Food Environment Atlas

Lyndi Allen
August 7, 2025

Mapping Food Access, Availability, and Community Health Nationwide

Food environment factors—such as store and restaurant proximity, availability of local foods, food and nutrition assistance programs, and community characteristics—interact to influence food choices and diet quality.


The objectives of the Food Environment Atlas are:

  • to provide a spatial overview of a community's ability to access healthy food and its success in doing so, and
  • to assemble statistics on food environment indicators to stimulate research on the determinants of food choices and diet quality.


View the map here on U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)'s website

A poster about the food environment, with maps showing data of various crops.

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Illinois officials at NCERC news conference

NCERC Expansion Opens Doors for New Corn-Based Products

By Lindsay Croke • October 9, 2026
A $15 million investment in NCERC at SIUE will expand the facility and provide opportunities for new bioproducts using corn to scale to commercialization.
National Corn to Ethanol Research Center proposed expansion

Corn Farmers Praise $15 Million Investment in Corn Research Center

By Lindsay Croke • October 9, 2026
Fully funding an expansion of NCERC at SIUE will allow the testing and trials required for new corn products to scale in Illinois.
U.S. Meat being showcased in Tokyo

How U.S. Meat Exports to Japan Move Illinois Corn

By John Klemm & Tara Desmond • October 8, 2026
DeWitt County farmer John Klemm shares how exporting beef helps corn and an early look at a slow, wet start to his 2026 harvest.
Corn kernels

Farmers Grateful for Diesel Fuel Price Relief; Questions Remain

By Lindsay Croke • October 8, 2026
Illinois corn farmers are grateful for Governor Pritzker’s effort to lower diesel prices for farmers this fall.
cover crops in the field

What Does a Cover Crop’s Carbon Really Cost? New PCM Data Puts a Number on It

By Summary from PCM / Farmdoc Webinar • October 8, 2026
Precision Conservation data shows growing cover crops costs Illinois corn farmers $27.30 an acre to deliver carbon benefits. See how conservation payments compare.
Green combine harvester in a field at sunset, with the sun low on the horizon.

Federal and State Actions Offer Relief to Illinois Farmers

By Lyndi Allen • October 8, 2026
Recent federal and state actions provide potential relief for Illinois farmers facing high costs during harvest, including diesel fuel and grain storage.
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