NW Arkansas Bike Trails

Joining bike trails from Fayetteville to Bella Vista is closer to reality due to a grant from the Department of Transportation. $15 million will be provided through the “Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery Program.”

Fayetteville, Bentonville and other NW Arkansas towns have already created many existing bicycle trails. But the idea now is to join them all. Read More.

Walmart Jumps on the Healthy Food Bandwagon

Walmart bashing is fashionable in some circles, but credit and recognition should be given when earned. They have made some excellent decisions in recent years, such as promoting sustainability and introducing “green” features in their stores.

Now Walmart has jumped on Michelle Obama’s healthy eating bandwagon. This bodes well in the fight to reduce childhood obesity and put healthier food on family dinner tables across the nation.

Our giant neighbor in Bentonville sells more groceries by far than any other retailer. Sheer size alone gives Walmart tremendous clout. It frequently pulls the strings that cause entire industries to shift priorities, such as recent labeling changes on their Great Value label and encouragement of other products to do the same.

Here’s a summary of what Walmart plans to accomplish by 2015:

*Reformulate packaged food to reduce salt by 25% and sugar by 10%.
*Remove all trans fats and hydrogenated oils from processed foods.
*Reduce prices on fresh fruits and vegetables.
*Lower prices on healthy-choice items such as whole-wheat pasta and low-sodium canned goods.
*Build stores in poor areas that don’t have grocery stores.
*Develop a logo for healthier items to make them easy to identify.

That’s quite an agenda for the next four years. Making food healthier while keeping the taste Americans have come to love will take a tremendous effort.

On the other hand, rarely does Walmart do anything that won’t make them more money in the long run. But this time the public good and their healthy food initiative may have common goals. The only other necessary ingredient is the average American--who also needs to jump on the bandwagon.

For more information:

Arkansas Business

Bloomberg News

NPR

Washington Post