Dr. Jared Grant from the University of Georgia will present the EEEP Seminar Series presentation on September 21, 2022. Please join us via Zoom.
Abstract: Numerous papers have analyzed the effectiveness of incentivizing grocery chains to open stores in underserved locations on minimizing food insecurity and low food access; however, results show mixed success. One minimally studied policy lever for addressing the food insecurity and low food access problem affecting millions of U.S households is leveraging trust within a community. Trust within the community regarding food access can be gauged in a variety of ways including the reputation of or past experiences with grocery stores at a location. To understand more about the conditions or choices necessary for a successful store lasting in a low income and low food access area, we created a variation of the Trust Game focused on food accessibility. This Trust Game implements a Bayesian game theoretic model that imbeds residents’ trust in government and store operators’ decisions to open and maintain a grocery stores in a low income and low food access area. The game is conducted under complete information, one-sided incomplete information, and two-sided incomplete information to showcase their respective Nash equilibria. Our results show there are optimal outcomes where the grocery store successfully stays open but also outcomes where the store closes. We conclude that there are potential avenues for policy makers to better design food initiatives in ways that increase the odds of an incentivized store opening actually leading to improved food access and increased healthy food purchases but only if trust already exists or is gained within the previously underserved community.