FOOD ACCESSIBILITY AND FOOD CHOICE: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF FOOD CHOICE IN DEVELOPED AND DEVELOPING POPULATIONS

The literature surrounding nutrition and development in Sub-Saharan Africa often depicts the population as underfed, unable to acquire the proper nutrients to satisfy daily caloric requirement, and suffering from nutrition deficiencies. Meanwhile, most Americans meet caloric intake standards (and often surpass them) yet many suffer from diabetes and obesity. The prevalence of food deserts in low-income communities and their relation to malnutrition has been well researched in metro regions in America, while hunger and famine are pervasive themes in the literature of Sub-Saharan Africa. In this study, I examine the opportunities to improve food accessibility among two study areas. In Malawi, I highlight some of the smaller projects to improve agriculture that have developed in contrast to larger government programs. In America, I focused my research in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I use interviews at farmers' markets and with non-profit organization leaders to demonstrate the growing opportunities for low-income residences to have access to nutritious food. It is my belief that individual choice plays an important pole in improving a food environment. In both study areas, I find that there are opportunities to make individual choices towards improvement.