Access to fresh food in vulnerable urban areas: a classification study of the favelas and formal establishments in São Paulo

Abstract

The environment significantly influences individuals’ food choices. Vulnerable urban areas, such as favelas, can have a decisive impact on discouraging the consumption of fresh, nutritionally rich foods. This issue is exacerbated by the urban infrastructure required to deliver fresh foods to these locations. Therefore, it is essential to understand the context of the favelas in the municipality of São Paulo in terms of the food environment and infrastructure to support the design of public policies that enhance the presence of minimally processed foods in these areas. We applied the k-means clustering method to two datasets: the food environment of favelas, characterized by food establishments, and the urban infrastructure of the favelas in the municipality of São Paulo. Of the city’s 1,701 favelas, only 271 have formally registered food establishments. Larger favelas with better urban infrastructure generally exhibited a food environment with greater access to fresh foods. The results suggest that investing in urban infrastructure can increase access to fresh foods in these areas. It is also necessary to consider local specificities to find effective solutions that increase the availability of minimally processed foods, thereby improving the population’s quality of life and health.