EAST POINT, Ga. — What is a food desert? A ‘food desert’ is defined by the USDA as “an area where you must walk more than a kilometer to find fresh, organic, unprocessed food, in sufficient quantity and at reasonable prices.”
Food desert. Access Challenged. Whatever the term, the lack of access for fresh, organic, unprocessed food has long been a struggle in the South Metro Atlanta area. Until now.
Meet Market 166. The group of local community members consisting in large part of East Point and surrounding neighborhoods, who have banded together to combat the fight access issue on the Southside, once and for all.
Their ultimate goal? To build a co-operative grocery store complete with an on-site kitchen that will exist right in the heart of the Tri-Cities that will serve the South Metro Atlanta area.
What are the goals for Market 166? Market 166 plans to open a cooperative grocery store, Market 166 Grocery & Kitchen Co-op, commercial kitchen, and meeting space that will bring healthy, local, affordable food to their community.
Market 166 elected a board of directors in January 2018 and was incorporated by the state of Georgia in September 2018. After launching its first ownership campaign in April 2019, they saw an immediate response by the community. As of January 2020, according to their website, Market166 has more than 100 members.
To learn more about this progressive cooperative initiative, visit their website.
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