Price and Income Elasticities for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables in an Urban Food Desert

26 Pages Posted: 23 Mar 2011

See all articles by Dave D. Weatherspoon

Dave D. Weatherspoon

Michigan State University

James F. Oehmke

Michigan State University - Department of Agricultural Economics

Marcus Coleman

Michigan State University

Thasanee Satimanon

Michigan State University

Lorraine Weatherspoon

Michigan State University

Date Written: March 16, 2011

Abstract

Detroit, MI is arguably America’s worst food desert, in terms of size and number of people impacted, and is a city where there have been no full-service supermarket chains operating since 2007. This study addresses the knowledge gap concerning the demand for fruits and vegetables in a predominantly African American food desert. Using retail data from a non-profit owned retail outlet specializing in fresh fruits and vegetables in the Piety Hill community of Detroit, this study estimates the income and price elasticities of fresh fruits and vegetables among residents of this low-income, food-desert community. The results of this study show that if urban food desert consumers, from an environment that has been predominantly serviced by convenience and liquor stores for several decades, are offered a normally priced healthy good of relatively acceptable quality that is accessible by the community, they will purchase those goods. This study is a seminal approach in addressing the notion that perception, additional data, and innovative intervention strategies are required to effectively pursue long-term solutions to the urban food desert problem.

Suggested Citation

Weatherspoon, Dave D. and Oehmke, James F. and Coleman, Marcus and Satimanon, Thasanee and Weatherspoon, Lorraine, Price and Income Elasticities for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables in an Urban Food Desert (March 16, 2011). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1788581 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1788581

Dave D. Weatherspoon (Contact Author)

Michigan State University ( email )

East Lansing, MI 48824
United States

James F. Oehmke

Michigan State University - Department of Agricultural Economics ( email )

East Lansing, MI 48824
United States
517-353-2981 (Phone)
517-432-1800 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/lweb/data/indiv/area/idass/OEHMKE,James.htm

Marcus Coleman

Michigan State University ( email )

Agriculture Hall
East Lansing, MI 48824-1122
United States

Thasanee Satimanon

Michigan State University ( email )

Agriculture Hall
East Lansing, MI 48824-1122
United States

Lorraine Weatherspoon

Michigan State University ( email )

Agriculture Hall
East Lansing, MI 48824-1122
United States

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