Happy Friday, and welcome back for our second Food Justice Friday. Today, I’m talking about a term you’ve probably heard thrown around in the food activism world: food deserts. Let’s take a look at what they are and what they mean in America. At the end of the post, I’ll even show you how you can find one near you. The results may shock you. Let’s get into it!
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, about 2.3 million people (or 2.2 percent of all US households) live more than one mile away from a supermarket and do not own a car.
Why are food deserts problematic?
First, food deserts are a socio-economic issue. Food deserts are most commonly found in low income and black and brown communities. These often go hand in hand. Wealthy neighborhoods have three times as many grocery stores as poor neighborhoods. White neighborhoods have four times as many grocery stores as predominantly black neighborhoods.
Food deserts are an urban problem. Often, lower income families do not have access to cars or reliable transportation. In highly populated urban areas, grocery stores may be so sparse that one shopping trip may require you to take several buses or trains. Lack of supermarkets causes families to rely on corner stores or other convenient options for food. Urban residents who purchase groceries at small neighborhood stores are at the mercy of the store owners, and pay between 3 and 37 percent more than people shopping at suburban supermarkets.
On the other hand, food desserts are a rural problem, too. An estimated 20% of rural areas in the U.S. are food deserts. In rural areas, public transportation is either very limited or nonexistent. Big box stores come into rural areas, which drive out local grocery stores, thus eliminating residents’ choices and the overall number of stores. People living in food deserts tend to be older, have more health conditions, and have lower incomes than those living in urban food deserts.
Once again, because food deserts limit individuals’ access to fresh food, this creates a health problem. You’ll hear me repeat this very frequently, so get used to it.
People eat what they can access. Choices are limited by what is available and affordable. Processed foods offered at fast food chains, delis and corner stores are high in fat, sodium and sugar. Additionally, people living in food deserts are less likely to have access to quality healthcare.
Improving food systems in America’s food deserts ensures everyone lives a healthier life, in both rural and urban communities.
Interactive Food Desert Map from the USDA
Did you know the USDA offers a map that you can use to locate food deserts across the country? The interactive Food Access Research Atlas is linked below:
https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-access-research-atlas.aspx#.UUDARFtASgQ
The green spots are all the places that fit the traditional definition of food deserts: urban census tracts where a significant proportion of people live more than a mile away from a grocery store and rural tracts where they live more than 10 miles away. The yellow spots are low-income areas where a significant proportion of people don’t have access to cars or live 20 miles away from the supermarket.
Give it a try! I was surprised to find that I live in a green spot, which goes to show you that food deserts are more common than you may think.
Thanks for joining me on this week’s very important topic, and be sure to check out the recommended readings below.
Recommended Readings
Closing the Food Gap: Resetting the Table in the Land of Plenty
The Grocery Gap: Who has Access to Healthy Food and Why it Matters – Free PDF
