The 'food desert' is a problem we can't afford to ignore

If you take away a "s," you can go from "food desserts" to "food deserts."

Food desserts sound wonderful and probably a little fattening. Food deserts is a term that might need get a shrug or a "Huh" look.

If you don't live in a large urban environment, or if you have a car, you might not understand the concept of a food desert, even if you knew what it was.

"You can walk to food or take the bus or train, or even drive a car." Not always.

If you live in a neighborhood where there are grocery stores that carries fresh fruit and vegetables, then you don't live in a food desert.

I live in a large urban environment, but I can walk a mile and get fresh food. Or I can easily take one bus if I'm tired or it's too cold. But many don't have that luxury.

How far is too far to travel for fresh fruits and vegetables?

I have been intrigued by the food desert concept — basically defined as living in an areas where fresh fruits and vegetables are difficult if not impossible to find. I was talking about this topic with Adrienne Samuels Gibbs, a journalist for Ebony magazine, who wrote an article on food deserts — "Watering the Food Desert" — in the June issue.

(I wanted to link to the article, but the article isn't available online. Niecy Nash is on the cover if you can find a copy. Here is a summary of the article.)

What I appreciated about Gibbs' article was that she offered inner-city solutions of people fighting back on this problem.

You might think food deserts aren't a problem since there probably are some fruits and vegetables, and why be picky. When you go to the grocery store, are you picky about the produce you buy? At farmers markets, don't you study which items look best?

Poorer people in economically depressed areas should have the same access to fresh fruits and vegetables that others have. If the upper strata is fighting about organic, just remember there are some who are fighting for a banana that isn't severely overripe, if they can find a banana.

Community gardens are a great way to fight back against food deserts. But what these areas need are grocery stores. And big chains have been reluctant to have as many grocery stores in economically depressed areas, even if people in these situations would take advantage of that option, if available.

When you are surrounded by fast food places, mini stores in gas stations — when that is your nearby supply of food — eating well becomes rather difficult. And even if you are able/willing to travel, not everyone has that option.

If you are old, you may not be able to travel as far for food as you would want to do. If you are one of the many working poor, and you have to travel extensively to get to your job, you might not have the time or energy to cope with proper shopping.

As consumers, we stress the love of convenience. We want our McDonald's or Starbucks close by where we are, regardless of where we are. Poor people want convenience, just like the rest of us. That can't be any more American if you tried.

Good food has to be accessible to the masses — all the masses. If you want to complain about the health costs of the poor, then getting them better access to good food can be a win-win situation.

Comments

[v online]

Vending machine food? Maybe when I was young and invincible. No way I'd go there now. I can see the "gawking as you drive by an accident" kind of draw it might have.

[Jo]

Wouldn't it be great if there was some sort of common community ground where all the people in the community can plant and harvest their own vegetable and fruits.