A food desert is a neighborhood or region which lacks affordable sources of healthy food, such as fresh produce, whole grains, or low-fat dairy products. In a food desert, at least 33% of the population (or at least 500 people) lives more than one mile from a supermarket in an urban area, or more than ten miles away in a rural area. Without access to large groceries, residents must eat at fast food restaurants and shop at convenience stores or small markets that carry little to no healthy, fresh food. Residents may also not have access to public or private transportation to reach supermarkets located outside the food desert.
A 2009 report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture found that:
- 2.3 million U.S. households, or 2.2 percent, live more than a mile from a supermarket and do not have access to a vehicle. An additional 3.4 million households, or 3.2 percent of all households, live between one-half to 1 mile and do not have access to a vehicle.
- Urban core areas with limited food access are characterized by higher levels of racial segregation and greater income inequality. In small-town and rural areas with limited food access, the lack of transportation infrastructure is the most defining characteristic.
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Source:
Ver Ploeg, Michele; Breneman, Vince; Farrigan, Tracey; et al. Access to Affordable and Nutritious Food—Measuring and Understanding Food Deserts and Their Consequences: Report to Congress. US Department of Agriculture, Administrative Publication No. (AP-036), June 2009.
