Blog
15/2/2024
Robitaille et al., as part of the EffICAS project, have published an exhaustive analysis of potential accessibility and realized distances travelled to access food stores in two rural Quebec communities, Gallix and Rivière-Pentecôte. The results of the distance measurement calculations showed that for both the potential and realized distance measurements, convenience stores are more easily accessible than grocery stores and supermarkets. The results also show that the distances to grocery stores and supermarkets are greater than the thresholds used for food desert indicators. Participants in the study said they were prepared to travel much further to purchase food products. The low density of the territory and the almost exclusive use of the car are likely explanations for this phenomenon.
Another objective of this study was to identify whether there is a significant difference between the potential and realized access measures. For most of the accessibility measures in this study, the realized accessibility measures are significantly greater than the potential accessibility measures. This suggests that criteria other than strict proximity influence the choice of food destinations (such as lower prices, better quality products, or a better shop atmosphere).
Finally, the potential geographic accessibility of grocery stores from home was also associated with income level, with the most deprived households living closer to convenience stores and further from grocery shops and supermarkets than more advantaged households. Similarly, people with reduced mobility often live in areas where food shops are less accessible, an additional challenge in an aging society.
Polygon contributed to this project by providing the research team with our ASI* survey tool.
Read the full article published on February 1st, 2024 in ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information.
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