Evaluating Food Accessibility: Analyzing the Impact of Fresh Mobile Markets Using the Enhanced Two-Step Floating Catchment Area Method
Description
Food insecurity persists as a pressing issue in low-income and low-access (LI/LA) communities, where physical and economic barriers limit access to nutritious food. This study evaluates the impact of Fresh Mobile Markets (FMMs) on food accessibility in Greensboro, NC, using the Enhanced TwoStep Floating Catchment Area (E2SFCA) method. Unlike traditional traveltime-based measures, the E2SFCA method accounts for both the supply of food assistance facilities—FMMs and food pantries and the demand from surrounding low-income households, offering a more robust spatial analysis. Accessibility was assessed at the U.S. Census block group level, mitigating the modifiable areal unit problem (MAUP) and ensuring more precise estimates. Comparative analysis between travel time to the nearest facility and E2SFCAderived accessibility scores reveals disparities, with travel-time measures often overestimating access in densely populated, high-need areas. Preliminary findings suggest that integrating FMMs into the food assistance network enhances spatial accessibility, but gaps remain in North and Southeast Guilford County due to scheduling and location constraints. This study underscores the value of advanced spatial models in optimizing food assistance strategies and highlights opportunities for improving the equitable distribution of mobile market services.