Webinar on Nebraska food deserts to highlight rural grocery challenges and solutions

Lincoln, Neb., Oct. 24, 2024 — The findings of a recent study on food deserts in Nebraska will be covered during a free webinar at 4 p.m. Central time, Oct. 29. It will address challenges rural grocery stores face and solutions for improving access to affordable and nutritious food. The webinar will be presented by The Nebraska Cooperative Development Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the Nebraska Grocery Industry Association.

The study, conducted by Greg McKee, an economics professor at Brigham Young University-Idaho, and Shawn Kaskie, an educator with Nebraska Extension and PhD candidate in Human Sciences-Leadership, assesses the extent of limited access areas in Nebraska to affordable, nutritious food and describes how changes in food markets affect food access for households in Nebraska.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines food deserts based on the accessibility and affordability of healthy food in a geographical area. While that definition measures affordability on income alone, the study by McKee and Kaskie modifies the affordability criterion to include a measure of spending potential relevant to consumers in rural Nebraska.

The webinar will cover potential remedies that can influence food retail markets, such as public policy, corporate-based solutions and community-based efforts. Grocery retailers, community leaders and individuals interested in rural economic development are encouraged to attend.

Registration is available on the Nebraska Cooperative Development Center’s Website, https://ncdc.unl.edu.