Food deserts are a stark reality in many communities, yet the term itself, while widely recognized, often oversimplifies a complex issue. Defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) primarily in terms of distance to grocery stores, the Food Desert Meaning extends far beyond mere proximity. While the USDA’s definition highlights the geographic aspect – areas where residents, particularly in low-income areas, live far from supermarkets – it frequently overlooks deeper systemic factors at play. These factors include racial inequality, economic disparities, lack of transportation, and the cultural relevance and affordability of available food options. Organizations like the Food Empowerment Project (F.E.P.) argue that terms like “food apartheid” or “food oppression” more accurately capture the systemic nature of these food access challenges. However, because “food desert” remains the most commonly used term, it’s essential to unpack its full food desert meaning and implications.
Food deserts are essentially geographic areas where access to affordable, nutritious food, especially fresh produce, is severely limited or nonexistent. This lack of access is primarily due to the absence of grocery stores or supermarkets within convenient traveling distance. Consider the statistics: a 2009 USDA report to Congress revealed that approximately 2.3 million people in the United States, representing 2.2% of all US households, reside more than a mile from a supermarket and lack personal vehicle access [1].
In urban settings, public transportation might seem like a solution to distance, but the economic realities have pushed supermarkets out of many inner-city areas. This leaves residents facing lengthy and inconvenient journeys, often requiring multiple buses or trains, just to purchase groceries. The situation is even more challenging in suburban and rural areas where public transport is sparse or absent altogether, leaving supermarkets miles away and effectively inaccessible for many.
Beyond geographical distance, the food desert meaning is deeply rooted in socio-economic disparities. These areas are overwhelmingly concentrated in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color. Research consistently demonstrates this inequity. Wealthy districts, for example, have been found to have three times as many supermarkets as impoverished ones [2]. Predominantly white neighborhoods, on average, boast four times the number of supermarkets compared to predominantly Black neighborhoods. Furthermore, even when grocery stores are present in African-American communities, they are often smaller, offer a more limited selection, and frequently lack fresh, healthy options [3].
The choices people make about food are heavily influenced by what is available and affordable. Food deserts are often characterized by a saturation of fast food outlets offering cheap, calorie-dense, and processed foods high in unhealthy fats, sugar, and salt. Corner stores, convenience stores, and liquor stores, which are often the only food retailers in food deserts, primarily stock processed snacks, sugary drinks, and other unhealthy items. These options, while readily available, contribute to poor diets and related health issues.
A critical point highlighted in the Food Empowerment Project’s report, “Shining a Light on the Valley of Heart’s Delight (PDF),” is how government data collection methods can obscure the true extent of food deserts. The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), used by federal agencies, categorizes all retail outlets selling food under the same umbrella, regardless of the type of food offered. This means that a community with no supermarket but a couple of corner stores selling primarily alcohol and junk food might be statistically counted as having food retail outlets, masking the reality of limited healthy food access.
Further compounding the issue, smaller stores in food deserts often engage in practices that disadvantage residents. Even when they stock limited fresh produce, like individual bananas or apples, these items may not be priced, leaving customers vulnerable to arbitrary pricing, particularly affecting those with limited English proficiency who may be hesitant to ask about costs.
Cultural appropriateness and dietary needs are also crucial aspects of the food desert meaning. Residents of food deserts may struggle to find foods that align with their cultural backgrounds or meet specific dietary restrictions, such as lactose intolerance or gluten allergies. Larger supermarket chains typically offer a wider variety of culturally diverse and specialized food products, options that are often absent in smaller stores within food deserts.
Economically, food deserts present a double burden. Studies reveal that urban residents in these areas often pay significantly more for groceries at local neighborhood stores – between 3% and 37% higher – compared to suburban residents shopping at supermarkets [4]. This price disparity further restricts access to healthy food for those with limited incomes.
The cost of healthier foods, in general, has been rising faster than that of less healthy options. For instance, between 1989 and 2005, the price of fruits and vegetables in the US increased by nearly 75%, while the price of fatty foods actually decreased by over 26% [5]. This inflationary trend puts a strain on all food budgets, but it disproportionately impacts low-income families, making healthy food unaffordable and inaccessible in food deserts.
The long-term consequences of limited access to healthy food in food deserts are profound and contribute significantly to health disparities. These areas experience statistically higher rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other diet-related illnesses compared to areas with better food access [6]. This is not just a matter of individual choice; it’s a direct result of a food environment that restricts healthy options and promotes unhealthy ones.
Obesity, often linked to poor diets prevalent in food deserts, is a major risk factor for serious and potentially fatal health conditions, notably coronary heart disease and diabetes [7], which rank as the first and seventh leading causes of death in the US [8].
The incidence of diabetes among US adults doubled between 1996 and 2007, with type 2 diabetes, often linked to obesity [9], accounting for 90-95% of these cases [10]. Alarmingly, type 2 diabetes, once rare in individuals under 40, has increased tenfold among adolescents in the past decade, mirroring rising obesity rates in this age group [11]. While type 2 diabetes is increasing across all demographics, the most significant increases are occurring in communities of color, with Native American youth and African-American and Latino populations of all ages experiencing disproportionately higher rates compared to whites [12, 13]. These are also the communities most likely to reside in food deserts. Research has established a strong correlation between food insecurity, driven by food deserts, and increased diabetes rates. A study in Chicago neighborhoods found the diabetes death rate in food deserts to be double that of areas with supermarket access [14]. Similarly, a California study revealed that adults aged 50 and over in communities of color had twice the diabetes rate of their white counterparts [15]. Researchers emphasize that the prevalence of high-calorie, unhealthy foods in food deserts increases diabetes risk, while limited access to healthy foods makes diabetes management significantly more challenging.
Heart disease, another major health crisis linked to food deserts, causes over 2.4 million deaths annually in the US [16]. A diet high in unhealthy fats and LDL cholesterol [17], typical of the food environment in food deserts, is a primary contributor to cardiovascular disease. Just as African-Americans are disproportionately affected by food deserts, heart disease is also more prevalent and deadly in this population compared to whites [18], despite comprising a smaller percentage of the overall US population [19]. Even children and adolescents living in food deserts face a heightened risk of cardiovascular disease, both in childhood and adulthood, due to the elevated rates of obesity in these communities [20].
Food for Thought
Public awareness of the serious problems posed by food deserts is growing, largely due to the dedicated efforts of community activists, entrepreneurs, and government officials working to improve healthy food access. Nationally, former First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” campaign aimed to combat childhood obesity, including a goal to eliminate food deserts by 2017 through a $400 million government investment focused on providing tax incentives for supermarkets opening in underserved areas [21]. Many cities are also implementing local initiatives to address their food desert challenges.
Chicago: Over 500,000 Chicago residents, predominantly African-American, live in food deserts, and an additional 400,000 reside in neighborhoods saturated with fast food and lacking grocery stores [22]. Food justice activists have responded by establishing food co-ops in underserved areas where traditional supermarkets have struggled. These co-ops, like Fresh Family Foods on Chicago’s South Side, not only offer fresh, organic produce, whole grains, beans, and plant-based meat alternatives but also provide cooking and nutrition education to empower residents to make healthier food choices [23].
Los Angeles: In 2008, the Los Angeles City Council implemented a moratorium on new fast food outlets in a 32-square-mile zone encompassing some of South L.A.’s most severe food deserts, an area where approximately 97% of residents are Latino, African-American, or multiracial [24]. This restriction on fast food created a demand for healthier options, leading the Council to subsequently introduce financial incentives for grocery stores and sit-down restaurants serving healthier meals to open in underserved communities [25]. These policies have been credited with bringing the first new supermarket to South L.A. in about a decade [26].
New York City: An estimated 750,000 New York City residents live in food deserts [27], while around three million live in areas with limited access to fresh produce [28]. Supermarket closures due to rising rents and shrinking profit margins have disproportionately impacted low-income communities, particularly predominantly African-American neighborhoods like East/Central Harlem and North/Central Brooklyn [29]. To address this, New York City launched the Green Carts program in 2008. This initiative brings affordable fresh fruits and vegetables to food deserts while creating job opportunities for vendors. Hundreds of Green Carts are now operating in food deserts, and this number continues to grow as more vendors receive training, licenses, and permits from the city [30].
What Can I Do If I Live in a Food Desert?
If you recognize that you are living in a food desert, taking action starts with community engagement. Begin by raising awareness among your neighbors about what food deserts are and discussing collective strategies for change. Explore options such as community gardening, collaborating with local retailers to stock healthy, vegan foods, and advocating for farmers markets or mobile food markets in your area. It is also crucial to voice your concerns and ideas to policymakers – city council members, state legislators, and other elected officials – to advocate for policies that improve food access in your community.
Connecting with organizations and individuals already working on food access issues can provide valuable resources and guidance.
If you are interested in utilizing the Food Empowerment Project’s survey, which formed the basis of their report, “Shining a Light on the Valley of Heart’s Delight (PDF),” please contact them to learn more and contribute to data collection and advocacy efforts.
References:
[1] “Access to Affordable and Nutritious Food: Measuring and Understanding Food Deserts and Their Consequences.” United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service. 2009. Retrieved 8/25/17 from https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/42711/12716_ap036_1_.pdf?v=41055
[2] Walsh, Bryan. “It’s Not Just Genetics.” Time. June 12, 2008. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1813984,00.html (3/05/11)
[3] Morland, K., Wing, S., et al. “Neighborhood characteristics associated with the location of food stores and food service places.” American Journal of Preventive Medicine. January 2002, vol. 22(1): p. 23-29. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11777675 (3/05/11)
[4] Bullard, Robert D. (editor). Growing Smarter: Achieving Livable Communities, Environmental Justice, and Regional Equity. The MIT Press. 2007. p. 173. ttp://books.google.com/books?id=NAcmSchlTOYC&pg=PA173&lpg=PA173&dq=It+has+been+shown+that+… (3/05/11)
[5] Walsh, Bryan. “It’s Not Just Genetics.” Time. June 12, 2008. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1813984,00.html (3/05/11)
[6] Gallagher, Mari. “Examining the Impact of Food Deserts on Public Health in Chicago.” Study commissioned by LaSalle Bank. 2006. http://www.marigallagher.com/2006/07/18/examining-the-impact-of-food-deserts-on-public-health-in-chicago-july-18-2006/ (8/21/17)
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[15] “The Inextricable Connection Between Food Insecurity and Diabetes.” California Pan-Ethnic Health Network. May 2010. https://cpehn.org/sites/default/files/resource_files/diabetesbrief2010.pdf (9/5/17)
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[22] Gallagher, Mari. “Examining the Impact of Food Deserts on Public Health in Chicago.” Study commissioned by LaSalle Bank. 2006. http://www.marigallagher.com/2006/07/18/examining-the-impact-of-food-deserts-on-public-health-in-chicago-july-18-2006/ (8/21/17)
[23] Ogburn, Stephanie. “Would a Walmart solve West Oakland’s and Nashville’s food problems?” Grist. 5 Oct 2010. http://www.grist.org/article/food-2010-10-05-would-a-walmart-solve-oaklands-and-nashvilles-food-problems/PALL/print (4/02/11)
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[30] McMahon, Jeff. “New York rolls veggie carts into food deserts; can other cities follow?” The New York Times. March 11, 2010. http://jeffmcmahon.com/2010/new-york-green-cart-chicago-farm-fork-financing/ (8/21/17)
