Food Deserts

Food deserts are places where at least 500 people or a third of the population reside more than one mile from a supermarket or large grocery store — according to the CDC, “Food deserts 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” (CDC). Furthermore, these food-deprived areas may exist in both rural or urban areas, but only in locations where there are geographic or socio-economic problems.

There have been several root causes to the creation of food deserts. For example, the Encyclopedia Britannica contends that certain economic factors like supply, demand, and urban planning have contributed to the effects of food desert growth. A community with not only a lack of healthy foods but also an absence of nutritional education,
Another cause of food deserts is the overwhelming ratio of unhealthy convenience stores to supermarkets in these areas. These are often caused by “white flight,” which is the loss of affluent customers in the area. This also gives the more expensive grocery stores a reason to relocate with those customers.

In all food deserts, there are many convenience stores that sell cheap, unhealthy foods, while there are rarely any supermarkets, where most organic foods are found. This situation most likely results from the fact that people in those areas are economically disadvantaged, and generally do not have enough money to afford luxuries like low-fat or low-calorie foods. Therefore, most grocery stores turn into convenient stores or even get shut down, consequently lowering the prices of the majority of foods in the area while also cutting down the quality and nutrition of those