For some people, grocery shopping entails a long drive to a supermarket or the alternative — purchasing less wholesome food from a nearby convenience store or fast food restaurant.

Black neighborhoods and communities of color often live in food deserts where the residents have little or no access to a large grocery store. In these “deserts,” access to healthy, affordable food is limited or non-existent.

Living in a food desert can impact many aspects of a person’s life. And families living in areas devoid of grocery stores often face the added hardship of food insecurity and diet-related health problems.

Exploring the history and inequality of food deserts may lead to solutions for Black communities that have limited access to full-line grocery stores.

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What Are Food Deserts?
Definitions
How to Locate Food Deserts
How Did Food Deserts Develop?
The High Cost of Food Deserts
Solving the Problem of Food Deserts
Read More About It
Learn More About It
Sources

wHAT ARE FOOD DESERTS?

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, millions of U.S. citizens, about 23.5 million, live in places where supermarkets are scarce. These areas are known as food deserts.

Food deserts are areas where healthy, fresh, affordable groceries are hard to find. Its residents are usually low-income and have inadequate access to transportation. At least 33% and/or 500 of the residents live more than 1 mile from a supermarket and, in rural areas, farther than 10 miles.

The Food Deserts of Memphis: Inside America's Hunger Capital | Divided Cities

CHARACTERISTICS OF FOOD DESERTS

Examining the major characteristics of food deserts may help policymakers better understand the challenges these residents face. And it may give organizations and individuals insight into ways to improve food access.

Residents living in food deserts have lower vehicle access rates. Besides not having access to a car, they may have limited public transportation. Without cars or access to public transportation, many residents are limited to walking to corner stores and gas stations to purchase convenience foods.
Residents of affluent communities may lack a nearby grocery store, but having access to a vehicle means an easier journey to a supermarket in outlying areas. A personal vehicle can be a determining factor in attaining wholesome and affordable food.
“In small-town and rural areas with limited food access, the lack of transportation infrastructure is the most defining characteristic.” — U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Supermarket owners are influenced by the racial and ethnic makeup of a neighborhood. Businesses may avoid areas they feel are less profitable or areas that may not fit their desired demographics. Consequentially, food deserts have a higher ratio of all minorities. And the proportion of minorities in rural food deserts is greater than in non-food deserts.
These communities face socio-economic issues involving education, employment, and income that negatively affect their daily lives. Twenty percent or more of the residents live in poverty.
They may lack other services, such as banking and adequate healthcare.
Parks provide free outdoor recreation, an attractive and safe space where families can relax, play and exercise. Unfortunately, a characteristic of food deserts is that they tend to be park-free zones.

Studying the challenges that surround people faced with a lack of healthy food options can give way to ideas on how to improve food access and food choice, which in turn can lead to improved health and longevity.

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DEFINITIONS

Census Tract - A county subdivision that contains between 1,000 and 8,000 people. Ideally encompassing a population of about 4,000.

County - A geographic region of a country. In the United States, counties are used to define administrative or political subdivisions of a state. Some states use other terms, such as parish or borough, which are considered county equivalents. There are a total of 3,142 counties in the U.S.

Food Apartheid - A newly emerging term that considers the root cause of food deserts as areas of enforced racial segregation disproportionately affecting communities of color.

Food Insecurity - Occurs when access to food is uncertain or limited.

Food Swamp - An area with a disproportionate ratio of convenience stores and fast food restaurants compared to healthy food providers.

Gentrification - The transformation a poor neighborhood undergoes when more affluent residents and business move in. As the property values in the community increase, current residents may be displaced, and those wanting to move into the neighborhood may no longer be able to afford the housing prices or rental costs.

Low-Income/Low-Access Areas — a more accurate term for food deserts. Areas that have limited access to healthy, wholesome food, as statistics show.

Marginalization — Inequality. A situation where some do not have equal access to services, benefits, or opportunities. May last a lifetime and affect the same family for generations. Can be categorized as social, economic, or political marginalization.

Redlining — Denying creditworthy applicants financial services such as mortgages, loans, and insurance, even when the applicants are credit-worthy.

Reverse Redlining — Targets residents and businesses in certain communities, giving them credit on unfair terms, often based on race or ethnicity.

REVERSE REDLINING 101 - Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana

Supermarket - A large food store with at least $2 million in annual sales and contains all the major food departments.

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HOW TO LOCATE FOOD DESERTS

The Food Access Research Atlas (FARA) gives users a look into a community’s access to stores that sell healthy food at affordable prices. In FARA, large grocery stores, supermarkets, and supercenters are collectively called food stores.

The Atlas map helps users to analyze food access using demographics such as ethnicity and race. Or by regions using locations — state and county. The information gained from the FARA map is also available for download.

Food Access Research Atlas

The Atlas can be used to measure the pervasiveness of food deserts, their causes, and their consequences.

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HOW DID FOOD DESERTS DEVELOP?

Even when Black neighborhoods and White neighborhoods have the same level of poverty, White areas still have the most supermarkets, according to a John Hopkins research study of food retailers and census.

With White Flight and the racial unrest of the 1960s, supermarkets and large chains followed to the suburbs where there were easier and greater profits.

In the 1980s, as many large retailers merged, stores in close proximity to more profitable stores closed their doors, leaving cities underserved. Smaller remaining grocery stores were out-priced by large chain grocers. The departure of food stores left a gap, leaving fewer healthy food options.

Many retailers are unwilling to invest in predominately Black communities. There is a racial bias that store owners don’t believe Black customers are profitable. And they perceive all minority areas as crime-ridden.

Historically, these are areas in the U.S. that have been marginalized. Low-income Black and Latino communities are disproportionately affected by poor access to healthy, affordable food sources. There is a need for political, legal, and social changes so all people can have equal access to healthy foods.

In large urban cities, gentrification can cause increases in shop rental prices, making rent out of range for smaller full-service grocers.

Finally, those food businesses that want to locate within a food desert may be faced with unfair lending terms when seeking a business loan.

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THE HIGH COST OF FOOD DESERTS

When a neighborhood lacks a full-line grocery store, people rely more on convenience stores that lack nutritious choices and have higher prices. Dollar stores and fast food places offer lower prices but still lack healthy options.

And going to supermarket shopping centers means increased traveling time and expenses spent on errands.

Limited access to healthy, wholesome food can lead to poor nutrition, which often causes obesity and chronic diseases. This creates a vicious cycle ending in life-threatening illnesses such as diabetes and heart disease.

Not only adults but more and more children are obese and are experiencing weight-related diseases such as high blood pressure.

One out of 5 Black households is located in an area with very few grocery stores and farmers’ markets.

On top of having few supermarkets and fresh food offerings, Black Americans are about 2.4 times more likely to have limited healthcare services in their cities.

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SOLVING THE PROBLEM OF FOOD DESERTS

Dietary issues can span all cultures and income levels. Education and training can help. And many programs can function in urban and rural settings. But for those living in a food desert, the question remains— Will residents buy healthy food if it’s offered to them? What programs are available to make healthy, nutritious food more affordable?

One way to improve health and encourage healthy eating is through education and training. Nutritionists can offer classes and teach individuals and families how to cook healthy meals.

Local merchants and corner store businesses can work with community-run programs and co-ops. This partnership can help neighborhood stores expand their food inventories to include fresh organic fruit, vegetables, and whole grains.

Grants and financial incentives are available for food stores. These subsidies often go to large companies with the expectation they will help underserved communities.

Building an oasis in a Philadelphia food desert.

Knowledgeable gardeners can teach residents how to grow their own fruits and vegetables so they can provide for themselves. Creating home gardens or community gardens will help neighbors invest time and energy in improving their own health. The skills they learn — planting, cultivating, and food production — will benefit them and their communities.

Government programs such as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) —formerly food stamps — and WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) give assistance to families in need.

LOCAL SOLUTIONS

Buyers Clubs
Mobile Markets
Community Gardens
Produce Stands
Specialty Grocery Stores
Farmers Markets
Food Pantries

Community Farms
Co-ops
Food Banks
Small Corner Markets
Hypermarkets (combined grocery and department stores)

According to a McKinsey report, spending by Black households has increased by 5% annually and has outpaced that of White households, which were at 3%. And consumer expenditures by Black households were around $835 billion.

The success of grocery stores in Black neighborhoods can be increased by marketing to Blacks inclusively and by hiring employees that are multicultural. Also, selling items that are more culturally specific to ethnic minorities’ food choices can increase sales.

Tailoring to the specific needs and preferences of Black households will give food stores a significant market opportunity that could contribute to the economic revival of the inner cities and rural areas. And represent higher earnings in a business that, by nature, has razor-thin profit margins.

In conclusion, everyone deserves access to wholesome, nutritious food at a reasonable price. Placing a grocery store or farmers’ market in a Black neighborhood may not automatically change the eating habits of its residents, but education and business partnerships can provide a crucial bridge to better health.

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