The Bronx is recognized as the least healthy county due to factors like poor health, lack of physical activity, and limited access to nutritious foods. Assessing healthy food availability is crucial for Bronx inhabitants.
“Around 3.3 million New York residents face challenges in affording food for themselves and their families.”
— Bronx Food and Sustainability Coalition, Bronx Borough Office
“According to the 2015 U.S Dietary Guidelines, Americans should eat five or more servings of fruit and vegetables each day. Only 4% of South Bronx residents are meeting this standard (vs 11% in NYC) and 17% consume NO fruits or vegetables in a day (vs 12% in NYC)”
— A Food-scape of The South Bronx, New York City Food Policy Center at Hunter College
“About one-third of children in the Bronx experience food insecurity, lacking regular access to nutritious foods essential for a healthy and active lifestyle. This situation increases their vulnerability to childhood obesity and related conditions like high blood pressure and high cholesterol.”
— CHAM The Fresh Connect Program, Children’s Hospital at Montefiore
goGrow
Discover the reasons behind the Bronx food system's significant revitalization efforts, driven by systemic operations that contribute to the Bronx's unhealthy conditions. Embracing the reality of the situation, even when it's challenging, requires courage and self-awareness, paving the way for positive transformations.
“Ja’Keia Person, a food leader hailing from the Bronx, utilizes her family's farming heritage to grow food in city settings. Her goal is to create a society where individuals experience healing through the cultivation, consumption, and sharing of food. Ja’Keia's viewpoint on food influences her vision for a strong, nourishing, and flexible food system, resulting in the founding of Vibrnt Seeds. Through Vibrnt Seeds, Ja’Keia has emerged as a key figure in the Bronx, concentrating on improving food systems and providing workshops on growing food in collaboration with youth organizations, farmers' markets, and community gatherings. The main aim of Vibrnt Seeds is to establish a healthy food haven in the face of challenges posed by unhealthy surroundings in our communities.
