Natasha Dyer, Executive Director of Greater Newark Conservancy, joins Steve Adubato to address the intersection of environmental and racial injustice and the impact this has on Newark’s access to fresh and nutritious foods.

Steve Adubato asks Natasha Dyer about the importance of urban access to fresh fruit and vegetables. Dyer responds, “Healthy food, healthy fruits, and vegetables at a young age have a tremendous impact on learning outcomes and health outcomes. We know that access to healthy foods contributes to your physical health in terms of mitigating chronic diseases like diabetes and obesity. It has impacted our communities in large measures due to things like our community members living in food deserts. When it comes to education, what you put in your body contributes to your ability to think clearly, to be alert in school. We also know that spending time in nature reduces anxiety and stress, which a lot of our students and families are still experiencing as we’ve come out of COVID and the coming readjusted or reacclimated to The New Normal.