Where does our food come from?

In a world with a population of 7.8 billion people and an average growth rate of 81 million people per year, there are many mouths to fill. Our food system, on a global scale, spurred on by this growing population, economic growth, technological improvements and shifts in cultural practices, faces the daunting task of feeding these billions of people. In order to keep up with the demand the system has resulted in poor quality foods, ethical concerns, lack of transparency and other such problems. To try and combat the global food shortage, the modern industrialized food system is encouraging farmers to increase the size of their farms to increase production. This has resulted in the loss of many smaller scale farmers who are all important producers in the East Central Indiana (ECI) region.

The ECI industry is responsible for commodities that are nonperishable, storable, and transportable crops that can be traded nationally and globally. Such crops include beans and corn. This is an industrialized farming powerhouse and they are responsible for producing sufficient corn and beans to fuel the global food economy.

This graph illustrates that the average size of farms in Indiana have increased over the years, not only in Indiana, but in many states across the US. It is these medium to small size farms that grow diversified foods, such as fruits and vegetables, which are becoming few and far between. If states aren't able to produce the needed foods, they are forced to import them. Given that Indiana has the ability to grow produce very well, even better than California, it is concerning that Indiana imports 90% of its produce.

It is vital to the well-being of human life to have nutritious foods such as fruits and vegetables. A food desert is a place where residents do not have access to affordable nutritious foods . While "junk foods" may be more readily available and affordable, these types of foods are not considered to be important nutrient-filled food needed for daily life. Despite the drive to increase farm sizes and production there is still a major shortage of food globally. It is estimated that 23 million people in the US do not have access to fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains for daily consumption.

Food deserts are a product of three variables: proximity (distance from a store), income, and mobility (access to transportation). This is why many areas in Muncie are considered to be food deserts, they are lacking in one or all of these variables.

Food Assistance Entities (Pantries, Soup Kitchens)

A food pantry is run by a non-profit organization and is designed to provide food to those who may not be able to purchase food for themselves or their families. Food pantries are usually located in schools, churches and community centers. In Muncie, most food pantries can be found at the many churches around the city.

There are other ways in which we can rethink how we grow, process and distribute food, such as Farmers Markets, Community Supported Agricultural operations and Food Hubs.

A Food Hub is an entity that facilitates the aggregation, storage, processing, distribution, and marketing of locally or regionally produced food products.

With the increase in popularity in alternative food production and distribution strategies, we are seeing more and more diverse crop farmers appearing. However, to stay in business they need a place to sell their produce. The Muncie Food Hub Partnership was designed to offer a platform for these farmers to sell their produce and connect fresh foods with food insecure residents.

The Muncie Food HUB Partnership provides fresh and delicious locally grown produce at convenient locations near you and at low costs. These are the Mobile Market locations indicated with a pin on the map.

Open Door is a non-profit, federally qualified health care service. They are able to provide a wide range of care to all cross East Central Indiana, regardless of the financial means or health insurance status of the patient. These locations can be found on the map at the pins numbered 1-3.