The poor pay more for food, research shows.

"Shopping trips to supermarkets, the lack of nearby stores and limited transportation options lead low-income residents to shop at small stores located closer to their homes. These small stores, though more convenient, generally offer fewer healthy foods, are poorly maintained, and charge higher prices. The smaller grocery stores, convenience stores, and grocery/gas combinations commonly patronized by poor inner city and rural residents charge prices that are about 10 percent higher than those found at large chain supermarkets. Prices at the corner stores that dot inner city neighborhoods, for example, can be much as 49 percent higher than those of supermarkets, for a limited selection of canned and processed foods and very little, if any, fresh meat and produce." (Excerpt from Healthy Foods Healthy Communities report) Read the Healthy Food Healthy Communities report published Policy Link by clicking here.

Low income families pay more for food than wealthier families. Read The Farm and Food Policy Project 2007 Report, Making Healthy Food More Accessible for Low Income People, by clicking here.

Collective Roots is doing something about this problem. Saree Mading, resident of East Palo Alto, Board Member of Collective Roots, and Administrator at East Palo Alto Charter School, has written an amazing letter about our initiative to develop the East Palo Alto Community Farmers’ Market. If you have a few minutes, please click here to view this inspiring letter. We are hoping that once you have read Saree’s letter and reviewed other information on this website, you will be inspired to make a donation to Collective Roots that will support the start up of this community based effort.