Michelle Obama Makes a Deal with Walgreens

By Jonathan Kauffman Thu., Jul. 21 2011 at 8:22 AM

Michelle Obama proves that the White House is not in a food desert.

According to the Obama Foodorama blog, Michelle Obama announced at a press conference yesterday that Walgreens, Walmart, and SuperValue, as well as several regional grocers, have agreed to open 1,500 stores in regions designated "food deserts."

The term refers to urban areas where a third of the residents have no source for fresh produce within one mile, or rural areas where people have to drive 10 miles or more to get to a grocery store. It's unclear whether the federal government will be giving financial assistance to these giant corporations, but it sounds like Ms. Obama's Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI), as well as another Department of Health and Human Services program, may commit several tens of millions of dollars to the new initiative.

Is the First Lady making a deal with the devil? Many of us in the Bay Area think of Walmart as the scourge of the independent grocer -- for good reason -- and Walgreens as a convenient place to pick up a lot of supplies but nowhere to brag about shopping. But SFoodie thinks this is a fantastic development.

UP NEXT: Walmart and Walgreens may be tacky, but they mean better nutrition for all Americans.

Tags:

Bayview, food desert, grocery stores, Michelle Obama, Walgreens, Walmart

We Recommend

Lili Lives

Apparently no one cares about children having access to foods with a higher nutritional value. Of course YOUR lives and HER clothes are the main issues. Figures. Selfish to the bitter end Americans are.

renallanos

I found a site where you can get coupons for restaurant called "Printapon" they are on all over the news, search online

Travis

Michelle Obama has been taking lessons from the Clintons. I wonder what her piece of the action from Walgreens etal will be for helping them 'block bust' rural counties and communities that have been keeping them out.

whocares

I don't care how she dresses..I'm sick to death of all this. Now more MONEY is gonna be spent on all this? Millions the article said. Mr President how about STOP spending money we don't have! And Im also over the blame game. Its time to man up & be a President with a PLAN!

Lekena78

What does all of this have to do with the article?? Please take that somewhere else...

*_*PC*_*

She's not in her 50s so why should she dress like all the other First Ladies? I swear y'all worry about all the wrong stuff. She not there for fashion...she trying to make America HEALTHY!

Chimere B

Well said. Complain when she is wearing something provocative and inappropriate as First Lady. Her "fashion" should be the last thing we focus on.