States water food deserts.

• Position: TRENDS AND TRANSITIONS - Brief article

Anumber of states have followed Pennsylvania's lead by creating public/private financing to expand grocery stores into underserved areas. These "food deserts" are areas or communities that lack stores selling healthy food. Shops in these neighborhoods often offer only candy, cigarettes and snack foods, rather than fresh produce and other grocery staples. Studies have shown that people living in food deserts suffer disproportionately from diet-related illnesses such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Since 2004, Pennsylvania's Fresh Food Financing Initiative has provided $30 million in seed money that, leveraged with $90 million in private investments, has helped open, expand or improve 74 grocery projects in almost half the counties in the state. These projects vary from large-scale grocery stores to small comer shops, but all meet the goal of reaching customers who were having difficulty buying healthy food.

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Three other states...