‘A must-have for the times we live in’: fruit trees planted in a Florida ‘food desert’ counter soaring prices

A partnership aims to ease food insecurity in low-income areas underserved by grocery stores

Dozens of newly planted fruit trees have created an oasis in a Florida “food desert” after local groups teamed up with the national Arbor Day Foundation in a project to counter soaring grocery prices.

Those behind the community forest venture in Orlando say demand from people struggling to afford basic, healthy food is at its highest level since the Covid pandemic.

They believe the planting of the 120 trees at the 4Roots farm west of downtown, and at a handful of community sites around the city, can provide a model for helping to ease food insecurity around the country, especially in impoverished areas.

The area of central Florida where the partnership took place is one of a growing number designated nationally by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a food desert, an area of low income combined with poor access to fresh grocery products.

Almost 50 million Americans experienced some degree of food insecurity during 2024, and 18.8 million, or 6.1% of the population, lived in a food desert more than a mile from a supermarket in urban areas, and 10 miles for rural locations, according to the most recent USDA figures.

Dan Lambe, chief executive of the Arbor Day Foundation, said the figures show the importance of community garden partnerships such as the one in Florida, and why his organization’s programs have evolved beyond aesthetics and the environment.

“For more than 50 years the foundation has been planting trees all around the world, but we are seeing a sharp increase in the interest for food forests and urban orchards, trees that don’t just provide shade and beauty, but also yield nuts, fruits and food,” he said.

“One favorite part is helping children to understand that food comes from the ground and from trees, it doesn’t just come from the grocery store. So education is a huge piece of what we’re doing, making sure that people understand the value and importance of trees, for shade, for health and wellness, for food and for all kinds of other benefits.

“Trees are a must-have right now, not a nice-to-have, especially when we find communities that are lacking food resources and people who are struggling with food independence and food sovereignty issues.”

While Florida’s subtropical climate is best suited to citrus trees, as well other fast-growing and reliable crop producers such as mango, banana, avocado and pecans, Lambe said the model can be replicated elsewhere using trees suited to local conditions.

“We’re looking at how to not only feed but educate the community on how new systems for urban food production can be a possibility to complement the broader agricultural systems,” he said.

The Orlando project, a collaboration between the Arbor Day Foundation, 4Roots and the VoLo Foundation, a Florida non-profit supporting climate-based science, began with an inaugural planting in November.

Officials and volunteers from the groups joined community members at the 4Roots farm last week in a ceremony to mark the final 67 trees going into the ground.

John Rivers, founder and chief executive of 4Foods, said the objective was to help affected communities feed themselves rather than just handing out boxes of produce on a charity basis.

“We bring in students, we bring in volunteers, we bring in different corporations and companies, and they’re actually involved in the planting,” he said.

“That’s an important step. It’s one thing to go to a museum and look at a beautiful piece of art, but it’s another to be a part of painting or constructing it because you have a better understanding of it, and a much greater appreciation for it.”

Rivers said it was hard to see people suffering food deprivation, through unaffordability or lack of access, at a time when almost 40% of the food grown in the US goes unsold or uneaten.

“It’s easy to get disheartened because you see the prices rise,” he said. “We know these families, and we’ve put out about 2.3m meals of fresh produce in just the last couple of years.

“There’s always going to be the need. You look at any stat of any feeding organization, they’re handing out more meals today than they ever have in their history. Missed meals and hunger are at the highest point ever.

“But handing out more meals and food is not going to solve the issue of food insecurity. It’s a key, important element, but we strive to educate, to make it an inspiration. Even those people in towns who don’t have access can put a pot on a windowsill and grow something like a lettuce and start to break the ties of dependency.”

Lambe said the Arbor Day Foundation has been a partner in similar, successful community forestry projects in other areas of Florida, including in Miami, where the non-profit Citizens for a Better South Florida runs education programs for adults and youths.

“It’s not just about beautiful flowering colors in the spring, and fall colors – it’s about benefits,” he said.

“In this extreme heat we’re all experiencing, in the mental health and wellness challenges that we see across the globe, trees are seen as a solution and a must-have for the times we live in.”