In 2024, I explored the Washington State Department of Health’s datasets to propose a policy aimed at increasing access to healthy foods in low-income communities. Alongside my classmate Keerthi Rajesh, we drafted a policy proposal and submitted it to the Washington Tracking Network Youth Science Contest in the Program and Policy group category, where we won 1st Place. In this post, I’m going to share a rundown of the process.

Project Summary

Access to healthy food remains a persistent challenge in many communities across Washington State, where geographic and economic barriers contribute to nutritional inequality. This project began with a simple question: where are people most affected by limited food access, and what can be done to change that? By combining public health data with community-level insights, we set out to understand the scope of the problem and design practical, data-informed policy solutions that could make a measurable difference.

Data Analysis

We began by analyzing publicly available datasets from the Washington State Department of Health to identify communities with limited access to healthy foods. Our analysis focused on geographic patterns of food insecurity, prevalence of diet-related health conditions, and proximity to grocery stores offering fresh produce. By mapping these indicators, we were able to pinpoint areas most affected by nutritional inequality and prioritize them for intervention.

Policy Analysis and Recommendations

Based on the data findings, we developed a policy proposal aimed at improving food access in underserved regions. The proposal includes the following key strategies.

1. Expand Beyond SNAP and Limited Locations: The current Fruit and Vegetable Incentives Program (FVIP) only benefits Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) users at a limited number of stores. As a result, obesity rates have continued to rise, indicating the need for more inclusive policies.
2. Subsidize Local Farmers: Provide grants and subsidies to local farmers to reduce their production and transportation costs. This would make fresh produce more affordable and widely available, especially in low-income areas.
3. Introduce a Junk Food Tax: Implement a tax on unhealthy foods (e.g., chips, sodas, candies) to discourage their consumption. This would complement the FVIP by making healthy options more financially attractive.
4. Dual Strategy for Maximum Impact: Combine subsidies for healthy foods with taxes on unhealthy foods. This approach aims to narrow the cost gap between nutritious and processed foods, making healthy eating more accessible for all.

I have embedded the policy paper here. The paper is also published on the Department of Health website if you wish to read it there.

Conclusion

This project helped me see how working with real datasets can guide practical solutions to complex problems like food access. The Washington Department of Health Datasets are publicly available at the Data Portal, and I encourage you to explore them and develop your own impactful projects.