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| A food stand between Vigevano and Casale Monferrato (Piemonte) |
Some months ago I already wrote about the food jungle and food desert. There seems to be an overload of food in (Western) cities but that doesn’t guarantee healthy meals. Since food deserts do not only appear in big American cities but also in areas with a decreasing population creative solutions need to be found to stop the growth of this phenomenon.
Until some ten years ago it was very normal that a melkboer or SRV-man would come around town or neighborhood once or twice a week. Originally meant to bring milk and other dairy products to the people later it had a bigger variety of products serving people who were not able to go to a supermarket or didn’t have one close by. Now that most people have a fridge (easier to keep products fresh), a supermarket close by or a car which brings them to it the melkboer could stay at home.
Since the population in (rural) areas decreases local supermarkets are not able to survive anymore or could not interest young people to take over business after their retirement. This means the elderly or less mobile people do have to go further not only for their weekly shopping but also for fresh products like bread, dairy products, meats and fruit and vegetables. Thereby the social function of the local store disappears.
Bringing back the melkboer in these areas could be a good solution. In some American towns a mobile supermarket is already introduced. It has advantages for consumers as well as for producers. The mobile supermarket could sell the products from a local farmer. This means the farmer could spend all his time on the production process while the consumer has an easy access to beautiful local products without the need to drive (far) out of town. However, the fact that the supermarket only comes around at a specific moment could be a disadvantage for those who like to go shopping whenever he or she feels like it.
A fresh products market could shorten the distance between fresh products and consumers when it is in the towns square once or twice a week but this might still be inconvenient for people working all day. The solution should be found in a combination between the location and the means the vendor uses.
Small stands along motorways or main roads already sell fresh fruits and vegetables in season. But they could have an all-season function. The vendors could have the same function as a modern mobile supermarket selling products from local farmers. If it seats at a strategic point - in this case a place where a lot of commuters pass by - it serves a wider audience which is a big advantage over the mobile supermarket. Because it serves a wider audience it could be on the same spot everyday all day serving the demands of a modern consumer. Thereby could it also function as a (healthy) rest place for people driving longer distances like truck drivers or tourists.
The mobile supermarket is (in a way) static again but still has its advantages for the consumer!
In June local products are sold along some important Italian roads around Rome, Bologna and Firenze. The initiators do want to show people driving through the area what’s behind the roads and bring them in contact with local products.
