grocery stores

Grocery stores accepting Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits in 12 states will soon have to accommodate new exclusions to the program. Industry advocates say the changes will be expensive, especially for smaller retailers.

The Sun Fresh at 31st and Prospect closed this month, after years of safety concerns and millions of dollars in investment from Kansas City. The CEO of the nonprofit that operated the grocery says that security measures became costly — and still not enough to keep customers coming.

For years, the Sun Fresh Market at the Linwood Shopping Center provided fresh produce and grocery products to a historically underserved part of Kansas City. Its closure follows months of calls for the city to take action against crime in the area and keep the store afloat.

The Sun Fresh at 31st Street and Prospect Avenue is one of the only grocery stores for miles, and has been struggling to fill shelves recently despite 10 years of taxpayer money to renovate it and keep it in business.

Researchers and grocery stores say the Republican-backed law, which will reduce federal food benefits, only makes it harder for markets to survive because the profit margins are already so low.

Changes to federal food assistance could cause thousands of Kansans to lose some or all of their benefits. The consequences for low-income families will depend now, more than ever, on state lawmakers. Plus: When you're shopping the produce section of a grocery store, you probably want to buy local — but that food probably traveled a long way to get there.

The interest in local food systems, like farmer’s markets and direct farm-to-consumer sales, is on the rise. But the U.S. is still more reliant on imported foods than ever before.

Crime around the Linwood Shopping Center is steering customers away from the Sun Fresh grocery store at 31st Street and Prospect Avenue. The store's operators say the city needs to address infrastructure and public safety improvements in the area.

With high prices at the grocery store, legislators across the middle of the country have moved away from sales taxes on food purchases.

Missouri and Kansas lawmakers are trying to eliminate junk food purchases from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps. But food accessadvocates worry that restricting SNAP will make it harder for recipients.

As the number of fetal and infant deaths in Kansas City begins to rise again, a group of women is trying to make sure expecting mothers are well educated on risk factors.

More states in the Midwest and Great Plains are trying to support rural, independent grocery stores through tailored grant programs. Advocates say these businesses are vital for rural communities to thrive.