Food Deserts in the Inner City
I didn't grow up in a major city like Los Angeles, nor did I learn about the challenges that came from living in inner cities. Growing up I had access to several grocery stores such as Trader Joe's, Lucky's, Safeway, Whole Foods, and Costco. I moved to Los Angeles back in 2013 I moved to Inglewood. In that neighborhood the closest stores was second hand grocery stores. They are grocery stores nothing wrong with shopping there for cheaper prices. But, the produce isn't always the freshest. Stores like Trader Joe's or Whole Foods was well over an hr away by public transportation. I asked my boyfriend at the time, where a Whole Foods was, and I was laughed at. And considered bougie for asking. The fact that stores like Whole Foods are considered only for the wealthy shows the health disparity in this country that claims freedom for all.
Defining Food Deserts
The unavailability of healthy food is an issue that plagues many urban cities in the United States. A peer reviewed study that gathered global statistics on food deserts from 1996-2007 drew strong conclusions about the United States. Overall, geographic areas with a high proportion of low-income or people of color were undeserved by food retailers. The average distance to supermarkets was farther for low-income areas and areas with a high proportion of African American or Latino ethnicity. Lastly, these same areas had more convenience stores filled with liquor and junk foods. These trends illustrate that food deserts are not just a local issue, but a nation wide one. Food deserts are a huge issue affecting Los Angeles, the lack of access to healthy foods is an injustice, and areas that face this are called food deserts.
this service map highlights the areas of low-income families with low access to fresh produce. Shows from 1/2 -10 miles radius.
Health Effects of Food Deserts
Food deserts can be hazardous to your health. Living in a food desert matters a lot when it comes to a pair of serious public health issues: obesity and diabetes. Diabetes, for example, is typically related to poverty and unemployment, not necessarily to a proximity of a supermarket.Yet, the relationship between food deserts and these health outcomes remains. It has to do with how people living in food deserts fill in the gaps in their diet. Counties with high rates of food deserts also tend to have higher amounts of fast food restaurants and convenient stores.
Demand for Change
Good policy can also encourage the development of grocery cooperatives and bring farmers markets to neighborhoods. While I was visiting New York, I asked my friend how they dealt with living in a food desert. They lived in Brooklyn, New York, they mentioned that there were local food co-ops where people in the community could go and volunteer and get discounted produce. I was mind-blown, what a great idea. I remember my mom mentioned back in the 70's in Los Angeles, that the lower income communities had something similar. There used to be a farmers market at Crenshaw Mall, but I think it was hard to maintain because most people use electronic benefits, its not the paper benefits anymore.
Interviews
When asked "Has this issue impacted you? How far is your local grocery store from your home? And how many are there? Is the grocery store in a mile radius from your home? Compared, how accessible are convenient stores from your home? Does this affect your eating habits? Do you wish you had more accessibility to healthier food choices?
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| Victoria Monroe |
" The closest grocery store to me is Food 4 Less. It's 2 miles from my house. I wish it was one closer. Not having accessible fresh produce does affect my eating habits. I'm surrounded by liquor stores and fast food places."
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| Johnathan Franklin |
" The accessibility of fresh produce growing up in South LA. was limited. There was a Ralph's within a mile radius from our home. I definitely believe that if there was a more access to fresh produce my eating habit would be a lot healthier."
Rreferences: [1] “Access to Affordable and Nutritious Food: Measuring and Understanding Food Deserts and Their Consequences.” United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service. 2009. Retrieved 04/12/19 from http://americannutritionassociation.org/newsletter/usda-defines-food-deserts
[2] "Food desert*"Food empowerment project. 2019. Retrieved 04/12/19 from https://foodispower.org/access-health/food-deserts/
[3] "The Socio-Economic Significance of Food Deserts". PBS News Hour. 29 June 2011.Retrieved 04/12/19 from https://foodispower.org/access-health/food-deserts/
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