As Detroit slid into poverty and eventual bankruptcy, one of the oft-repeated complaints was that Detroiters didn't have a place to shop for fresh, wholesome food. It says they had to turn to "party stores" with an emphasis on snack foods, beer and soft drinks.
But Auday Arabo says that “food desert” is a myth. He's the president and CEO of Associated Food and Petroleum Dealers, which represents more than 4,000 stores in Michigan, Ohio and nearby states.
To find out where the stores are, Arabo says they actually put all the data together and made a map.
"Once we showed people what the stores looked like on the inside, it really changed a lot of hearts and minds," says Arabo.
Arabo says instead of “food desert,” it’s more of a “food access” issue, because lack of public transportation and crime are the two major challenges in Detroit.
However, Arabo says the grocers in Detroit have always been there, especially independent stores, even though they don’t market as much as the big chains do.
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