Government run grocery stores 🛒

There has been a lot of talk about the proposal to have NYC commission healthy grocery stores in food desserts in the city. It is particularly an unpopular with convient store and bodaga owners in such areas who are afraid that the government with it’s tax exemptions and inheritant ability to subsidize will push them out of business. That’s always a risk.

Yet, there is a real need in many communities to have a source of healthy groceries. A public benefit corporation to sell healthy groceries chartered by the government could do just that – sell healthy groceries in neighborhoods where others have no found it profitable. Such a corporation while set up by city government, would be largely independent though likely get some subsidies that are inherit with government agencies like tax exempt buildings and profits. The assumption is such profits would go back into the community, allow for future store development.

Such a concept is not that far out – many communities have subsidized farmers and green markets of various sources which already bring healthy produce. But few are open week and year round. But maybe the bigger issue such a retailer would face is education. It’s great to have healthy food but people need to know the benefits of eating it and how to cook it. While evident to people who already are healthy and educated in cooking, many people aren’t familiar with the basics of food having grown up in the world of packaged food. They may have vague notions of the benefits of eating healthy food but have no education on the pros and cons of different dishes. They need to develop a taste for healthy food.

A government run supermarket could do just that. They could offer free samples and recipe advice. They could avidly promote the real, science-based health pros and cons of each item they sell. Simple, easy to follow recipes with cooking advice for each product should be made avaliable. The key is make unprocessed foods are simple and easy as the the things you get wrapped in plastic from a bodega. They could also be a collection point for food waste for composting.