Results from a Community Food Assessment : Curtis Bay/Brooklyn
What is a Community Food Assessment?
Assessment Objectives
A Community Food Assessment (CFA) is a collaborative and participatory process
that systematically examines a broad range of community food issues and
assets, to take action to make the community more food secure. CFAs discover
challenges in the local food system and food environment and also identify
community assets to improve these weaknesses.
• Understand residents’ current habits
regarding how and where they
currently access food.
• Identify reported barriers and
readiness for change at the
neighborhood level.
• Describe residents’ satisfaction with
food available in their neighborhood.
• Gauge residents’ awareness of diet
and disease.
• Determine interest and feasibility of
Find more maps at www.mdfoodsystemmap.org
Food Consumption
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Supermarkets
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Full Service Restaurants
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Farmers Markets
Virtual Supermarket
Small Grocery / Corner Stores
‘Behind Glass’ Corner Stores
Convenience Stores
Restaurants
Fast Food Chain Restaurants
Carry Out Restaurants
Other
Public Markets
Emergency Food Centers
Food Deserts
Health Conditions
Reported in the household:
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community garden/urban agriculture
projects.
Food Stores
Perceived Relationship
of Health Conditions to Diet
3%
High blood pressure (44%)
Don’t know/not sure (31%)
Diabetes (29%)
17%
38%
Obesity/overweight (29%)
Heart disease (13%)
No health conditions (10%)
Gardening
• 65% say that they would use a
community garden if one was
available.
• 16% currently grow their own food,
including broccoli, zucchini, eggplant,
peppers, herbs, tomatoes, cucumber,
parsley, and lettuce.
• 8% people surveyed said they
currently participate in a community
Fruit and Vegetable Consumption per Day
41%
Not at all
related
Somewhat
related
Strongly
related
Don’t know
26%
13%
1 Serving
8%
2 Servings
13%
3 Servings
4 Servings
39%
5+ Servings
Lifestyles and Diet
garden, from which they said
they benefit through exercise,
socialization, and good food.
• 52% say they want to eat more fruits
and vegetables or generally eat more
healthily.
• 91% said they were interested in
purchasing fruits and vegetables
grown in their neighborhood.
• 58% say they are interested in
• Reasons for interest in a community
garden included access to fresh
food (including apples, tomatoes,
cucumbers, and fruits and vegetables
in general).
learning how to prepare more
healthy meals.
• 14% said they eat 5 or more servings
of fruits and vegetables daily.
In 2011, 50 people were surveyed for this report.
Results from a Community Food Assessment : Curtis Bay/Brooklyn
Reported Barriers
Current Habits
to accessing healthy foods:
Cooking Habits: 41% prepare meals from
scratch daily, 22% several times a week,
14% once weekly, 0% once monthly,
4% a few times a year, and 18% never
prepare meals from scratch.
• affordability (57%)
• inconvenience (43%)
• lack of knowledge of how to prepare
healthy food (20%)
• taste (20%)
• family preferences (18%)
• preparation time (22%)
Food Purchased at WarehouseA few
Store
times a year
Weekly
18%
14%
74%
Neighborhood Food
Satisfaction
Most popular shopping locations:
• Save-a-Lot (54%)
• Shoppers’ (38%)
• other locations (2-4%)
₊₊When respondents were asked what
they would like to change about food in
their neighborhoods, availability of fresh
fruit and vegetables and lower prices
were the most popular responses.
₊₊55% of respondents affirmed that there
are foods that they would like to buy but
they cannot find in their neighborhoods,
including Caribbean and African dishes,
Jewish food, organic food, and seafood.
Ready for Change
65% of respondents said they would be
interested in growing some of their own
food if there was a community garden.
2%
Weekly
Never
28%
Daily
A few times a year
12%
12%
Never
Monthly
14%
Daily
74%
Food Purchased at Grocery Store/
Supermarket
8%
Transportation: 32% found
transportation to their food access
location very easy, 40% found it fairly
easy, 8% found it fairly difficult, and 20%
found it very difficult. 25% walk, 17%
8%
drive themselves,
17% are driven
by
Weekly
someone else, 31%
take
the
bus,
7%
use
18%
Never
a hack, and 2% use other transportation.
Monthly
44%
Monthly
Daily
A few times a year
2%
Weekly
Neighborhood Food Satisfaction
Never- Curtis Bay/Brooklyn
Monthly
28%
100%
90%
Daily
44%
A few times a year
18%
18%
26%
26%
24%
80%
70%
60%
28%
28%
50%
40%
30%
42%
38%
32%
20%
10%
32%
14%
18%
16%
Overall quality
of food
Variety of foods
Availability of food
0%
When asked what they would change
about the way they eat , 24% reported
that they would change nothing. 26%
said they they want to eat healthier
food, and 26% said they would eat
more fruits and vegetables.
30%
10%
Price of food
Very dissatisfied
Somewhat dissatisfied
Somewhat satisfied
Very satisfied