Food Deserts: Why They Exist and How They Deepen Inequality

In some neighborhoods, the simple act of grocery shopping can feel like a monumental task. These are food deserts — areas where access to affordable, nutritious food is limited or entirely unavailable. For people living in these communities, food deserts are more than an inconvenience; they are a daily reminder of systemic inequities that deeply affect health and well-being.

What Are Food Deserts?

A food desert is an area, often in low-income urban or rural communities, where residents have little to no access to fresh, affordable, and healthy food options. In these areas, grocery stores and supermarkets are scarce, leaving residents to rely on convenience stores and fast-food outlets that primarily sell processed and unhealthy items.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines food deserts as areas where a significant portion of the population lives more than a mile from the nearest supermarket in urban areas or more than 10 miles away in rural regions. This physical distance creates barriers that disproportionately affect people without reliable transportation or sufficient resources to travel.

Why Do Food Deserts Exist?

The existence of food deserts is tied to a mix of economic, social, and systemic factors:

1. Market Dynamics
   Large grocery chains tend to avoid low-income areas due to perceived lower profit margins. These businesses prioritize areas with higher disposable incomes, leaving poorer neighborhoods underserved.

2. Urban Planning and Infrastructure
   Decades of disinvestment in certain neighborhoods, often influenced by systemic racism and discriminatory policies like redlining, have created communities that lack essential infrastructure, including grocery stores.

3. Transportation Barriers
   In areas without reliable public transportation, even a short distance to the nearest supermarket can feel like a challenge to get to. Residents who rely on walking or buses face significant challenges when buying groceries, especially in bulk.

4. Rural Isolation
   In rural areas, small populations spread over large distances make it unprofitable for supermarkets to operate, leaving residents with limited options for fresh and nutritious food.

The Impact of Food Deserts on Inequality

The absence of accessible, nutritious food deepens existing health and economic disparities:

• Nutritional Deficiencies and Chronic Disease
  Food deserts often force residents to rely on calorie-dense, low-nutrient foods. This contributes to higher rates of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease — conditions that disproportionately affect low-income and marginalized communities.

• Economic Strain
  Without local options, residents may need to spend extra time and money traveling to supermarkets, placing a financial burden on already strained budgets. Additionally, reliance on expensive convenience store items can exacerbate economic hardships.

• Intergenerational Inequity
  Children growing up in food deserts may face long-term health and developmental challenges due to poor nutrition. These disparities can perpetuate cycles of poverty and health inequity across generations.

The Bigger Picture

Food deserts are not just about where grocery stores are located — they are a reflection of systemic inequalities that prioritize profit over people’s health and well-being. Addressing this issue requires understanding the root causes and working toward a society where everyone has equitable access to fresh, healthy food.

Food is a basic human need, but for those living in food deserts, it’s a daily challenge that highlights broader societal failures. As we look at public health through a lens of equity, food deserts must remain a focal point for meaningful change.