While economic improvement has been prevalent in recent years, many communities – like those in Detroit and Chicago – continue to struggle. As such, Americans continue to identify economic reform as a key policy issue. But creating economic opportunity is often easier said than done. To some, access to financial resources remains out of reach, while others see their innovation stifled by lack of opportunity. Thankfully, JPMorgan Chase launched a major initiative called AdvancingCities Challenge to assist in boosting economic growth.
JPMorgan Chase has identified four major drivers for creating economic opportunity. First, workers need to be trained and developed to have modern day skills relevant to the marketplace. Second, individuals, especially women and minority entrepreneurs, need to have access to financial capital and expertise in order to excel. Also, creating economic opportunity within communities demand local solutions. Lastly, JPMorgan Chase believes empowering the family financial situation is also essential.
These four drivers comprise JPMorgan Chase’s “Model for Impact” that serves as the foundation for AdvancingCities. Detroit, Chicago, and Washington D.C. have shown strong results under this model. So now, JPMorgan Chase is expanding its mission and outreach for creating economic opportunity.
In cities and communities across the nation, millions face formidable challenges in making ends meet. Major issues include lack of jobs, bureaucratic obstacles, misaligned incentives, and limited access to necessary resources. Research supports several approaches that offer potential solutions. These approaches include:
With the goal of creating economic opportunity for cities, the AdvancingCities Challenge invests significant resources into communities. Specifically, it sets aside an investment of $500 million in up to 30 communities over the next five years. JPMorgan Chase will fund innovative solutions for inclusive growth in cities for creating economic opportunity. Funding will require solutions that embrace collaboration and sustainability concepts. In addition, solutions should foster coalitions among public and private stakeholders in the community. And key economic and social issues need to be addressed, including employment barriers and financial security.
Based on JPMorgan Chase’s experience in Detroit, additional outside capital investments of $1 billion are expected. JPMorgan Chase is also making larger scale investments in global cities, like Greater Paris, where positive potential and collaboration exist and deeper investments are needed. These targeted investments are in addition to the AdvancingCities Challenge. Through these efforts, JPMorgan Chase expects to drive inclusive community growth while creating economic opportunity.
The funds for AdvancingCities will be provided through lending and philanthropic funds by JPMorgan Chase. But at the same time, JPMorgan Chase is providing other support through expertise and research. Specifically, JPMorgan Chase’s Service Corps, comprised of company employees, will share their expertise with community recipients. Likewise, the JPMorgan Chase Institute will help maximize community investments through data analytics.
JPMorgan Chase clearly exemplifies the bold leadership style needed to effectively address major social and economic issues among communities today.
Read more about JPMorgan Chase’s Chief Marketing Officer Kristin Lemkau, in her Bold Leader Spotlight.
The National Chicken Council, a national association dedicated to the chicken industry, said that the average American consumed an estimated 93.5 pounds of chicken in 2018. The data fuels the old catchphrase “Winner winner, chicken dinner,” and stands to prove America’s love for chicken. The average beef and pork consumption for the year was only 56.9 and 50.1 pounds, respectively, making chicken still the most popular meat in the country. It throws in weight on the Americans’ meat consumption and health. We know the benefits of chicken meat, but on the other hand, how much of its impact on our gut health do we truly understand?
With a long list of benefits of chicken meat, it is not surprising that poultry has been considered the healthier protein source. In fact, chicken has been the go-to meat option for those who are trying to develop muscle while also trying to reduce fat and lose weight. The recommended daily protein intake for average sedentary men and women is 56 grams and 46 grams, respectively. However, The Hartman Group says most American adults consume about 100 grams of protein every day. With twice the recommended amount, it is easy to see that there is a worrying imbalance between meat consumption and health.
This brings forth a host of health issues to the population:
Poultry is a category of fowl that farmers grow for the production of meat and eggs. It includes chickens, ducks/geese, turkeys, and quails. Three factors attribute to the benefits of chicken meat – nutritional value; ease and flexibility in preparation; and availability of the product.
With chicken, meat consumption and health are closely related. One serving (100 grams) of cooked, lean chicken breast is enough to cover half of our daily recommended protein requirement. Chicken meat is also teeming with iron, phosphorous, zinc and vitamins A, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, and B12. Likewise, there is no shortage of dishes that you can prepare using chicken. In 2017, the country’s broiler production reached 41,217 million pounds.
There’s chicken in every popular supermarket or neighborhood grocers across America. Everybody likes chicken for sure, but why are experts concerned?
Despite its popularity, poultry products have their own share of controversies. Chicken, in particular, has been getting a bad rap because of its intensive farming system. Due to high market demand, broiler chickens are bred in less than half the time it would normally take for fowls to reach slaughter weight. There is often overcrowding in intensive farming sheds – housing thousands of fowls, with no natural lighting and no access to outdoors.
Since there is no natural ventilation, the air can get highly polluted with ammonia from the chicken droppings, damaging the fowls’ eyes and respiratory system. In warmer months, the air inside these farming sheds can be too hot for broilers and can cause thousands of deaths. Those who survive may develop diseases and carry pathogens which may be passed on to humans upon consumption. Moreover, chickens bred under these conditions are constantly stressed, hungry and frustrated which impacts the quality and taste of the produced meat.
Additionally, the chickens in these mass production farms are often feeding on a diet of GMO feed. The chickens are pumped full of antibiotics and growth enhancers. These create a growth rate equivalent to a human child weighing 349 pounds on its second birthday. These GMOs, antibiotics, and growth enhancers then enter the human body causing a direct impact to gut health impacting digestion, mood, and overall immune function.
There is no doubt that meat consumption and health are closely related. As consumers clamor for healthier, safer, and organic produce, movements calling for a humane farming system are gaining more support. This brought forth new buzzwords in the industry such as free-range, organic, antibiotic-free, and chicken grades. It works great for consumers giving them access to healthier, safer and non-toxic farm meat options and enjoys the benefits of chicken meat without worrying about their health. Fortunately, a number of companies have taken steps to implement reforms and vowed to partner only with poultry producers who are following humane standards. In the same light, the list of poultry producers that strive to achieve humane certification criteria is also growing.
We are what we eat. How we nourish our body has a bearing on the condition of our body and mind. It means that in order to be healthy, we have to eat wholesome and good food. We may have varying interpretations of what makes food good. What’s constant for everyone though is our need for a balanced diet obtained from a healthy and wholesome source. When it comes to meat consumption and health, the key is to find the right balance.
