Food deserts — where nutritious food is often inexpensive or unavailable — usually occur in low-income, historically marginalized communities. They’re marked by
high rates of food insecurity, racial and health disparities
, and high rates of chronic diseases.
Why do food deserts occur?
Food deserts are brought about by a number of factors. They are typically located in
low income areas where people often do not own a car
. … Less disposable income combined with a lack of transportation typically leads to the purchase of fast foods and processed foods available at the corner store.
What is considered a food desert?
“Food deserts” are
geographic areas where access to affordable, healthy food options (aka fresh fruits and veggies)
is limited or nonexistent because grocery stores are too far away. Run a food drive (outside your local grocery store!) to support a food bank. … About 23.5 million people live in food deserts.
What are food deserts and why are they a problem?
Food deserts are
areas where people are unable to gain access to healthful foods
. They are a major issue affecting millions of people in the U.S. and around the globe. Experts suggest that living in a food desert may put people at increased risk of obesity, diabetes, and other weight-related conditions.
Why do food deserts exist in the United States?
There is no single cause of food deserts
, but there are several contributing factors. Among them: Transportation challenges – Low-income families are less likely to have reliable transportation, which can prevent residents from traveling longer distances to buy groceries. … Income inequality – Healthy food costs more.
What is an example of a food desert?
The closure of a grocery store in Macon, Georgia
, is just one example of how food deserts are continuing to develop in today’s world. According to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution investigation, nearly 2 million Georgia residents, including about 500,000 children, currently live in a food desert.
What are the four criteria that makes a food desert?
type of area,
urban or rural
.
economic barriers and affordability of accessing nutritious foods
, including the cost of transportation, price of foods, and incomes of those in the area. distance to the nearest supermarket or grocery store. number of supermarkets in the given area.
How do you get rid of food deserts?
- Establish bus stop farmers markets. …
- Support community gardens. …
- Improve public transportation options. …
- Implement dollar store restrictions. …
- Consider food co-ops, nonprofits, and government-run supermarkets.
What is food justice and why is it important?
Nikki Henderson: Food justice is the belief that healthy food is a human right, so everyone has an inherent right to access healthy, fresh food. Access is a mixture between location, affordability, and cultural appropriateness. Food justice is important
for everyone because food is culture
. Food is your family.
Food deserts are indicators of more than just socioeconomic injustice; they
indicate public health and safety concerns for those living within their borders
. Residents with a chronic lack of access to adequate food resources are shown to have higher rates of diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease (Corapi).
What’s wrong with the term food desert?
According to the USDA, food deserts are areas characterized by
large proportions of households with low incomes
, inadequate access to transportation, and a limited number of stores offering healthy groceries at affordable prices. … Second, the term naively assumes that the problem is a scarcity of food in general.
Do food deserts exist?
However, recent research questions the concept of food deserts. For more than two decades, much evidence has supported their existence, but current studies suggest
people in low-income areas actually live in food swamps
, where they’re inundated with a wide variety of both healthful and unhealthful foods.
Do food deserts cause obesity?
Study results also showed that the individuals who live in food deserts
are at an elevated risk for obesity
. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, over one-third of U.S. adults are obese. … Food deserts are geographic areas where residents do not have access to supermarkets or grocery stores.
What state has the most food deserts?
The States with the Most Food Deserts
The places with the most food deserts in low-income areas were
Rhode Island
, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania. In the top state, Rhode Island, a staggering 91% of low-income areas had low supermarket access.
Where do food deserts exist in the US?
The bleakest food deserts are the actual deserts of the American West, in
Nevada and Wyoming
. City dwellers, particularly those in the biggest, most dense cities tend to live closest to supermarkets and have the best food access.
How common are food deserts in America?
The USDA defines a food desert as a place where at least a third of the population lives greater than one mile away from a supermarket for urban areas, or greater than 10 miles for rural areas. By this definition,
about 19 million people in America
live in a food desert.
