It is no exaggeration to say that Hunts Point is the bread basket of the greater New York City area. Between 22 and 30 million people in the tri-state area eat meat, fish and produce that comes through the market. Without the market, we’d practically starve.
And yet, just down the street in the same exact neighborhood, you’ll find it nearly impossible to fill a basket full of the same fresh, high-quality goods shipped into and out of Hunts Point every day. Bronx residents are struggling to put food on their families’ tables because of the increasingly high costs of living — and cutbacks to numerous aid programs.
In this month’s edition of Our Forgotten Borough, we are tackling the food security crisis facing the Bronx today. We’re examining how residents cope with limited food choices and higher costs by following several families as they shop locally for groceries. We’ll also see how families are having to leave the borough entirely for more affordable options and specialty items.
We are also looking at the potential impact of cuts to essential government programs such as the federal Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, upon which so many Bronx residents rely, and efforts by local organizations to keep people fed.
For all its importance in keeping the city well fed, the Bronx should not have to experience such hunger pangs and difficulty in getting nutritious, inexpensive food accessible to nearly everyone else.
