A food desert is an area in which people lack access to nutritious and/or affordable food, usually because of a lack of grocery stores (as opposed to bodegas or delis, which usually sell packaged food at higher prices) and/or low income.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines a food desert as an area that has a poverty rate of 20% or more, or a median family income that is 80% or less than the median family income in urban areas, or 80% of the statewide median family income in nonurban areas.
Food deserts are usually categorized in two ways:
Low income: An area that has either a poverty rate greater than or equal to 20%/median family income not exceeding 80% of the median family income in urban areas, or 80% of the statewide median family income in nonurban areas. (Medical News Today)
Distance from grocery store: In urban areas at least 500 people or 33% of the population must live more than 1 mile from the nearest large grocery store. In rural areas, at least 500 people or 33% of the population must live more than 10 miles from the nearest large grocery store. However, some food deserts are located much further from this baseline definition and some families may have to travel over an hour to shop at a proper grocery store
People who live in food deserts have a higher risk and percentage of the population that have diet related health issues like diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol as their access to food is limited to foods of lower cost which tend to be prepackaged and processed, local stores which also primarily sell prepackaged food, or fast food takeout and delivery.
Conversely, the term “food swamps” refers to areas with an overabundance of grocery stores and food options due to a higher demand and more profitable market for these stores
What is a food desert?
Both food swamps and food deserts call attention to the political aspect of the food industry, as industries still need to focus on economic feasibility. These grocery stores would not be able to produce enough income to remain in those areas as their prices would need to be high (too high for that given area to comfortably afford) to be able to pay rent and take care of maintenance costs.
For this reason it is imperative that adequate funding is given to these communities. This could help in many ways:
We could open more grocery stores
We could help with costs or transportation
We could help with aid to buy food
However, the health of these communities seems to be an area not prioritized by the US government, and obesity rates as well as other harmful diet related health issues are skyrocketing.
In order to save these communities we need to help advocate for political change to reposition and raise funds for the many people in the US that have the right to nutritious food.
