Measuring the Impact of Food Deserts & Food Balance on Public Health in Rural America

Mari Gallagher is Principal of Mari Gallagher Research & Consulting Group, a national firm based in Chicago, and the founding president of the National Center for Public Research. She authored the breakthrough study that popularized the term “Food Desert” nationally in 2006 and demonstrated its statistical link to community health. Mari is also a former community development practitioner with experience in developing grocery stores and other for-profit and non-profit good food solutions. Food deserts are not just urban; rural areas often suffer. And there is no perfect distance to a grocery store, despite the common and mistaken benchmark of “10 miles” for rural America. Mari explains how food deserts should actually be measured and will introduce a metric and body of work she developed called Food Balance. Through compelling data, music, and even short video clips, Mari Gallagher0 illustrates how local leaders can measure their food environments and its link to public health after controlling for other factors. The lively and informative presentation includes practical solutions and specific examples from rural areas such as Michigan, Oklahoma, Iowa, and Alabama. Participants learn how to measure impact and prioritize scarce resources. More information can be found at marigallagher.co