Food desert

Food desert

A food desert is an urban district with little or no access to foods needed to maintain a healthy diet, but often served by plenty of fast food restaurants.

The concept of 'access' may be interpreted in three separate ways.

'Physical access' to shops can be difficult if the shops are distant, the shopper is elderly or infirm, the area is hilly, public transport links are poor, and the consumer has no car. Also, the shop may be across a busy road, difficult to cross with children or with underpasses that some fear to use because of a crime risk. For some, such as the disabled, the inside of the shop may be hard to access physically if there are steps up, or the interior is cramped with no room for walking aids. Carrying fresh food home may also be hard for some.

'Financial access' is difficult if the consumer lacks the money to buy healthy foods (generally more expensive, calorie for calorie, than less healthy, sugary, and fatty 'junk foods') or if the shopper cannot afford the bus fare to remote shops selling fresh foods and instead uses local fast food outlets. Other forms of financial access barriers may be inability to afford storage space for food, or for the very poor, living in temporary accommodation that does not offer good cooking facilities.

Thirdly, the mental attitude or food knowledge of the consumer may prevent them accessing fresh vegetables. They may lack cooking knowledge, or have the idea that eating a healthy diet isn't important.

In some urban areas, grocery stores have withdrawn alongside residents that have fled to the suburbs (see urban sprawl). Low income earners and senior citizens who remain find healthy foods either unavailable or inaccessible as a result of high prices and/or unreachable locations.

In rural areas local fresh food outlets have closed leaving shoppers without cars in these areas with difficult access to healthy foods, as rural bus services have also declined. Whilst the idea of 'food deserts' in the early 21st century has mainly an urban flavour, the first case studies into difficulties faced by consumers accessing healthy foods were made in rural English villages. the Women's Institute looked at the plight of elderly car-less widows left stranded by closure of village shops and withdrawal of bus services as far back as the 1970's.

The food desert phenomenon is considered a form of social exclusion.

References

*"Examining the Impact of Food Deserts on Public Health in Chicago", Mari Gallagher Research & Consulting Group, 2006
*"Examining the Impact of Food Deserts on Public Health in Detroit", Mari Gallagher Research & Consulting Group, 2007
*"Women and Children Last" (In the Food Desert), Mari Gallagher Research & Consulting Group, 2007
*cite news |first=Johnathon |last=Briggs |title=Study: Dominick's closings create 'food desert' |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-070222dominicks,0,7546964.story |publisher=Chicago Tribune |date=2007-02-23 |accessdate=2007-05-26
*cite web |url=http://www.fooddeserts.org/images/whatisfd.htm |title=What is a 'food desert'? |accessdate=2007-05-26 |date=2007-05-13 |publisher=Food Deserts


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • food desert — (FOOD dez.urt) n. An area where fresh food is either non existent or too expensive. Example Citation: The term food desert was coined to describe areas with limited access to healthy food. There are food deserts all over Britain, in rural as well …   New words

  • food desert — noun An area or region in which people experience geographical and/or financial problems in acquiring healthy food …   Wiktionary

  • Food and Drink — 100 foot diet alcopop allergy bullying antigriddle ape diet apple tourist auto eating beer miler …   New words

  • food miles — n. The distance that a food item travels from its source to the consumer. Also: food mile. Example Citations: Simply considering whether dinner was grown organically was no longer enough. Concerned parents, greenmarket shoppers and the rest of… …   New words

  • Food and water in New York City — Watershed Protection and Local Food= New York City government officials, labor organizers, non profits, community advocacy groups, and residents have fostered a strong relationship with rural farmers to develop New York City s Local food shed.… …   Wikipedia

  • Desert locust — Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum …   Wikipedia

  • Desert Center, California — Desert Center   census designated place   …   Wikipedia

  • Desert Punk — Cover of the first manga volume (reprint) 砂ぼうず (Sunabōzu) Genre Action, Comedy, Science fiction …   Wikipedia

  • Desert tortoise — Desert tortoise, G. agassizii Conservation status …   Wikipedia

  • Desert Bighorn Sheep — Conservation status Least Concern …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”