Food Deserts in US Cities

Abstract

Food insecurity is a worldwide problem experienced by millions of people. A specific manifestation of food insecurity has been documented in cities of the United States. It is related to the so-called food deserts, urban areas where individuals make up for the lack of supermarkets located in their vicinity by eating at nearby fast food restaurants and shopping at local convenience stores where they buy generally unhealthy food. The number of individuals living in food deserts in the United States, or in other countries, is unknown because there is no standard definition for the term ‘food desert.’ Food deserts are viewed as a form of constructed inequality because their distribution is not an accidental, naturally occurring phenomenon. For local officials to address the issue of food deserts is of the utmost importance, as there is a need for alternative ways to supply urban residents with nutritious, affordable foods.