It wasn’t until college that Olympia Auset learned what a “food desert” is. It isn’t something that nature created, like an arid setting of endlessly rolling sand. It isn’t necessarily permanent, either, like the constant sky overhead. A food desert is a place where healthy options aren’t readily available, and because of that, people who live in these neighborhoods are more likely to experience poor health. Auset didn’t have this term to describe South Central Los Angeles during her formative years there, but once she learned it, it cemented itself in her mind.
After she graduated from Howard University, where she immersed herself in the personal and public benefits of fresh and organic produce, Auset returned to South Central and realized the situation it was in. For its 1.3 million residents, there were only 60 grocery stores—and she was traveling up to two hours by bus just to get her share of fruits and vegetables. In 2016, Auset decided that she would bring change to this food desert by launching SÜPRMARKT, enriching her community one crate of nourishing produce at a time.
Of course, this plan was hard enough before the pandemic. But now, in the midst of a growing demand for groceries and services, Auset’s goal of eradicating food deserts nationwide has become even more pressing. By turning to peers who also believe in the universal importance of a healthy diet, Auset has formed a dedicated team that’s providing for South Central and laying the groundwork for future success wherever there’s a need.
You founded SÜPRMARKT in 2016 to end America’s food apartheid and make healthy food easily accessible to all. How has this movement revolutionized local communities since then?
SÜPRMARKT is a low-cost, organic grocery that provides produce to communities that would otherwise lack access. Our grocery subscription service accepts EBT, and makes it easy and affordable to eat well across Los Angeles. Since starting in 2016, we've provided more than 75,000 pounds of organic produce, and we are seeking support to serve millions more via a new brick-and-mortar store.
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Our non-profit foundation creates culturally relevant experiences that encourage sustainable vegan living. And our grocery scholarships, juice-cleanse scholarships, and innovative programming work to make health disparities a thing of the past. Several people have reversed serious illness through the support of our programs.
Your work is shining a light on “food apartheid.” Can you explain this term and why it’s so critical that we are aware of their existence in America so we can take action to prevent it?
When people hear the word “desert,” they think of something that occurs naturally in nature. Food injustice is not naturally occurring, but is the result of man-made decisions like lawmaking, profit motives, and discrimination. The term “food apartheid” labels the deep health divide that has been purposefully erected by these decisions. They have had deadly results for Black, brown, and disadvantaged people nationwide.
A 2008 study by the California Center for Public Health Advocacy found a strong correlation between health problems and the ratio of fast-food and convenience stores to grocery stores and produce vendors in various neighborhoods. South Central has disproportionately fewer grocery stores per capita than in other parts of the city. How is SÜPRMARKT changing those statistics? Can you share more about how you’re shifting culture and awareness by educating communities with fresh produce “scholarships” and films like “Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead”?
In October 2019, we hosted South Central's first ever vegan festival with 17 Black and brown vendors, free meals, free yoga, and more. Living in South Central makes you two-to-three times as likely to die from heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and stroke, and we are hard at work providing the outreach needed to end that injustice through life-changing programs and experiences.
Your #KeepSlausonFresh Indiegogo Campaign to save Mr. Wisdom’s health-food store raised more than $85,000, and included attention from celebrities like Issa Rae, KatVonD, and Sweetgreen who backed and shared it. How do you hope to transform Mr. Wisdom’s and the neighborhood surrounding it, and do you have plans to expand this idea beyond California?
About 1.3 million people live in South Central, but there are only 60 grocery stores. Our work will immediately benefit the 292,295 residents in the immediate area. In 2021, we will open South Central's first full-service organic grocery, which will also double as a community wellness hub. The prepared food, wellness brands, and fresh produce will be subsidized so that everyone in our community can afford healthy living. By 2022, we will be serving 1,000 Angelenos weekly. Donations are needed and welcomed to help us open by February of next year.
2020 presented everybody around the globe with new, unprecedented challenges. How did you #FindNewRoads + switch gears towards your new version of success?
This year made us grow faster than we expected. We went from packing 20 bags weekly and having pop-up events to cancelling all pop-up events and packing 100 bags weekly. We had very little resources, and our team truly went above and beyond to meet the incredible challenges. The pandemic has exacerbated an already perilous situation in L.A.'s food deserts, highlighting the urgency to build a badly-needed healthy retail location in South Central.
SÜPRMARKT has been hard at work keeping others fed during the COVID-19 crisis. On March 19, we sprang into action by procuring and providing 1,400 pounds of grains and seeds to people in need with our "Feed the Hood" giveaway. Since then, we began partnering with healthy-food providers in South Central to distribute free and discounted vegan meals every week. We offer deep discounts to EBT users, and we’re using funds from our one-for-one program to deliver free groceries.
How do you hope to continue making a difference and push your industry forward?
My goal is to end food aparthied by 2040.
What has been the biggest learning curve since launching SÜPRMARKT?
I used to spend a lot of my time working on and achieving certain projects alone. Learning how to build a team and ask for help has been a big learning curve for me.
When you separate yourself from your job title and the bells and whistles of your business or career, who are you and what do you like to do? How have you remained true and authentic to who you are?
I’m a spiritual, creative, free-spirited, and inquisitive person who loves mystic exploration. I love creating magical experiences for myself and others through teaching, sharing, and learning. I try my best to integrate reading, studying, and other things that feed that part of myself into my life, and I do it knowing that without them, none of the other work exists.
It’s easy to celebrate the wins, but how do you handle failure or when something hasn’t worked out for you?
It is hard. I am used to pushing through until I get what I want, even if I hear “no,” so there are certain failures that don’t bother me. Then again, there are also failures that really hurt and test my faith. With the ones that hurt most, I get angry, I feel pain, and I lick my wounds. Then when I can, I try my best to learn something from what just happened and see how I can turn a tragedy into a triumph. Unfortunately, my community has a legacy of facing and triumphing over the hardest challenges, so I have plenty of inspiration to draw from.
With success comes opportunity, but that also means you have your hands full. What keeps you inspired and motivated to keep going even on your most challenging days?
I finish what I start. When I started SÜPRMARKT, my intention was that my children, nieces, and nephews would never have to hear, “We have to go to the white neighborhood for that.” I want food deserts and health inequality to be a thing of the past. I think everyone should leave this planet significantly better than how they found it. Additionally, when things get really challenging, I remember the impact I’ve had this far. It’s not all in vain.
What is the #1 book you always recommend and why?
This is a tough one because I love so many books! You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay is vital to what our society needs right now. We need to reprogram our minds to love ourselves and stop beating ourselves up. This book is very powerful for encouraging self-love and helping us reverse the thought patterns that create disease.
If you could go back to the beginning of your career journey—with the knowledge you have now— what advice would you give yourself?
Calm Down. Love yourself more, and establish your self-care habits early so they are in place once you get busier. Trust that you will get where you need to go, and when things seem shakiest and most uncertain, keep going.
Fill in the blanks:
If there were more hours in the day, I would…
Spend more time learning and creating just for me.
If I wasn’t in my job now, I would be…
Writing, singing, and otherwise creating global change.
Three qualities that got me to where I am today are…
Persistence, courage, and curiosity.
The change I’d like to see in my industry is…
Easy access to affordable vegan food nationwide.
My perfect day begins with…
Meditation.
