ATHENS, GA — A new University of Georgia study finds higher-income areas are seeing food access gaps.
Researchers say people who live in mixed-income areas tend to be left out when it comes to available food resources. The study found north and northeast metro Atlanta are among the areas lacking resources because poverty is more spread out.
UGA Associate Professor Jerry Shannon says food access gaps are more common in suburban and rural parts of Georgia that are car-dependent.
“It can be an extra challenge for folks in those areas to figure out how to find resources that’ll help them keep going day to day,” Shannon said.
Shannon says the north and northeast sections of metro Atlanta can be underserved because poverty is less concentrated.
“It’s the areas where there are populations who are probably experiencing some kind of food insecurity, but because it’s not as concentrated you don’t see the same build up of agencies set up to serve those folks,” Shannon said.
He says more collaboration is needed to help close food access gaps.
“That means more suburban areas and you need to be really creative about finding a solution that works for people in these different kinds of contexts,” Shannon said.
Researchers say collaboration between food banks can help bridge food access gaps in underserved areas despite ZIP code.
WSB Radio’s Jordan D. Brown contributed to this story.