The Struggle for Fresh Food in America: American Food Deserts

Having access to fresh, nutritious, and affordable food is an essential human right, yet it's an everyday challenge for millions of people living in the United States. Over 33 million people reside in food deserts — areas where supermarkets and other fresh, nutritious food sources is limited or non-existent. Typically located in low-income urban and rural regions, they have a disproportionate impact on communities of color, children, and the elderly.

We Waste Half the Food we Eat, so Why do we Have Food Deserts?

Food deserts emerge due to a complicated interplay of economic, social, and environmental elements. Factors such as lower profit margins, increased operational costs, and perceived security threats deter supermarkets and grocery stores from establishing themselves in lower-income neighborhoods. As a result, residents are left to fend for themselves at convenience stores and fast-food outlets, which sell less than nutritious food, to say the least. Additionally, challenges in transportation, be it the absence of public transit, personal automobiles, or bicycle facilities, can hinder a person’s ability to reach neighborhoods offering better grocery selections.

The Expansion of Food Deserts in the United States

Regrettably, the prevalence of food deserts in the United States is on the rise, a trend partially attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has further intensified the existing disparities in food accessibility. For example, supply chain disruptions, panic buying, and closures of food retail outlets have made it even harder for people living in food deserts to access healthy food.

Can we Change This? What are the Solutions?

There is no single solution to food deserts; the causes are complex and interrelated often influenced by two opposing forces; the need to make money and the need to eat nutritious food. However, several approaches have been proposed and some adopted, including:

Community gardens and farms: Initiatives driven by communities to cultivate fresh produce in both urban and rural settings can enhance access to nutritious food. Additionally, they can serve as platforms for learning, fostering social bonds, and promoting physical activity. By using space-efficient techniques like tomato volcanoes and water smart crop circle farms, communities can produce a large volume of fresh food in a small amount of space, making them a great solution for urban areas.

Crop Circle Food Habitats: Engineered to grow food in a food desert, Growing To Give Food Habitats are “grow anywhere” food propagation systems that can operate on or off the grid, grow food with less resources, utilize small urban spaces, and provide live-in accommodation for workers.

Mobile markets and delivery services: Mobile markets and delivery services can bring fresh food directly to residents in food deserts, bypassing the need for a physical store in the area.

Policy and advocacy: Advocating for policies that support healthy food access and promote equity can help to address the root causes of food deserts. For instance, enacting policies that offer incentives to supermarkets to establish themselves in underprivileged areas, allocating funds for transportation infrastructure enhancement to improve access, or boosting financial support for programs promoting healthy food can all contribute positively to addressing this issue.

Banking on the Heath of America: Food Banks and Food Deserts

In addition to community gardens and mobile markets, food banks also play a crucial role in the fight against food deserts. Food banks collect, store, and distribute food to those who have limited access to it or simply can’t afford it. These entities can often bridge the gap for those living in food deserts, providing fresh produce to those who would otherwise have limited access. Partnering with food producers, supermarkets, and both corporate and individual donors, food banks help ensure that surplus vegetables reach the dinner tables of those in need, rather than going to waste.

Growing To Give, a nonprofit organization committed to creating food security in both urban and rural food deserts, is one of the organizations addressing food insecurity by cultivating community gardens and farms. Their space-efficient tomato volcanoes and water-savvy crop circle farms and gardens are intended to optimize food production in constrained spaces, which is proving to be an excellent solution for urban areas. By collaborating with community organizations and equipping volunteers with knowledge and resources, Growing To Give is aiding in broadening access to wholesome food while promoting social connection and community development.

Growing To Give, a nonprofit organization committed to creating food security in both urban and rural food deserts, is one of the organizations addressing food insecurity by cultivating community gardens and farms. Their space-efficient tomato volcanoes and water-smart crop circle farms and gardens are intended to optimize food production in constrained spaces, which is proving to be an excellent solution for urban areas. By collaborating with community organizations and equipping volunteers with knowledge and resources, Growing To Give is aiding in broadening access to wholesome food while promoting social connection and community development.