Food access & availability

INITIATIVE FOCUS AREA:

The location, type, mix and services of physical food businesses and venues. Including farmers markets and local produce.

Mobile or temporary food markets and grocery stores

Initiatives that provide fresh, healthy and affordable food through mobile services (such as trucks, vans, buses, or trailers) or temporary outlets established in targeted locations to address community needs.

CASE STUDIES OR EXAMPLES:

The Veggie Van

Mobile market that serves individuals.

USA

Mobile Grocery Store Units – Just Communities

Case study of the Twin cities mobile market in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota.

USA

Pop-up Greengrocer Store – Gerringong Fruit Barn

Temporary greengrocer located in an area with poor access to fruit and vegetables, supplied by Sydney markets.

New South Wales

Mobile Markets – Healthy Food Access Portal

Case studies of mobile markets.

USA

Green Carts

Food carts and trucks that sell fresh fruits, vegetables and other healthy foods in neighbourhoods that have historically lacked access to fresh produce.

USA

Autonomous food access technologies

Innovative, staff-less grocery solutions such as online-only pickup stores, mobile 24/7 units and drone delivery services that expand food access — particularly in rural or remote areas.

CASE STUDIES OR EXAMPLES:

Unmanned Grocery Stores – Lifvs

Open 24/7, entry, purchase and payment via an app by Atlas Capital Group.

Sweden

Bingo Box

Chain of staffless convenience stores accessed via an app.

China, Indonesia, Malaysia

Moby Mart – The Coolector

A self-driving, staffless mobile supermarket designed to bring essential goods directly to consumers.

China, Indonesia, Malaysia

Burrito-dropping drones test deliveries to customers in rural Australia – ABC News

A drone service provided by rural food outlet that delivers food and groceries to rural or remote areas.

Australia

Farmers’ markets

Predominantly fresh food markets, with multiple retailers selling local produce that regularly operate from a stationary public location.

CASE STUDIES OR EXAMPLES:

Find a Market – Australian Farmers Markets Association

Directory of all farmers’ markets in Australia registered with the Australian Farmers’ Market Association.

Australia

Margaret River Farmers’ Market

This Market is comprised of regional producers and farmers who sell fresh local produce directly to the community.

Western Australia

Malak Marketplace

A community-focused market promoting organic produce, sustainability, local growers, multiculturalism and education.

Northern Territory

Food Community Case Studies

Case studies showcasing farmers’ markets and food events supporting food security across regional Western Australia.

Western Australia

Modifications to land use and urban planning documents

Embedding health considerations in land use planning.

CASE STUDIES OR EXAMPLES:

Planning Act 2016

Queensland’s Planning Act makes health a key consideration to help councils limit access to unhealthy food outlets.

Global

Land use planning as a tool for changing the food environment

Outlines 10 case study examples. Six case studies related to creating barriers for food retailers selling primarily foods high in unhealthy fats, sugars and /or salt.

Queensland

Health in Planning – Wollondilly Shire Council

Policy to embed consideration of the social determinants of health in planning and development decisions.

New South Wales

National Planning Policy Framework

The UK National Planning Policy Framework supports planning policies and decisions that promote healthy, inclusive and safe places, including access to healthier food.

UK

Zoning and density restrictions

Local laws that determine how land can be used, dictating the types of buildings and structures permitted, the density of development and the activities allowed on the land.

CASE STUDIES OR EXAMPLES:

Green Food Zone

South Korea’s Green Food Zones policy bans the sale of high-calorie, low-nutrient foods within 200 metres of schools.

South Korea

Barking and Dagenham Supplementary Planning Document

Multiple examples from local authorities
using Supplementary Planning Documents
to control hot food takeaways via: (1)
Restricting new fast-food outlets around
schools or other amenities (such as within a 400 m radius) (2) Restricting new unhealthy food outlets if childhood obesity rates are above a certain threshold (3) Restricting new unhealthy food outlets if the density or clustering of existing outlets has surpassed a certain threshold of all retail outlets.

UK

Wicklow County Development Plan 2016 – 2022

The exclusion of construction or operation of new fast food/takeaway retailers within 400m from schools or playgrounds in Wicklow County Council.

New South Wales

Los Angeles Fast-Food Ban

Zoning measures to ban the establishment of standalone fast-food restaurants implemented in 2008.

USA

Gateshead Hot Food Takeaway Supplementary Planning Document

This Policy Framework sets out the Council’s priorities and objectives in relation to planning control of hot food takeaways to work towards their aim of reducing obesity and increasing health and wellbeing.

UK

Banning fast food drive-through services across Canadian municipalities

Zoning, bylaws, community plans and land use provisions to restrict or ban drive-through services.

Canada

Incentives for healthy food businesses

Economic incentives that encourage and support healthy food businesses.

CASE STUDIES OR EXAMPLES:

The Food Retail Expansion to Support Health (FRESH) program

Promotes the establishment and retention of neighbourhood grocery stores in underserved communities by providing zoning and financial incentives to eligible grocery store operators and developers.

USA

Data sources, mapping and monitoring

Data, platforms and tools that can be used to map, measure and monitor the food environment and associated initiatives.

CASE STUDIES OR EXAMPLES:

Australian Food Atlas

An interactive mapping tool that enables local governments to assess and track changes in their local food environments.

Australia

Food Environment Assessment Tool

A mapping and monitoring tool to assess neighbourhood-level access to food outlets across England, Scotland, and Wales.

UK

Food Environment Initiatives Directory

A directory mapping food environment initiatives by the ECU Food Community.

Western Australia

Other Initiative Focus Areas

Select a focus area below to view more case studies or examples: