Food Deserts

Food deserts are places or regions where individuals have limited access to affordable

and healthful food. Most individuals understand the significance of consuming nutritious

foods such as vegetables and fruits and avoiding unhealthy and processed foods such as fast

food and chips. The name 'Food Deserts' means that there are more gas stations and corner

stores instead of farmers' markets and grocery stores. In the corner stores, there is often

limited shelf space for food options that are healthy, thus making it difficult to find nutritious

food for many families. Most areas that are considered food deserts have at least a 20% of the

poverty rate. About 82% of food deserts are located in urban areas.

Food deserts refer to geographical areas or locations where individuals do not live

close to healthy and affordable food retailers. These areas are often low-income, and healthy

food options are unaffordable or hard to find. Food deserts are found in tribal, rural, and

urban communities. The negative impacts of food deserts have a disproportionate impact on

areas populated by the poor and elderly, with educational and income levels, as well as age,

being the primary factors that relate to levels of food insecurity. Food deserts have several

impacts on the community. Nutrition and diet play a significant role in chronic illnesses.

Chronic diseases are the leading factors causing disabilities and deaths in the U.S, with

cancer, diabetes, and disease is the most common. Among food-insecure and low-income

communities, disproportionate access to healthy and affordable food perpetuates health

disparities and poor nutrition, which promotes chronic ailments and higher rates of obesity.

The figure below provides a description of a map. It provides a piece of descriptive

information about the location of food deserts in Riverdale, New York. I reside in Riverdale,

a residential neighborhood in the New York borough. As of 2000, the area had a population

of approximately 47,850 individuals. The boundaries of Riverdale are disputed, but it is

bordered to the north by Yonkers. There are several desert foods in Riverdale which also

provide food pickup or delivery. Many individuals in New York live in a food desert. This is

because most of the areas are low-income areas, usually Hispanic and Black neighborhoods

without larger food outlets and supermarkets, thus lacking many options for affordable and

healthy food. Around my area, there are several food deserts, as shown on the map below.

The deserts are within a radius of 10 miles from my place of residence. The main food deserts

include KFC, whose latitude and longitude data is 33.567136, -84.412283. KFC is located in

the North Western part of Riverdale, and it provides several dessert foods, including snacks

and chips.

Another food restaurant is Panda Express, whose latitude and longitude data is

35.562120, -84.415559. Panda Express is approximately 5 miles from my residential area.

Other restaurants include Wendy's and Checkers, which are located in the Northern and

Eastern areas, respectively. The latitude and longitudes of these restaurants are 33.568923, -

84.413247, and 33.573231, -84.412453, respectively. These are also fast-food restaurants that

sell junky food to the state. McDonald's, Cook out, and Krystal are also fast food outlets

located approximately 8 miles in the southern part of my residential area. The latitude and

longitude for these restaurants are 33.571047, -84.412126, 33.567024, -84.413280 and

33.574393, -84.412425 respectively. Chick-fil-A and Popeye's are just 3.8 miles away from

my residential area. The latitude for these restaurants is 33.575688, -84.413466, and

33.571781, -84.412379, respectively. Chick-fil-A also has a ChargePoint Charging Station.

Taco bell is also a fast food that provides delivery and collection services to individuals

around Riverdale.

In conclusion, I can say that my community is fast-food. Most individuals living in

the area often turn to small groceries and expensive bodegas. It is evident that there is a

significant issue of inequality when it comes to accessing food. More so, the inequitable
access to affordable and healthy food is something that many individuals in the area

experience in the modern day. The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on

promoting individual consumption of fast-food. Most restaurants in the area promote online

orders and delivery of fast food in the area. Looking at the map above, we can identify that

there are several fast-food stores that are located in areas with more individuals. Most of the

areas on the map are covered by restaurants and buffers. This means that many individuals

living in this buffer live within a 20 min walk of a fast-food restaurant. However, the South

Western and North Eastern parts have the least access to fast food. These areas have higher

rates of car ownership and higher incomes as compared to others, which suggests their ability

to afford food and drive to retail stores. From this map, there are ten food deserts by its

traditional definition. The noticeable difference between low and high-income areas is that

the high-income areas have fewer delis or bodegas despite being less concentrated than low-

income areas. Therefore, the knowledge about food deserts indicates that most poor areas

have high access to fast-food and less access to healthier food as compared to wealthier areas.