What is wrong with food desert?

In food deserts, healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy, peas, beans, meat, and fish are often expensive or unobtainable. The lack of access to healthy foods in these communities translates to health disparities and high rates of chronic disease ( 4 , 5, 6 ).

What is the main problem with food deserts?

Negative Effects of Food Deserts

People who live in food deserts turn to convenience stores that sell processed foods with lower nutritional value. These boxed or frozen meals are also easier to prepare, which makes them all the more appealing to those working long hours to make ends meet.

Why is food desert controversial?

Controversy over "food deserts" term

It is not accidental." Herrera says that communities "that lack access to fresh, healthy, affordable food result from structural inequities, deliberate public and private resource allocation decisions that exclude healthy from those communities.

What are the disadvantages of food deserts?

The USDA says living in a food desert contributes to a poor diet and can lead to increased obesity levels and other diet-related diseases. Policymakers have attempted to eliminate food deserts by increasing the availability of healthy foods.

Are food deserts a social problem?

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).

Solving the Problem of Food Deserts

Why are food deserts bad for the economy?

The people living in those places are not only living in poorer places that are less healthy. They are actually getting less wealthy over time as well, which, in turn, may make it harder to turn the tide on the health trends.

What is a solution to food deserts?

Bus Stop Farmers Markets

The key to getting food into food deserts is to make it as easy as possible for people to access fresh, healthy food. Bus stop farmers markets put food where people already are, making it convenient to stock up on fresh fruits and veggies on their way home from work.

How do food deserts cause obesity?

Study results also showed that the individuals who live in food desert are at an elevated risk for obesity. Together, these findings suggest that Americans who either do not have enough to eat or live in areas without access to stores that sell affordable nutritious foods are at greater risk for obesity.

How does food desert decrease our access to healthy food?

A lack of healthy options could lead to poor diets and to diet-related conditions such as obesity or diabetes. If low-income households in food deserts can only purchase food at higher prices, they may be more prone to food insecurity—not having enough food for active, healthy living.

Is food more expensive in food deserts?

Groceries sold in food deserts are often far more expensive than those sold in cities or suburban areas. For example, milk prices in food desert tend to be 5% higher and cereal prices 25% higher.

What is the opposite of a food desert?

A food swamp is an area where an abundance of fast food, junk food outlets, convenience stores, and liquor stores outnumbers healthy food options. It's distinct from a food desert, which is a neighborhood with little access to affordable, nutritious food.

Is food desert a type of food apartheid?

“Food desert” is a commonly used but inadequate term coined by researchers to define areas where people have low incomes and low physical access to supermarkets. The term Food Apartheid more accurately describes the racist and oppressive systems that create inequitable food environments.

Are food deserts an environmental issue?

Over time, environmental problems such as drought, groundwater depletion, and climate change can significantly curtail food production and raise food costs. In turn, this can exacerbate public health problems such as obesity and malnutrition, and eventually lead to the scary situation of people going hungry.

What causes food insecurity in the US?

It may be influenced by a number of factors including income, employment, race/ethnicity, and disability. The risk for food insecurity increases when money to buy food is limited or not available. In 2016, 31.6% of low-income households were food insecure, compared to the national average of 12.3%.

Why is food insecurity?

Some of the causes of food insecurity include: Poverty, unemployment, or low income. Lack of affordable housing. Chronic health conditions or lack of access to healthcare.

Are food deserts increasing?

The overall increase in low-income areas in the United States of America – the cause of the net increase in low-income food deserts – raises concerns about the growing number of struggling households with limited access to affordable nutritious foods, and the ways in which disparities may expand in part as a result.

How many people in the world are affected by food deserts?

About 23.5 million people live in food deserts. Nearly half of them are also low-income.

How do food deserts affect education?

Food deserts also hinder academic performance. By having poor nutrition, students aren't developed properly and not prepared to perform in a high and efficient rate in school, which causes poor academic performance. Lastly, children residing in food deserts are more likely to develop type-2 diabetes.

Why do food deserts exist?

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. While public transportation can assist these people in some instances, often economic flux has driven grocery stores out of the city and into the suburbs.

What do people think food deserts are?

Food deserts are geographic areas where residents have few to no convenient options for securing affordable and healthy foods — especially fresh fruits and vegetables.

Is America in a food shortage?

A: There are currently no nationwide shortages of food, although in some cases the inventory of certain foods at your grocery store might be temporarily low before stores can restock.

Are food deserts real?

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.

How many food deserts are in America?

The Locator identifies about 10 percent of the approximately 65,000 census tracts in the United States as food deserts. About 13.5 million people in these census tracts have low access to sources of healthful food.

How does climate change affect food deserts?

As the climate warms, food will likely become scarce. Warmer temperatures will decrease crop yields in most regions, and stress livestock. This scarcity will probably affect people who are already struggling to gain access to food first and most severely.

How is food insecurity an environmental justice issue?

Since the lack of adequate and healthy food is ultimately an economic and environmental justice issue, addressing things like income inequality, racial discrimination, transportation and housing needs, political representation, and more will be needed.