Food deserts are a serious problem in this country and affects many people across the United States. The official definition of one is “The USDA defines a food desert as a low-income census tract in which more than 500 people or 33 percent of the population live at least a mile from a supermarket that does at least $2 million in annual sales” (Dutko 2). In many states across the U.S., there are urban cities that have little to no access to grocery stores or supermarkets, severely limiting their supply and likelihood of receiving fresh produce to give to their families. Living in a food desert comes with a vast array of problems to those who live in them. Certain companies think that it is unwise to put in grocery stores in these urban areas; …show more content…
they think that because those cities tend to have lower-income households they will lose money if they put in stores in these types of cities. While those in food deserts may not have easy access to supermarkets or grocery stores, they do have other means to purchase and receive fresh produce. Food deserts definitely need to be fixed but there are ways that urban-dwelling citizens can get around the lack of produce in their cities. It is very disheartening to hear what highlights just what it means to live in a food desert and all what people in these areas have to deal with.
Author Paula Dutko tells us that when one does not have easy access to nutritious food and a place to buy it from, obesity and other health concerns can become an issue (Dutko 1). In order to be considered a “food desert”, people not only have to have low access to food, but also have a “low-income”. (Dutko 1). In order to have low access, 500 people at minimum need to be at least one mile away from a supermarket and in order to have a “low-income”, people need to have an income lower than 80% of the surviving area (Dutko 1). Those that live in food deserts are also prone to having higher poverty rates (Dutko 1). Speaking of Chicago, an urban food desert, Dutko show how many people actually re in food deserts; “The residents here are just a fraction of the 23.5 million Americans living in areas with no easy access to fresh food, according to government estimates” (Dutko, …show more content…
1) Not only are these people not receiving nutritious produce, but they are also stuck in poverty. As shown by the previously-stated statistics, people have barely any access to good, healthy food. With such low standards of living and income, it makes it hard for these people to afford anything but the necessities. If they had closer stores, they would be more likely to be able to afford healthier options than they have access to. As author and undercover journalist Tracie McMillan states, “Later, I learn that lower-income households value organic produce more than the wealthy, even if its price… keeps them from buying it” (McMillan 170). If these citizens had access to better quality and fresher produce, they would gladly buy it. The only problem is they don’t, why contributes to the high obesity rates and low-income wages. If citizens simply had more options, they would more likely exercise their right to buy and to also consume them. Food deserts give way to many health concerns. Obesity is something that many people living in food deserts have to deal with. As shown by a fairly recent study in 2009, it shows that there is a higher percentage of children that are overweight when they live in an urban food desert (Schafft, Jensen, and Hinrichs, 1). This is how it’s done: “We… analyze student body mass index (BMI) data along with census and school district-level data to determine the extent to which the percentage of a school district’s population residing within a food desert is positively associated with increased incidence of child overweight among students within the district” (Schafft, Jensen, and Hinrichs, 1). In simpler words, the researchers compare those living in urban food deserts and those who are over-weight and compare the two. The results show that those children living in food deserts were indeed more over-weight than those living in affluent neighborhoods with access to fresh produce (Schafft, Jensen, and Hinrichs, 1). Not only are these citizens not able to eat nutritious food, they have to suffer the consequences of it. Obesity comes with many side-effects and health concerns as well. Not only do people who do not receive adequate and nutritious food are often obese, there is an increased chance of having Type 2 Diabetes, hypertension, heart diseases, kidney failure and even cancer (Schafft, Jensen, and Hinrichs, 1). Along with the increased possibility of those diseases, obesity can also contribute to unemployment; “Obesity has been linked to reduced workforce participation among working-aged populations in the United States as well as increased workplace limitations” (Schafft, Jensen, and Hinrichs, 1). Obesity is a serious problem that people living in food deserts have to deal with. In “Walmart’s Fresh Food Makeover”, a food desert article by author Bridget Huber explains that Walmart is planning on expanding and putting in 1,500 stores in urban areas (Huber 2). She says that people in these cities have little access to healthy food options and often resort to buying cheap food products from gas stations, liquor stores, and fast food joints (Huber 1). People might be wary at the thought of Walmart coming in and closing other, smaller stores, but Walmart itself says that it will bring otherwise scarce food access to those citizens in food desserts and jobs to those in need; “Along with better access to food, Walmart emphasizes how it will bring jobs to urban communities in dire need of them” (Huber 3). Many people think that the lack of access to nutritious food options contributes to obesity and health problems, but studies show this is not the case. Food affordability is what people really need in these kinds of situations. Huber also shows alternative ways that people are getting fresh produce, including Fresh Moves and Pennsylvania’s Fresh Food Financing Initiative (Huber 4). People are finding alternatives ways to buy their produce.
Walmart is trying to help out food deserts and bring their citizens access to food. Many people in food deserts are forced to buy their produce from stores with little to no nutritious options. With Walmart putting more stores in, urban dwellers will now have access to better produce than they would with no Walmart in their area. McMillan similarly said that Walmart executives are trying to bring their stores to “underserved areas”; she quotes Andrea Thomas, “We believe that our initiative can make healthy, affordable, food more accessible in the nation’s food deserts” (McMillan 140).While it is true that Walmart might put other smaller businesses out of business, it is also true that those people who lived far away from any grocery stores will now be able to get the produced they deserve. Huber also shows how people are using alternative way to buy produce. Fresh Moves is a bus that’s been converted into a “produce market on wheels” (Huber 4). They ride around the city and sell produce to those who would have no access to it otherwise. Another way is the Pennsylvania’s Fresh Food Financing Initiative. According to Huber, “…the program has increased food access for more than 500,000 people and created or saved 5,000 jobs by extending loans and grants for projects that bring fresh food to underserved areas, or help existing retailers expand their healthy food offering” (Huber 5). People are finding ways to thrive in
their food deserts and that is a great thing to see. Food trucks are another way that those living in food deserts can get produce for themselves and their families. Author Derek Prall shows us the many benefits of food trucks, saying, “These vehicles also benefit small business entrepreneurs, can revitalize underdeveloped neighborhoods, and, some hope, even dismantle food deserts” (Prall 1). They benefit urban economies immensely, for a number of reasons. For one, food trucks help and benefit small business moguls, being as that they are so cheap to operate (Prall, 2). For another, they can help improve undeveloped areas and cities. They do this by having low prices, in turn giving more money to the economy (Prall, 2). Lastly, and related to that, they bring food access to those who would otherwise not have access to it. With the low cost of operating these trucks, they can afford to lower prices. Issues with shipping food to stores and packing things away are also not an issue with food trucks (Prall, 2). Specific routes that the food trucks go on can allow tons of people to have access to nutritious food options, no matter where they are living at the time; “The great thing about a truck is that it is a flexible, agile mechanism” (Prall). This is very important because in food deserts, easy access to fresh food is a major issue that many citizens face in their daily lives. Without cars or money to pay for rides to supermarkets, nutritious food choices just aren’t an option for these people. With food trucks, people can receive cheap, but healthy food that is practically delivered to them. When food access is this prevalent, people are more likely to choose healthy options. This is similar to people growing their own food in farmer’s markets. With other options than supermarkets to receive nourishment at, people are finding new ways to do so. Like the farmer’s markets of Chicago as stated by McMillan, these options help people receive good food they would otherwise not. Speaking of urban agriculture, “…[It] has been a part of the city’s fabric for more than a century” (McMillan 172). Maybe one day food trucks will be, too. Farmer’s Markets are another way that those in food deserts can purchase produce. Author Ruth Conniff tells us that in recent years, rural farmers have been working with urban dwellers and selling their crops, supplying them with nutritious produce (Conniff 1). Urban city citizens are able to purchase the farmer’s produce which they would not be able to in their own cities and those citizens help keep the farmers afloat and able to grow such produce (Conniff 3). They have a kind of symbiotic relationship; they both help the other out. Urban dwellers and farmers work together in a great way that helps both groups of people with issues; “Urbanites who are interested in local food and sustainable agriculture…form a powerful bond with farmers” (Conniff 3). If urban dwellers were to stop buying this produce from these farmers, that would not go well for both groups. The urban dwellers would buy cheaper and unhealthy options, contributing to their health problems and these farmers would be put out of business. Both groups need each other to survive and thrive. Conniff quotes one of these farmers who work with urban citizens to supply them food: “…people… are swept up in ‘zero¬-effort dinners picked up at the convenience store,’ he says. “We need to rise above that’” (Conniff 3). It is beneficial to and for everyone to buy and consume fresh produce whether you are a farmer trying to make a living selling his produce or an urban dweller just trying to find a way to purchase and find affordable produce for their family. Food deserts are a serious problem for those who live in them. With serious medical and health problem to worry about; urban-dwelling citizens have a lot to deal with. Thankfully, more and more ways to get fresh produce are spring up all over these cities. From food trucks to farmers’ markets, to organizations helping out, and to even Walmart chipping in, food desert citizens are coming up with better ways to receive nutritious food and better their lives with said nutritious food. With these new ways popping up, hopefully those living in these food deserts will be able to purchase produce and decrease the health risks associated with living in food deserts. With easier access to fresh and nutritious produce, hopefully things will get a lot better for urban-dwelling citizens.
Many in the U.S., today, try to eat well,balanced, meals to order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. They do so by purchasing their food at farmers markets or making their own meals, so their food isn’t processed or genetically modified. Even though people are trying to maintain health in order to live long lives, without medical complications, many don’t have the opportunity to pursue life like this. In “Research shows food deserts more abundant in minority neighborhoods,” the author, Kelly Brooks, portrays an anecdote and logical reasoning, from Kelly Bower’s research, to thoroughly describe the food deserts in poor minority neighborhoods and how this issue needs to be repaired.
According to Dolgoff and Feldstein (2003), “the needs and goals of the Food Stamp Program are to alleviate hunger and malnutrition by enabling low-income households to buy a nutritious adequate diet” (p. 132). The program also improved the market for local merchants to produce food for eligible low-income households and other agencies such as the School Lunch Program which safeguard the health and wel...
This is due to the symbiotic relationship Walmart has to its consumers, they are able to offer lower prices in more locations and consumers desire affordability and proximity. Despite the obvious domination of the economy by Walmart, less conventional producers and consumers are present and on the rise. Local rather than global and small rather than large, the increase of these less conventional manners of production can be seen in the increase abundance of farmers’ markets, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), and community gardens. Farmers’ markets are common areas where farmers meet on a regular basis and sell various fresh produce directly to the consumers. The number of farmer’s markets between 1994 and 2014 has increased from around 2,000 to 8,000 (ers.usda,gov). Farmer’s offer an aesthetic that Walmart cannot provide—the opportunity to be personable. The consumer is able to see who grew the food, ask how it was grown, and will not be dazzled by fancy packaging or
Cities are becoming more proactive about dealing with food deserts, mainly by giving tax breaks, as in Baltimore, to grocers that are willing to come to low-income, desertous areas. Pushes from environmental groups are also taking an impact on the cause, as the fight for healthy food has become a hot topic in that arena as well. Communities themselves are also taking a stand against food deserts, by doing their own growing of food and creating urban farms, starting up community markets, and starting programs to bring fresh food to deserts (Block, Chavez, Allen, & Ramirez,
Alviola IV, Rodolfo M. Nayga Jr., and Michael Thomsen to learn more about what food deserts and how they impact the society around them. I believed that this was a good source because it went into what food deserts are and how they might be connected to the increase of obesity. I learned that a food desert is an “area where access to healthy foods is limited or constrained” (Alviola 106). I also learned that studies have shown people who live in food deserts “are likely to pay higher prices for food and have limited options in terms of purchasing healthy foods” (Alviola 106). After reading this article I have realized that Xavier may also be in a food desert because the closest grocery store is Kroger whose produce is almost always non-fresh and does not look edible to eat which encourages people to leave and resort to eating fast food for every meal. Needing more information about the effects of Food Deserts I started to look at an article called, “The Effects of Food Deserts on the Weight Status of South Dakota Children”, written by Emily Niswanger, Elizabeth Droke, Suzanne Stluka, and Kuo-Liang Chang. I believed that this was a great next source to look into because the name of the article was exactly what I wanted to get more information about. The source was about one study that was made in the state of South Dakota to discover if food deserts do have an effect on
America is by far one of the wealthiest and most powerful nations worldwide. But to be such a powerhouse and beacon of some much opportunity, The United States is struggling to provide families with the sufficient amount of food. The parts of the country that lack adequate food supply are known as food deserts. The term food desert can be used when describing areas with limited resources and little to no access to fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and dairy products. Affordable and nutritious food is almost impossible to gain access to in food deserts. Approximately 2.3 million of Americans live over a mile away from a supermarket and do not have a car. This equates to about 2.2 percent of all U.S. households. These statistics are according the data provided by the United States Department of Agriculture. The reports also indicate that some of these areas include vast, rural parts of West Virginia, Ohio, and Kentucky, as well as urban areas like New York City, Chicago, Detroit, and Los Angeles. The people residing in majority of these food deserts are predominantly African Americans.
Holzman, D. C. (2010, April 1). Food deserts and how to tackle them: a study of one city's approach:
“Food Deserts” are arears where people have a hard time finding affordable, healthy food. These places are usually low-income neighborhoods that do not have any supermarkets nearby but have convenience stores that sell junk food and fast food places around them. Ron Finley, a guerrilla gardener, lives in a “food desert” in South Central Los Angeles. He plants fruit and vegetable gardens to help nourish his community with healthy eating. In the article “Giving the Poor Easy Access to Healthy Food Doesn’t Mean They’ll Buy It,” Margot Sanger-Katz states that “merely adding a grocery store to a poor neighborhood doesn’t make a very big difference” because the diets of the residents living in those neighborhoods did not change. I think “food deserts” are only a part of the bigger problem in America because obesity is everywhere, not just in low-income
More and more farm-to-table restaurants, farmer’s markets, and food co-ops are cropping up to meet the demand among consumers for healthy, local foods, as more chefs and consumers recognize the poorer taste and nutritional integrity of ingredients shipped in from far away. Fruits and vegetables that have to be shipped long distances are often picked before they have a chance to fully ripen and absorb nutrients from their surroundings. Because local food doesn’t have to travel long distances, it is grown in order to taste better and be healthier rather than to be resilient to long travel. The farm-to-table movement also helps local economies by supporting small farmers, which is a dying
A major issue that is occurring in America is a phenomena known as “food deserts”, most are located in urban areas and it's difficult to buy affordable or good-quality fresh food. Whereas in the past, food deserts were thought to be solved with just placing a grocery store in the area, but with times it has become an issue that people are not picking the best nutritional option. This issue is not only making grocery store in food deserts are practically useless and not really eliminating the issue of food deserts because even when they are given a better nutritional option, and people are not taking it. In my perspective, it takes more than a grocery store to eliminate ‘food deserts’. It's more about demonstrating the good of picking the nutritional option and how it can help them and their families. For example, “Those who live in these areas are often subject to poor diets as a result and are at a greater risk of becoming obese or developing chronic diseases.”(Corapi, 2014).
“Food Deserts” as defined by 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” (Center for Disease Control and Prevention). In simpler terms, a food desert is a community with little to no grocery stores. Many reports show that neighborhoods with less access to neighborhood grocery stores have a higher risk for obesity and unhealthy diets unlike neighborhoods where residents have better access to neighborhood grocery stores. The “USDA estimates that 23.5 million people, including 6.5 million children, live in low-income areas that are than one mile from a supermarket. Of the 23.5 million, 11.5 million are low-income individuals in households with incomes at or below 200 percent of the poverty line. Of the 2.3 million people living in low-income rural areas that ...
Food insecurity is an issue faced by millions of Americans every day, and the biggest group affected by this is working families with children. Food insecurity is so big that the United States government has now recognized it and provided a definition for it. The United States government has defined food insecurity as “a household level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food” (USDA.gov). Food banks and anti-hunger advocates agree that some of the causes of food insecurity are stagnant wages, increase in housing costs, unemployment, and inflation of the cost of food. These factors have caused food banks to see a change in the groups of people needing assistance. Doug O’Brien, director of public policy and research at Chicago-based Second Harvest says “’we’ve seen a real shift in who we serve. A decade ago, it was almost always homeless, single men and chronic substance abusers. Now we have children and working families at soup kitchens’” (Koch). These families that are feeling the effects of food insecurity will not be only ones affected by it, but all of America. Studies have shown that there is a link between food security, performance in the classroom, and obesity. If this issue is not faced head on, America will have a generation of children not fully prepared for the workforce and high health insurance rates due to obesity health issues.
A food desert is a location in which a wide variety of nutrition food is not generally available (Wrigley et al. 261). Food deserts exist in places such as inner cities and isolated rural areas (Morton and Blanchard 1). The purpose of the paper supported by this annotated bibliography is to argue that food deserts do not exist because of discrimination against the poor, but because of forces related to supply and demand. This hypothesis ought to be kept in mind when considering each of the sources (Just and Wansink; Wrigley, Warm and Margetts; Jetter and Cassady; Epstein et al.; Schafft, Jensen and Hinrichs; Bitler and Haider) described in the annotated bibliography.
America is a capitalist society. It should come to a surprise when we live like this daily. We work for profit. We’ll buy either for pleasure or to sell later for profit. It should come to no surprise that our food is made the same way because we are what we eat. We are capitalist that eat a capitalist meal. So we must question our politics. Is our government system to blame for accepting and encouraging monopolies?
Foods from Africa, which have impacted North American cuisine are numerous, and common in the everyday eating habits of Americans. In the 21st century, Americans take for granted the history of the food they eat, and the origins of the foods that are eaten today. In the early part of the history of the United States, people of European descent brought recipes from home and adapted their recipes to the ingredients which were available. The slave trade was directly responsible for what many Americans think of as American food, and those foods are traceable to Africa. Because slaves incorporated their own foods into the everyday lives of their masters, some of the unique foods from Africa and their history are not well known today. American