Using GIS to Explore Disparities between the Location of Food Deserts and Vulnerability to Food Insecurity

Targeted food insecurity interventions in Tampa, FL have focused on increasing the availability of free food distributed through food pantries. The locations of pantries do not always take into consideration barriers to access. This research explores barriers to free food access through ethnographic data provided by semi-structured interviews with food pantry clients. GIS mapping can incorporate this kind of ethnographic data in order to more accurately represent the barriers that food insecure households face when accessing free food services. Mapping shows that free food resource locations in Tampa may not reflect the vulnerability of residents to food insecurity based on census tract demographics.

Automated summary

Research in Tampa suggests that the locations of free food distribution sites do not always consider the barriers that residents face in accessing food, and GIS mapping can be used to more accurately represent the conditions faced by these residents.