What's a food desert?

Think quickly: How close are you when you live in a local grocery store? I do not know most of us. As long as it is near the house, this is not a problem. However, if you do not have a local grocery store, or if you have a grocery store but do not have a means of transport, it is too far to come up with a way to come up with a way to purchase food items.

In the past decade, Americans traveled an average of 6 miles (9 km) between their homes and the nearest grocery store. For the rural population in the US, especially for the southern people, the trip may be longer - for example in the Delta landscape of the Mississippi River Basin, you may find a supermarket dealing with 190.5 square miles (493 sq. Km). There, residents can expect to travel more than 30 miles (48 kilometers) from home to the store [source: Hinrichs]. This phenomenon is called the food desert.

This term goes back at least ten years ago to explain how the UK supermarket returned to the suburbs. However, because the imbalance in food selection is not limited to a certain region of the world, this expression is currently used to explain the global situation including North America, Latin America, Asia and Australia.

Defining the desert is not an absolute science - all elements such as geography, race, socio-economics, transportation are all part of this equation. Food desert is a large geographical area where major grocery stores are missing or missing. They are mainly found in low-income areas, but not everyone living in the desert is poor. They can exist in cities, suburbs or rural areas. However, the location where the definition is ambiguous is detailed. For example, how much are you going to buy healthy groceries? The answer depends on the composition of each community. Can people use public transport? Do they rely on cars? Do they have to walk? 10 miles may be too far or only 1 mile - this is community specific.

The food desert is an example of food insecurity that adversely affects public health as well as the inconvenience of people living there. Let's take a closer look at these issues and the recommended method for delivering fresh food to disadvantaged communities.

"There are many real similarities between our community and other poor blacks, brown, and immigrant communities," Rodriguez said. "This is happening nationwide, the more we speak about the food desert, the more we recognize that many other people are enduring the unfairness of the same environment." "I am very concerned about the Bronx I am mindful, please keep it near me, dear, I am proud to tell people that I am from the Bronx, so being part of these positive things, to my community Coming is wonderful, "he said. "I want to know what is going on in Swale who grew up in concrete botanical gardens, community members want to share stories and pick fruits and vegetables."

One of the many problems related to the South Bronx is access to quality, local and affordable food. My community is known as the "food desert" and approaches to coping with the shortage of fresh food are usually interventions of charitable organizations and social welfare services. A number of studies have reported irritating statistics about the Bronx's public health problem, many of which are black and white, cut and dry. More food stamps more pantry. Eat lush vegetables more. I will buy organic. For people in my community, this is not that easy. This is often thought out as a solution at large grocery stores, and because they do not explain that these black-and-white solutions are not so difficult reason for working class people and low-income earners. community

Before we began studying this project, the word "food desert" was not familiar to me. Then I suddenly understood that my hometown is a word desert and symbolic food. I grew up in a beautiful but isolated desert oasis in the southeastern part of Utah. The newly established Bluff Town has a population of 250 people. The nearest grocery store is 26 miles from the hotel, but most residents move 81 miles to enjoy better cooking options in Colorado. This week I visited the communities of Elyria-Swansea and Globeville in North Denver. There are over 10,000 inhabitants in this area, but neither offer a full-service grocery store. The closest option for purchasing grocery is "Stop and Shopping Food Store" which is more representative than Seven Eleven instead of grocery store. A woman working at the store said that the store is one of the few places to buy food in that area and said that the store will be closed soon for road expansion. I tried to buy a bottle of water, but the shop only accepts cash.