Nobody likes food shopping. In Philadelphia, we really don't like it. According to "Food for Every Child," a new study by The Food Trust, there are 156 percent fewer supermarkets in Philly's low-income neighborhoods than in higher-end areas. Yet even the expensive neighborhoods are short on markets, landing the city at the second lowest slot for supermarkets per capita among major cities.

This means that Philadelphians are forced to travel to get their groceries, and for the 30 percent of people without cars, this means lugging your brown paper bags on buses and subways. Those who aren't up to the long trek must settle for the less nutritious and preservative-packed offerings at corner delis and shops. Fresh fruit and produce become a luxury, and the city's rate for obesity and childhood diabetes climbs.

The problem began in the 1960s when many of the city's supermarkets moved to the safer, less-developed suburbs. With high crime rates and taxes, it's hard to lure them back. It's also a matter of real estate. "Usually a minimum of five acres is needed to build a store," says Councilwoman Donna Reed Miller, who is working to bring more supermarkets into her Germantown district. "There isn't that kind of land available in the city."

To that end, the state has set aside $20 million for its Fresh Food Initiative, a program that finances supermarkets in underserved areas. The Food Trust, the Greater Philadelphia Urban Affairs Coalition and The Reinvestment Fund (TRF) formed a partnership to support the Fresh Food Initiative in the Philadelphia region. The state has allocated $10 million to this partnership, and TRF has promised to contribute an additional $30 million. Developers can apply to the partnership for funding.

Says State Rep. Dwight Evans, "Over the next four years, I'm trying to build 10 supermarkets in the underserved areas of Philly. It's long overdue."

The state funding is a much needed source of support for cities like Philadelphia. "The city generally doesn't have the money to do these big projects," says Miller, who helped La Salle University land a Fresh Grocer last month. She and a developer suggested the plan to La Salle along with a petition carrying 100 signatures of support.

Hannah Burton, the program coordinator of The Food Trust, says a market analysis will be released in January outlining Philadelphia's neighborhoods and determining which ones need supermarkets the most.