Gomaa 1

Tackling Food Deserts in

America:
How Food Insecurity is Affecting Millions around the United States

Billal Gomaa
Professor Babcock
ENGL 138T
20 April 2022

9
 Gomaa 2

Introduction
______________________________________________________________________________
Food is among the basic necessities that humans need for survival; it provides all of the

crucial nutrients everyone needs to maintain their body’s functions. In recent years, lessons

aimed at informing children how to make healthier food choices have become increasingly more

common. This push to educate kids about the importance of nutrients can be seen as a direct

response to increasing and alarming rates of obesity in America. Prominent political figures have

taken initiative and made it a point to change the way Americans see the food that is being put in

their body. However, these efforts have failed to target an even larger internal issue: people

lacking access to healthy food options in the first place. Food deserts are portions of the United

States, in which there exists no grocery stores or other stores to purchase healthy produce.16

These areas tend to be occupied by citizens of lower socioeconomic standing and their tight

budget forces them to purchase cheap and unhealthy food. Although some conversations about

this issue have been started, there needs to be a stronger push in legislation and overall citizen

awareness about the impact food deserts have on the lives of many. The USDA, FDA and other

related food government groups must make changes in hopes of eventually eliminating all food

deserts in the country.

Discussion/Background
______________________________________________________________________________
What constitutes a food desert?

A common misconception about the term “food desert” is that it is an area in which there

is no food available. However, this is not the case. They are areas in which the food available is

fatty, oily and extremely unhealthy. As defined by the USDA, a food desert is a place where “at

least a third of the population lives greater than one mile away from a supermarket for urban
 Gomaa 3

areas, or greater than 10 miles for rural areas.”3 In other words, they are areas where healthy food

is either unaffordable, inaccessible or simply non-existent to its inhabitants. By the USDA’s

definition, about 23.5 million people in America live in a food desert. 16 Despite accounting for a

little over 7% of the United States population, the issues caused by food deserts are astronomical

for people living in them. This number also does not account for the over 70 million households

that are food insecure, a term used to describe those who are unable to purchase sufficient and

nutritious foods throughout the year.3

How have food deserts come to be?

In order to recognize that a solution is possible, it is important to understand that food

deserts did not always exist: they have been caused by the build-up of issues over centuries. The

entrenched infrastructure leaves no quick solution to the problem, and that to fix the issue is to

tackle it at its roots. Food deserts are a direct bi-product of both systemic racism and the “health

inequalities of a corporate-controlled food system.”10 Unlike environmental deserts, the location

 Gomaa 4

of these areas are not random, they tend to be occupied by communities of color, and

low-income families. Due to race-based restrictions stemming from the 19th and 20th century,

these neighborhoods were predominantly settled by Black and Latino Americans. Zoning laws in

the early 1900s segregated housing of Americans by race, forcing Black Americans to live in

separate neighborhoods, attend different schools and be a part of different communities as White

Americans.10 Real estate often gets passed from generation to generation, meaning that although

these zoning laws are no longer in effect, its repercussions still affect the areas that people live in

today. Over years, these areas have not been a focus of industrial growth, leading to a severe lack

of development. Food deserts contribute greatly to the fact that 76% of neighborhoods with a

majority population of Black people are among the most food insecure.1 Although researchers

are always wary of immediately pointing to a cause and effect relationship, the comparison

between areas with the highest percent of low-income households and highest percentage of

people of color and lack of grocery stores is shocking.

11

What stores DO exist in food deserts?

As stated earlier, the largest misconception with food deserts is that they are in which

people are food deprived. The truth is, however, that they are a haven for fast food franchises
 Gomaa 5

such as McDonalds, Burger King and Wendy’s. Research has found that people in food deserts

have an average of 2.5 times more exposure to fast food than those outside of these areas.16 The

plethora of unhealthy food is accompanied by many gun and liquor stores, further explaining the

higher than average rates of gun violence and alcoholism present in these areas.6 Additionally, in

replacement of traditional grocery stores, they are flooded with convenience stores, having 30%

more than the national average.7 These mini-marts are packed with candy and microwavable

foods rather than fresh produce. Food deserts are dominated by shops that are destined to create

problems for the people.

Statement of Need

The above background and discussion highlight and divide the problem behind food

apartheids into two main sections. Firstly, there are areas in which inhabitants simply do not have

the option to purchase healthy and nutritious food as it is not feasible for them. Low-income

families tend to not have access to personal transportation, making it difficult for families to

travel extreme distances to obtain

better food options. This issue is

mainly attributed to the way the

country was built at its roots.

Secondly, even if these

lower-income areas are even given

6
access to healthier food, it is

unrealistic to assume that they will be able to afford it; the food business is corporate-controlled,

meaning that its main incentive is profit. It is the reason that food insecurity in general has

plagued the United States for so long. As shown in the graph above, the share of disposable
 Gomaa 6

income that people spend on food is highest in lower salary brackets; the less money someone

makes, the more of their money they're having to spend on food.6 A combination of the two

aforementioned problems is why there is no quick fix to the layered complications behind food

deserts. The importance of tackling this issue can also be further exemplified through the

COVID-19 pandemic, in which the virus created yet another barrier for food desert families to

reach nutritious options.9 Efforts to tackle this issue must be begun as soon as possible.

Urgency of Situation
______________________________________________________________________________
Lacking access to healthy foods takes a toll on many aspects of quality of life, which can

be analyzed through the many social determinants of health. Social determinants of health have

been identified over the years as “factors and conditions in the environments where people are

born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and

quality-of-life outcomes and risks.”14 They are beyond the control of the individual and a burden

onto people from the moment that they are born. With respect to food deserts, researchers have

found that certain social determinants

such as lack of education about

nutritional balance, access to

transportation and most notably,

access to fresh produce and food

markets play into the development of

16
food deserts. The figure above

illustrates just how interconnected all

of the issues behind food deserts are. Again, we see that the choropleth map of lack of
 Gomaa 7

transportation and supermarkets lines up almost identical to prevalence of low-income

households. The lack of these resources leaves people in a vicious cycle of harm.

Chronic Illnesses

When insufficient quantities of proper food are put into the body, the body’s systems and

networks will be severely hindered. Some may be short term issues, but over time, these states of

bodily instability can lead to more severe and long-term effects. In the United States, chronic

illnesses are some of the leading causes of death with heart disease, diabetes and obesity being

the most common.8 Unsurprisingly, a large contributor to these alarming chronic illness rates is

unhealthy eating habits. Fast food tends to have extremely high levels of sodium, sugar and

saturated fats, all of which are detrimental to the body in high doses. As a result of the insane

prevalence of fast food franchises in food deserts, these areas have diabetes rates that are twice

the national average.3 As with the theme for this issue, there is yet another correlation with

diabetes rates by county and where food

deserts exist. The similarity is no

coincidence. Researchers have found that

food deserts can cause 15% of inhabitants to

have diabetes; that is one in 7 people!1

1
 Gomaa 8

Sadly, this trend continues with obesity rates; the most obeses counties are all near food

deserts. These areas also have little to no healthcare, making the diagnosis and treatment of these

illnesses very difficult.1 Changes in policy accompanied with new and relevant solutions must be

created in order to combat the issue at its root.

Current Addressing of Situation

______________________________________________________________________________
Non-profit Organizations

Although there is currently no concrete fix to eliminating food deserts, there exist some

groups hoping to be a part of the solution. These organizations have been created to help bring

healthy food to the people who do not have access to it. Although not directly targeted at food

deserts, these groups help tackle food/nutrition insecurity and with that, hope to fight food

deserts as well. One of these amazing organizations is “Wholesome Wave,” a non-profit

organization founded in 2007 when professional chef Michel Nischan realized how much food

that his restaurant was throwing out.5,7 Not only are they helping deliver food directly to the

people, they are also actively advocating for more funding to be allocated to governmental food

insecurity programs. Additionally, they provide plenty of information on their website about how

to both receive food from them and how to donate to their organization.7 While the organization
 Gomaa 9

has been able to provide help to communities across the nation, there is only so much they can

do. Wholesome Wave is constrained by the actual donations that it receives; as a national

non-profit, the group relies heavily on the help of people giving food to continue its efforts. This

limits the amount of food that can be given out meaning a limited number of people that can be

helped. Food deserts become reliant on the amount of food being donated to the organization.

This solution is also very short-term as it does not rectify the inherent infrastructural issues

causing the problem. With this being said, the organization is still doing great work and their

efforts are necessary for a solution to be found.

Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move Campaign

While serving in the White House, Michelle Obama was a huge advocate for poverty

awareness, women empowerment and healthy lifestyles. One of her most famous and prized

accomplishments is the “Let’s Move” campaign, an ongoing effort aimed at “raising a healthier

generation of kids.”2 Her campaign addressed many topics, from the importance of getting

active, eating healthy and teaching kids what a balanced meal looks like. Beyond the creation of

MyPlate, Michelle recognized that not everyone has the option to eat healthy and thus included

efforts at informing and eliminating food deserts as part of her campaign. Having such a

prominent figure talking about the situation spread awareness and led to the creation of many

donation drives. Although this is again a step in the right direction, there have been little to no

effective and long-term solutions in place.

Proposed Solutions
______________________________________________________________________________
When looking for previously proposed changes, many of them seemed to lack the ability

to work in the real world. For example, food advocates have long proposed to limit the number

of dollar/corner stores in any given area.4 While this may seem like a step in the right direction,
 Gomaa 10

this ‘solution’ is ineffective in giving the people what they need. It infringes on the rights of store

owners and simply rids of food supplies without helping the people. The goal with policy change

should be to help develop the infrastructure of food deserts to benefit stores and more

importantly, the people. The following proposed solutions are all aimed at eliminating food

deserts completely by utilizing policies that already exist, giving specifics as to which

organizations should be responsible for initiating the change. Many of the solutions can and

should likely be used simultaneously as they each provide an effective approach to different

aspects of the situation.

Changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the food

stamps program is an initiative begun by the USDA to “supplement the food budget of needy

families so they can purchase healthy food and move towards self-sufficiency.”13 Families that

are eligible can be approved through the program and given an Electronic Benefits Transfer

(EBT) card; this card is exactly like a debit card where funds are placed every month and can be

used to buy groceries.5 Currently, the

SNAP program provides a national

average of $239 to families a month.15

SNAP is an effective program, but has

areas that can be improved to better

benefit its users. First off, more of the

15
governmental budget should be

allocated to SNAP and other similar food

initiatives. In the case of SNAP and other USDA’s programs, funding is provided by the
 Gomaa 11

Department of Agriculture and FDA’s annual budgets. If more money is put into SNAP, more

money can be placed into the pockets of those who need it to buy nutritional food. Overall,

increasing funding would relieve the monetary burden that people in food deserts have to face

and also encourage them to purchase the more expensive fresh produce.

Along the same lines, there should be better guidelines on what is available for purchase

with an EBT. The SNAP program solely aids monetarily without actually supplying more

options for nutritional assistance, which should be part of the goal. As of today, SNAP users can

utilize their card to purchase any food except for vitamins, beer and other liquor or foods that are

hot at sale.17 With these guidelines, food desert inhabitants are likely to go back to purchasing

unhealthy food as it is the cheapest and most convenient. Instead, the money can be split, with

each portion of money being allocated to specific food groups. For example, $150 out of the

monthly SNAP money can be for fresh produce, meat and poultry leaving the rest up to the user's

choice. Also this sounds limiting at first, doing so would allow for more access to healthy food

while also benefiting the existing stores in the area. Stores will recognize that their target

customers have money solely for fresh produce. To capitalize on profits, they must offer fresh

food to help maximize the money that they are making. This solution provides a mutualistic

relationship between stores and the people.

Incentivizing the Opening of Grocery Stores: Tax Breaks

Improvements in the SNAP program allows for changes within the stores that are already

open. However, there needs to be change that allows for actual grocery stores to begin franchises

in the food deserts. One effective way to do this would be to offer tax breaks for entities that

open stores in indicated areas that promise to provide healthy options. Such a bill would be

passed under congress and the directory of the IRS.3 For example, the IRS can state that any
 Gomaa 12

store that agrees to open in a food desert and pledge to provide 80% fresh produce can apply for

tax breaks. Again, this solution provides benefits for the people and the stores themselves,

driving competition of stores as well. Stores are incentivized by increasing profit while

simultaneously helping provide healthy options to the people.

Bus Stops to Outside Supermarkets

The above two changes can take a longer time to implement due to the nature of passing

laws and regulations through the government. In the meantime, bus stops can be set up near

major supermarkets to make them more accessible. As evidenced by the aforementioned graphs,

many food desert families do not have access to personal transportation such as cars. Having

more public transportation options can make the distance barrier a little easier to pass, closing the

gap between grocery stores and the people. A combination of county officials and the United

States Department of Transportation would have to come together to make this happen by

changing bus routes.

Spreading the Word

Finally, more awareness needs to be spread about the situation. Michelle Obama’s “Let’s

Move” campaign was considered a great success due to her efforts to just get people talking.

More open conversations about food deserts will allow for more donations to organizations such

as Wholesome Wave. Having a better informed public will also increase public awareness about

other related issues such as food waste. Less food waste on an individual level can lead to more

food donations helping fight food insecurity.

 Gomaa 13

Conclusion
______________________________________________________________________________

Food deserts are undoubtedly a detrimental problem to the lives of many. Even with the

surface definition of food deserts, many don’t recognize how many aspects of life it affects. As

of today, there are some initiatives aimed at reducing the harm of these areas. Food organizations

rely on donations to deliver food directly to food desert inhabitants. However, for effective and

long-term change to occur, changes in legislation must be made to reverse the lack of

infrastructure. Changes to existing programs such as SNAP as well as increasing awareness

about the issue needs to happen in order for food deserts to be eliminated. If these changes are

taken into consideration, people will receive the healthy food options they deserve, and stores in

the area will thrive, overall bettering the development of the counties.
 Gomaa 14

Endnotes

1. Alexis, Amber Charles. “Food Deserts: Causes, Effects, and Solutions.” Healthline,

Healthline Media, 14 June 2021,

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/food-deserts#locations-stats.

2. Aubrey, Allison. “First Lady: Let's Move Fruits and Veggies to 'Food Deserts'.” NPR,

NPR, 20 July 2011,

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2011/07/20/138544907/first-lady-lets-move-fru

its-and-veggies-to-food-deserts.

3. Characteristics and Influential Factors of Food ... - USDA ERS.

https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/45014/30940_err140.pdf.

4. Dailee, Aria. “5 Solutions That Alleviate Food Insecurity in the U.S.” Medium, Heated,

10 Apr. 2021,

https://heated.medium.com/5-solutions-that-alleviate-food-insecurity-in-the-u-s-767ba03f

cb94.

5. “EBT.” Department of Human Services,

https://www.dhs.pa.gov/Services/Assistance/Pages/EBT.aspx.

6. Green, Dymond. “Why Food Deserts Are Still a Problem in America.” CNBC, CNBC, 20

Aug. 2020,

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/20/trader-joes-kroger-walmart-supervalu-and-americas-fo

od-deserts.html#:~:text=The%20USDA%20defines%20a%20food,live%20in%20a%20fo

od%20desert.

7. “History.” Wholesome Wave, https://www.wholesomewave.org/histor.

 Gomaa 15

8. HTTPS Www.gardeningknowhow.com Special Spaces Desert ...

https://peter-wendy.com/https-www-gardeningknowhow-com-special-spaces-desert-gard

en-ideas-htm-dallas-2022/.

9. “The Impact of Covid-19 on Food Deserts.” Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the

Eastern Shore, 2 June 2020,

https://foodbankonline.org/2020/06/02/the-impact-of-covid-19-on-food-deserts/.

10. LeBlanc, Atticus. “Council Post: How Systemic Racism Exists in U.S. Housing Policies.”

Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 10 Dec. 2021,

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesrealestatecouncil/2020/07/09/how-systemic-racism-e

xists-in-us-housing-policies/?sh=2e2339b86959.

11. Matson, John. “Food Deserts Leave Many Americans High and Dry.” Scientific

American, Scientific American, 1 May 2012,

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/high-and-dry-in-the-food/.

12. National Archives and Records Administration, National Archives and Records

Administration, https://letsmove.obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/.

13. “Snap Household State Averages for SNAP Benefits (FY 2018).” Food and Nutrition

Service U.S. Department of Agriculture,

https://www.fns.usda.gov/SNAP-household-state-averages.

14. “Social Determinants of Health.” Social Determinants of Health - Healthy People 2030,

https://health.gov/healthypeople/priority-areas/social-determinants-health.

15. “Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).” Food and Nutrition Service U.S.

Department of Agriculture, 16 Aug. 2021,

https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program.
 Gomaa 16

16. University, Megan Prendergast Spoon. “The Shocking Truth about Food Deserts and

American Obesity.” Spoon University, 23 July 2015,

https://spoonuniversity.com/lifestyle/food-desert-obesity-rates.

17. “What Can Snap Buy?” Food and Nutrition Service U.S. Department of Agriculture, 14

Apr. 2021, https://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/eligible-food-items.