America's Food Deserts

Exploring food insecurity throughout the U.S.

What are Food Deserts?

Food deserts, according to the CDC, are "areas that lack access to affordable fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat milk, and other foods that make up the full range of a healthy diet." They often are fill with convince and liquor stores and fast food restaurants, which often sell "junk" food full of empty calories and salt, sugar, and simple carbs. This has many effects on the health of these communities and disproportionately affects several demographics. While this is a widespread problem throughout the U.S., there are many groups and organizations--public and private--trying to improve lives for these food desert communities.


Themes

During my research I noticed several themes and issues. Some of these include immobile populations and demographics, how low income influences food security, health issues present in food desert communities, campaigns to help provide these communities with access fresh foods, and food deserts are often overlooked or not known about especially by surrounding communities.


Why am I focusing on these communities?

Food deserts are fascinating to me. I had no idea that food deserts existed until I learned about them. I'm also moved by these areas and impressed by the efforts some organizations, governments, and communities go through to help these struggling communities and increase awareness.


The 3 Questions

3 questions guided my research:

What are food desert's impacts and associations (Health [mental & physical], wealth, fertility, mortality, etc.)?

Who do food deserts impact?

How can we fix this problem?


Annotation 1

What is the article/video/etc. about?

This article explains the basics of foods deserts, such as what they are, if they occur in the US, and how limited access to fresh foods affects your health. It also provides resources for achieving a healthy diet, such as nutrition resources and a food environment atlas.


How did it contribute to your overall understanding of your problem?

It helped me realize this is a known problem in the U.S. At the very least large known organizations are acknowledging it.


Annotation 2

What is the article/video/etc. about?

This article describes the impact food deserts have an who they impact. It also lists provides some resources and strategies to help those who live in food deserts, including several campaigns throughout the nation.

Some of these campaigns include:

  • Opening co-ops in undeserved areas
  • Offering cooking and nutrition classes
  • Cities offering financial incentives for healthier restaurants, food carts, and grocery stores to move into low-income communities

How did it contribute to your overall understanding of you problem?

I learned there is great disparity of food access and type of food access between both race and socioeconomic levels. Many food deserts have fast food chains, liquor stores, and convenience stores that sell foods high in fast, sugar, and salt, which lead to health problems and higher rates of obesity. There is a strong correlation between food insecurity and obesity rates. However, I know efforts are in place to combat them, such as campaigns and initiatives to eradicate food deserts.

Annotation 3

What is the article/video/etc. about?

This is a case study of Virginia, explaining the statistics and impacts of food deserts in the state. 17.5 % of Virginians live in a food desert. 1.4 million people in VA live in food desserts. Almost every area of Virginia is affected. Income is most certainly a factor, as well as mobility (the two tend to go hand in hand). Grocery stores are often leaving low-income areas, making the problem even worse. Children are the hardest hit: 6 million children live in a food desert, and 16.5% are considered food insecure. Even agricultural communities aren't immune to being located in food deserts. Food deserts are so localized in surrounding communities and the surrounding cities don't even realize the issue of a food desert in the neighborhood next door. These communities also see declining health because they don't have access to fresh, nutritious foods. Obesity, heart health issues, and and a variety of health problems disproportionately impact and are common in these communities. Virginian volunteer groups, churches, humanitarian efforts, and volunteer farms are trying to help these communities, giving people access to affordable, nutritious foods, some are even empowering people to grow their own food.


How did it contribute to your overall understanding of your problem?

This documentary definitely humanized this problem for me, and showed the scale and impact of food deserts in Virginia alone. However, I also understand sometimes these food deserts are known about and outside communities and organizations are trying to help these communities.

Annotation 4

What is the article/video/etc. about?

This article quickly goes over discussions scientists were having about the role environment plays in health, especially when it comes to obtaining food. It offers a couple of maps showing correlations between several different factors, depicted left.


How did it contribute to your overall understanding of your problem?

The article shed some light on the mindset of food desert research in 2012. I was still uncertain about what different factors--such as poor health, low mobility, etc.--meant when applied to a food desert and how much was correlation vs causation.

Annotation 5

What is the article/video/etc. about?

This article discusses the findings from a study which collected data about 495 people in six Chicago low-income neighborhoods. It asked if the place they shopped for fruits and vegetables was convenient, if there was a good selection of produce, and if they considered the produce was high quality. The study consistently found across all age age, ethnicity, gender, and low-income groups, the higher the rating people gave the store the more they ate fresh fruits and vegetables.


How did it contribute to your overall understanding of your problem?

It let me know there is no difference between any group located in a food desert aside from income. Everyone located in a food desert was equally affected, and everyone wanted access for fresh, healthy food as long as it is affordable.


Annotation 6

What is the article/video/etc. about?

Briefly discusses food desert statistics, challenges, health affects, demographics, government initiatives, and resources and tips for fighting food deserts and living in them.


How did it contribute to your overall understanding of your problem?

This has much of the same, the stats, the demographics, the resources, etc. However, I did come across something interesting.

The source only mentioned it in passing, but people in food deserts usually can't access culturally appropriate foods in food deserts. I forgot food often plays a big part of culture and heritage, and those who don't have the ability to access their heritage may feel they are loosing touch with their culture, especially if they are of ethnically diverse backgrounds.


Annotation 7

What is the article/video/etc. about?

Rural food deserts are often found in areas with a very low population density. These people face the same health issues; obesity, diabetes, etc. However, the classification is slightly different. According to this source rural food deserts are counties "...where residents must drive more than 10 miles to the nearest supermarket or grocery store...", while in urban food deserts residents have to drive more than a mile. Rural food deserts don't receive as much attention, thus don't receive as much attention and assistance. While some programs and campaigns are have helped with food gaps, these are few and far between, and more can be done to help these rural food desert communities.


How did it contribute to your overall understanding of your problem?

My resource "Living in a Food Desert" mentioned rural and agricultural areas also have food deserts, but this is the first source I have found which goes more in depth in discussing food deserts in these areas. It makes sense they don't get as much attention nor as much assistance and urban food deserts.


Annotation 8

What is the article/video/etc. about?

This writer goes a little more in on rural food deserts. It discusses the influenctial factors in rural food deserts: poverty, race, geography, and community support. Poverty and community support are similar to urban food deserts. However, race and geography are different. American Indians are more likely to be in a food desert and Reservations often have less food access. The closer a rural community is located to a city or large store, the less likely it will have its own grocery store. There are a few other factors: mental illness, social stigma, illiteracy, education, etc. Assistance is at hand, but it mostly caters to immediate hunger, not long-tern undernourishment. However, other resources and some campaigns are trying to help these communities obtain healthy foods.


How did it contribute to your overall understanding of your problem?

This helped me understand a little more in-depth about food deserts in a more emotional way. I also understand the difference between urban and rural food deserts a little better, such as the different demographics and other factors which may not be present in urban food deserts. I also now know while there is some assistance for immediate hunger, there isn't anything for people who just don't have access to healthy nourishing foods but can afford more unhealthy options.

Annotation 9

What is the article/video/etc. about?

This is a very in-depth guide which covers food insecurity and food deserts in rural areas. It defines food insecurity on two levels: household and community. It states households throughout the US and in rural areas is went down from 2017 to 2018, from 11.8% to 11.1% and 13.3% to 12.7% respectively. It details how food insecurity and availability of healthy food is assessed, why rural food deserts exist, strategies to improve access for affordable healthy food, how rural healthcare organizations address this issue, and several other topics.


How did it contribute to your overall understanding of your problem?

This source let me know despite rural food deserts are often over looked, there are some research projects looking into them. It also went into extreme detail about many different aspects of rural food deserts and available programs and resources for these communities.


Interpretation and Conclusion

What have I learned? 

I learned several things from my research. Food insecurity and food deserts are a huge issue in low-income communities and has a heavy impact on individuals, especially for those who don't own a car. There are several campaigns, organizations, and groups trying to fight food deserts and give these communities access for affordable fresh foods. Health issues are common in food deserts, especially obesity, diabetes, and kidney failure. Food deserts affect not only urban communities, but also rural and exurban communities. Rural food desert communities face similar issues and factors, but often have a much harder time getting access to assistance dedicated to long-term undernourishment.


How does this topic/problem relate with themes, concepts or issues covered in class?

This topic is related to urbanization and migration. As more people move to cities, the more people move into low-income areas, and the greater the number of people are impacted. However, this works for rural communities as well. The lower the population, the more likely grocery stores are to not be located in small towns and villages.

This topic is also related to mortality in the sense of non-communicable diseases. People in food deserts face higher instances of obesity, diabetes, heart attack, and kidney failure, among other things. This is because people can't access affordable healthy foods or a healthy diet, which leads to diet high in salt, sugar, and simple carbs. This leads to unhealthy diets causing the previously mentioned non-communicable diseases.

Consumption ties in to this issue as well. People literally consume unhealthy foods which encourages the companies selling these foods--fast food restaurants, liquor stores, and convenience stores--to stay and move in to food deserts. Meanwhile, supermarkets and grocery stores can't make a profit in these low income communities, forcing the stores to move out.


What claims can I make about my problem and Population, Consumption, and the Environment more generally?

I believe as the human species increases in population and as urbanization intensifies food deserts might become more obvious and widespread, especially as supermarkets and food-based corporations follow the money they can make and move to areas where they can make a profit.

I also believe there is a disproportionate focus on urban food deserts. Rural food desert communities face just as much need but don't get nearly as much assistance at this point in time. However, there are resources to assist these households.

Female fertility may be affected in these communities, but I hadn't found any mention of it in my research. It's possible this is not looked into as a potential affect. If there is a strong link between fertility and diet, an unhealthy diet may affect female fertility. I think it's a potentially interesting topic to look into in the future.