow units to be used for secondary purposes if they’ve either been vacant for 5 years, they are used in that way temporarily, and if a business being run out of that unit is secondary to that area being residential.
The community kitchen may not be built in the Growers Market, as there may not be sufficient space, but the need for such a hub has been expressed, according to Rogers.
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Rogers believed that if the barriers to licensing are removed, there would be more economic opportunities available to people, especially in the International District. The bodegas may also create employment opportunities for residents of the International District, according to Rogers. The proposed Small Growers Micro Grant program would assist in creating this outcome.
The findings of the presented research advise allocating more SNAP subsidies and Double Up Food bucks, to increase resident access to fresh food. “We get a lot of processed food in the form of donations. And while food is food, I believe that food is health,” Rogers said.
Through this experience, Smith has had the opportunity to interact with many nonprofits, City government staff, and organizations relevant to the International District.
“I have always been interested in food deserts, and have done multiple research projects in class on them,” Smith said.
Rogers attributes the rate of the project’s progress to collaborating with UNM.
“I wanted to tap into the beautiful minds on campus in a way that the city really hasn’t. Partnering in these ways has been a catalyst for my work, and we have this rooted in best practices and research at the core of the work,” Rogers said.
Shin Thant Hlaing is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on X @dailylobo
