Why We Need to Move Beyond the Term “Food Desert”
Photo Credit © Jon Tyson on Unsplash.
Access to fresh, healthy food is an integral part of building and maintaining a vital community. But this is not guaranteed for everyone. Neighborhoods that lack grocery stores selling affordable fresh food, where the majority of options are processed foods with low nutritional value, have been labeled “food deserts.” We need to understand the significance of these two words as they are used in the US.
For around a decade, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has been identifying and mapping communities with limited access to fresh healthy food. In fact it was this agency that adopted the label “food deserts” to describe low-income areas, where at least one-third of the residents lack access to more nutritious options, and instead eat mostly processed or fast food. These communities account for approximately 6% of the US population. [FN1]
Why This Language is Problematic
A common belief is that by opening supermarkets in the affected areas, easier access to healthier products will largely resolve the issue. While this may technically eliminate the status of food desert, it oversimplifies the problem and omits some critical multi-layered factors. One such factor is that retailers choose locations based on demographics. In low-income communities, the physical means to access the groceries they require may be a barrier. Retailers are more likely to prefer communities that already have both the income and the infrastructure to access the store and spend enough money to make the store sustainable. [FN1]
Beyond limited access, low incomes are an issue in disadvantaged neighborhoods. One 2017 study by economists at New York University, Stanford University, and the University of Chicago found that 55 percent of all zip codes with a median income below $25,000 fit the description of food deserts. Because sales volume may be lower in these areas, a retailer that does decide to open a store may actually need to charge higher prices as a result. [FN2] These factors offer little incentive for retailers to open a store that offers healthy selections.
The study mentioned above also addresses the reasons why food inequality still persists. The reasons go much deeper than a community’s proximity to a supermarket, or income availability to pay for healthier food. The third element is the lack of familiarity and comfort with the types of food that may become available, as well as the nutritional factors associated with them. This is why it may be important to break out from the static state idea of food deserts and delve deeper into the reasons for their existence, while also shedding light on underlying issues. By moving beyond the term food deserts we may find more accurate and beneficial identifiers.
When the systemically discriminatory practices and policies in an area impact the community as a whole, they can provide even more roadblocks to improving issues around food inequality. On average, predominantly black neighborhoods contend with fewer stores. Additionally, the quality of food is inferior as compared to what is available in predominantly white neighborhoods. Even if the term “food deserts” persists, given the overall picture of these issues, these areas shouldn’t be considered just food deserts – they should be re-labeled as “everything deserts”. [FN1]
The term “desert” itself often carries with it a negative connotation. It implies a desolate and barren area, absent of value. This can further marginalize communities, including communities of color, by not capturing the robust culture and traditions that exist in those areas. [FN4]
Once access to fresh groceries is reestablished, cultural and community awareness needs to be the next priority. If an area has not previously offered fresh produce, communities may not recognize it as something beneficial, and may not be familiar with how to prepare fresh produce in a way that tastes appetizing and is acceptable to their families. [FN1] It is critical to bring education about food to these communities. Finding community-driven and culturally accepted ways to engage community members in education about nutrition and ways to prepare and cook various healthy meals can make all the difference in turning the tide of food inequality. Doing this with input from community members and in settings that go all the way down to the school system can make a substantial difference for future generations.
The term food desert has been a useful tool in drawing attention to problems and finding solutions. However, as understanding of the issue has grown, so has the realization that the use of this term has tended to oversimplify the problems. Using terms that more completely encapsulate the problem could help inspire incentives for solving it. [FN2]
Renaming the problem?
There have been suggestions to expand the term food desert to “fresh food desert” or “health food desert” as a way to more fully describe the issue. Some have suggested abandoning the term “desert” altogether. The terms “junk food jungle” and “food swamps” have been proposed in order to move in that direction. [FN3] Because the problem relates to the community’s geography, physical access to stores, economic situation and race, the term “food apartheid” has also been supported. This language powerfully draws attention to the root causes and systemic issues around food inequality. [FN4]
The lack of accessibility to fresh, quality food is so much more than just proximity to a store. There are obstacles in infrastructure that are reinforcing food inequality in our communities. Talking about these issues in ways that describe the complexities makes a difference. It makes a difference in letting those communities know they are seen, letting those outside of those communities know there is a problem, and letting those in positions to make the needed changes know that we are watching to see what they do.
Resources
1. It’s Great That We Talk about 'Food Deserts' — But It Might Be Time to Stop | HuffPost; https://www.huffpost.com/entry/food-desert-problem-access-healthy-options_
2. Are We Thinking About Urban Food Deserts the Wrong Way? - Bloomberg ; and also see original research paper at the National Bureau of Economic Research at https://www.nber.org/papers/w24094
3. https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/food-matters/should-the-concept-of-a-food-desert-be-deserted/