Two D.C. council members want corner stores to start slinging fruits and vegetables in the city’s poorest neighborhoods, and they’re willing to provide subsidies as part of the District’s battle against bulging waistlines.
A bill introduced by at-large Councilman Kwame Brown and Ward 3 Councilwoman Mary Cheh is designed to target what are commonly referred to as “food deserts,” areas where it’s easier to buy chips and a soda than an apple. The driest of the District’s “deserts” are in wards 7 and 8, where three grocery stores serve more than 140,000 people. There are four times that number in affluent wards 2 and 3. Although the bill would provide tax breaks, grants and loans to attract chain grocery stores, its biggest step would be enticing the corner stores into the fruit-and vegetable-selling game.
“We have small corner stores that will sell a six-pack in a minute but not a tomato,” Brown said during a hearing on the bill Monday afternoon.
Cheh said the bill would build on a healthy school food law implemented this year.
“If we get kids exposed to these things, then they will drag their parents along,” she said.
The bill sketches out a program of grants, loans and tax credits for corner stores if they agree to serve residents on welfare and sell produce or “other healthy foods” for at least five years. At the heart of the program would be a food distribution system set up by the District that would allow the corner stores to join together to buy healthier food in bulk, making it possible for them to overcome the barrier to costly produce. Exactly how the distribution system would work remains unclear.
The bill might find difficulty gaining traction as the council looks to close a $175 million budget gap. Its costs are also yet to be determined. Cheh said she believes funding can be found by better spending cash that’s already in the budget, and Brown suggested phasing in the program so it’s in place when funding becomes available.
Convincing shops to get involved might be a different story.
Irving Parker at the Suburban Market in Ward 7’s Deanwood neighborhood said his store sells potatoes and onions.
“What we really need are clientele,” Parker said. “We can do a whole lot of things when we have clients.”
