Captial Access for Food Entrepreneurs: Funding Community Enterprise to Expand Healthy Foods Within Underserved Communities
Abstract
Background
Access to healthy foods remains a challenge across communities. Many studies showcase the relationship between food access and health outcomes and demonstrate healthy food stores can reduce obesity and other chronic diseases. Locating grocery stores and local farmers markets in underserved neighborhoods is a known strategy to improve food access. The American Heart Association’s (AHA) Impact Funds has supported local food entrepreneurs with innovative initiatives improving food access in Atlanta. This study presents perspectives from AHA-funded community entrepreneurs on the significance of and barriers to accessing capital to facilitate access to healthy food options in under-resourced communities.
Methods:
Social entrepreneurs who were grantees of AHA (n=8) or their local partners (n=5) participated in semi-structured interviews via Zoom. Interviews used open-ended questions and question probes, were recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed.
Results:
Most participants were non-Hispanic Black (70%). Structural barriers, including institutional biases, limited awareness of available funding options and limited opportunities for start-ups were highlighted as hindering capital access for Small and Medium-sized Entrepreneurs, especially impacting the diverse-led local social entrepreneurs. Business expansion, infrastructure enhancement, and increased job opportunities were among the perceived impact of investments. Furthermore, program evaluation revealed increased access to healthy food, and participants shared that AHA's investment bolstered their credibility, attracting new partnerships and funding.
Conclusion:
This study underscored the importance of investing in community-led solutions to address non-medical factors that influence community health outcomes including food security. Importantly, these investments didn't just increase food availability, but fostered collaborations among funded initiatives, emphasizing the need for a cohesive food ecosystem to ensure sustained access to healthy food. Thus, sustained investments in community-based enterprises that implement, and scale local food security solutions is important, and may sustainably reduce food insecurity, enhance access to healthy foods, and contribute to the well-being of Atlanta's diverse population.
Keywords
Food access, Healthy Foods, Impact Investment, Under-resourced communities, Capital access
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Captial Access for Food Entrepreneurs: Funding Community Enterprise to Expand Healthy Foods Within Underserved Communities
Background
Access to healthy foods remains a challenge across communities. Many studies showcase the relationship between food access and health outcomes and demonstrate healthy food stores can reduce obesity and other chronic diseases. Locating grocery stores and local farmers markets in underserved neighborhoods is a known strategy to improve food access. The American Heart Association’s (AHA) Impact Funds has supported local food entrepreneurs with innovative initiatives improving food access in Atlanta. This study presents perspectives from AHA-funded community entrepreneurs on the significance of and barriers to accessing capital to facilitate access to healthy food options in under-resourced communities.
Methods:
Social entrepreneurs who were grantees of AHA (n=8) or their local partners (n=5) participated in semi-structured interviews via Zoom. Interviews used open-ended questions and question probes, were recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed.
Results:
Most participants were non-Hispanic Black (70%). Structural barriers, including institutional biases, limited awareness of available funding options and limited opportunities for start-ups were highlighted as hindering capital access for Small and Medium-sized Entrepreneurs, especially impacting the diverse-led local social entrepreneurs. Business expansion, infrastructure enhancement, and increased job opportunities were among the perceived impact of investments. Furthermore, program evaluation revealed increased access to healthy food, and participants shared that AHA's investment bolstered their credibility, attracting new partnerships and funding.
Conclusion:
This study underscored the importance of investing in community-led solutions to address non-medical factors that influence community health outcomes including food security. Importantly, these investments didn't just increase food availability, but fostered collaborations among funded initiatives, emphasizing the need for a cohesive food ecosystem to ensure sustained access to healthy food. Thus, sustained investments in community-based enterprises that implement, and scale local food security solutions is important, and may sustainably reduce food insecurity, enhance access to healthy foods, and contribute to the well-being of Atlanta's diverse population.
