Southland Food Access

The Southland Food Access project focuses on Chicago Southland residents’ access to quality food sources based on a variety of indicators such as cost, transportation, availability of cultural foods, knowledge/use of supporting organizations, and distance to grocery stores. This research is based on interviews with community members and includes additional notes of grocery store closures within the Southland that highlight patterns of food source scarcity in certain cities. The purpose of the interviews are to investigate the factors that impact Southland specific food access, including the experiences associated with living in a geographical area that has limited access to quality, affordable, and nutritious food—otherwise known as a food desert. The goal of this research is to learn and document the food-centered realities of Southland community members, directly from the locals themselves. The acknowledgement that food is not just a basic human need, but also an expression of livelihood, culture, memory, community, and history is a driving force of this research.