17. The creation of food deserts
The definition of a food desert, according to the USDA, is a distance of more than one mile from a supermarket in an urban or suburban area, or a distance of more than 10 miles in rural areas. Food deserts typically appear in less affluent areas, where people frequently have fewer transportation options. Large supermarket chains find such areas less desirable for their operations, and though they frequently have more convenience shops in urban communities, they lack fresh food and produce. Instead, they offer more packaged and processed foods, of less nutritional quality, particularly for children.
As noted, grocery operators experience thin margins for profits. This led them to avoid opening stores in areas where sales aren’t likely to be profitable. According to the USDA, at the end of the 20th century over 20 million Americans lived in areas designated as food deserts. Of those, about 10% live in rural food deserts, most attributed to the presence of a large grocery retailer driving smaller operators out of business. Nonetheless, many residents live outside the ten-mile radius from the store and with less mobility, qualify as living in a food desert. Studies of food deserts indicate that those living within them receive far less of the recommended daily intakes of fruit, vegetables, and fresh meats.