why are food deserts a problem

Summary. Food deserts are areas where people are unable to gain access to healthful foods. They are a major issue affecting millions of people in the U.S. and around the globe. Experts suggest that living in a food desert may put people at increased risk of obesity, diabetes, and other weight-related conditions.

How do food deserts affect the environment?

Environmental impact

The concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) are breeding grounds for bacteria and toxic pollution. Animal agriculture not only propels this, but also land degradation, water shortages, deforestation, loss of biodiversity, and air and water pollution.

Are food deserts a problem in the US?

The USDA defines a food desert as a place where at least a third of the population lives greater than one mile away from a supermarket for urban areas, or greater than 10 miles for rural areas. ... Despite nationwide efforts to improve poor food environments, many Americans say this problem persists today.

How do food deserts affect the economy?

Lower demand results in lower prices, and higher demand results in higher prices. ... Thus, one economic rationalization of a food desert is the situation where demand in a market is sufficiently low that the relevant long-run average total costs are declining.

Who is most affected by food deserts?

The highest rates of escalation have been identified in Native American youth and African-Americans and Latinos of all age groups, with these groups suffering disproportionately higher rates of type 2 diabetes compared to whites.

How are people affected by food deserts?

Food deserts are areas where people are unable to gain access to healthful foods. They are a major issue affecting millions of people in the U.S. and around the globe. Experts suggest that living in a food desert may put people at increased risk of obesity, diabetes, and other weight-related conditions.

How can we prevent 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 I know if I live in a food desert?

What are the telltale signs that you live in a food desert? The most consistent characteristic of a food desert is having a lack of access to fresh, healthful food. Living in a food desert doesn't necessarily mean there's no food available; it means that there are no healthy options readily available.

Is NYC a food desert?

From this map, there are no food deserts in Manhattan or the Bronx by the traditional definition.

Do food deserts exist?

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.

What is a social consequence of living in a food desert?

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).

Do food deserts cause obesity?

No, food deserts don't cause obesity. ... Scientists looked closely at the relationship grocery access has to obesity, and tracked changes to obesity and other health outcomes in low-access neighborhoods that got a new supermarket.

Why should we care about food deserts?

Because of the isolation within food deserts, many are left to rely on convenience stores and fast-food chains. ... The lack of access to healthy food is one of the main contributors to the higher rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease for ethnic minority groups and low-income populations.

What are the root causes of food deserts?

The root causes of this issue are:

Poverty. Poor families are most often impacted. The price of fruits and vegetables are high while the price of unhealthy food is low. ...
Food Deserts. Food deserts are neighborhoods that have no nearby access to healthy food. ...
High Price of Healthy Food.

Where do food deserts exist in the US?

The bleakest food deserts are the actual deserts of the American West, in Nevada and Wyoming. City dwellers, particularly those in the biggest, most dense cities tend to live closest to supermarkets and have the best food access.

What do you do if you live in a food desert?

Tips for getting nutritious food in a food desert

Choose frozen produce. Studies show that frozen produce has the same nutritional quality as fresh produce. ...
Load up on pantry staples. ...
Make big-batch stews. ...
Preserve your food. ...
Seek out community gardens. ...
Make your own kitchen scrap garden. ...
Share your story.

How can food deserts be eliminated in America?

Food deserts can be eliminated by making nutritious food accessible and affordable. Having healthy food options in restaurants and grocery stores also helps. Eliminating food deserts can help fight childhood obesity.

What do food deserts have to do with the rise in 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.

Which of these is the best way to improve a food desert?

Here are three cool ways that initiatives are finding ways to get fresh foods into underserved areas.

Mobile Groceries and CSAs. Food deserts are often in urban areas, with little to no access to farms. ...
Zoning for Urban Agriculture. Planting abandoned lots in cities is not a new idea. ...
Vegetable and Fruit Prescriptions.

How long have food deserts existed?

The term "food desert" reportedly originated in Scotland in the early 1990s and was used to describe poor access to an affordable and healthy diet (4).

What means food desert?

“Food deserts” are geographic areas where access to affordable, healthy food options (aka fresh fruits and veggies) is limited or nonexistent because grocery stores are too far away.