From industrial garden to food desert

 I actually really, really enjoyed reading about the history of urban planning in Oakland and how it started a "butterfly effect" that led to the socioeconomic problems affecting it today. I particularly was interested in how city planners attempted to create a blend between industrial and suburban/garden living, and how these low-cost single-family homes near Oakland's industrial zones fueled racism and redlining. It essentially created exclusionary, white only zones of suburban prosperity, and the ghettos formed in Oakland by hypersegregation. Through the mid/late 20th century, the devaluation of capital in Oakland was confined to predominantly minority neighborhoods through racist policies and practices. Several thousand minority residents were displaced by infrastructure projects as highways and rail systems went up through minority neighborhoods. This also led to "superstore" grocery stores that were only accessible by car, and fast food and big box stores sprouted up in areas where grocery stores/businesses had retreated in Oakland. However due to rising inflation and falling wages, even these supermarkets had to close their doors in the flatlands. It was shocking to read that there are four times as many fast food joints than produce vendors/grocery stores in the East Bay. 

The commodification of food by late-stage capitalism has turned nutrition from a human-right to cheap commodity to be manufactured for a quick profit at the expense of the soil and lower-income groups. I agree with the author's statement that while critiques of alternative food movements and urban agriculture run the risk of being appropriated by neoliberalism, it is important to recognize the real power that collective action and grassroots movements have to fight food deserts. Urban agriculture becomes a powerful force to combat food insecurity, providing not just sustenance but a sense of community for the people of Oakland. By reclaiming bits of control over food production and local food sources, residents in Oakland are challenging the commodification and exploitation of their nutrition, and fostering a sustainable, community driven response to the challenge of food deserts. 

While neoliberalists argue otherwise, I don't believe that urban agriculture and community gardens are the miracle cure to food deserts across America. I believe they are certainly a good start and their benefits are potent and widespread, but we can't just stop there. Challenging food deserts and food inequality requires a multifaceted approach, one that utilizes not just collective action but real, tangible policy change. We need to raise worker wages, especially the minimum wage. The government can provide grants and funding to entrepreneurs looking to open up grocery stores, urban gardens, food co-ops, etc, as well as food welfare programs that support low-income individuals. We can also implement community outreach and educational programs, especially in schools, that raise awareness about the importance of healthy diet and nutrition.