The relative strength of relationships between food access components and food insecurity

Many policies and much money have been directed at improving food access in hopes that it will improve food security, yet evidence on the impact of food access has been mixed. In response, we estimate elasticities of food insecurity rates with respect to separate components of food access. We find empirical evidence that opening stores in underserved areas, keeping existing stores open, and improving access to transportation are all associated with lower rates of food insecurity and that these associations vary widely by geography. In comparison to other determinants of food insecurity, however, these associations are small in magnitude.