Food Desert Research Paper

Words: 716
Pages: 3

Access to healthy food is a fundamental human right, but can be complicated when geography is involved. In today’s world, many of us can access nutritious food most of the time. We can do this because we live in areas where supermarkets are just a drive away. Some places in the United States don’t have the luxury of doing so. People in these areas find it hard to get healthy food because they may live far away from a supermarket and don’t have the provisions to reach one. A person's geographical location impacts access to nutritious foods because it generates areas called food deserts that increase health disorders and are areas that are hard to leave.

These food deserts are found all around the United States. According to research, “The prevalence of food deserts varies significantly by state. Alaska has the highest relative share of land area that is classified as a food desert due to much of the state being unpopulated or lowly populated. Many western states such as New Mexico, Colorado, and Washington are among the states with the highest share of the area in a food desert.” This evidence shows that food deserts stretch across a wide area in the US. The western states share the highest area in a food desert and these
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According to experts at USDA, “Some neighborhoods lacking supermarkets may be served by smaller grocery or convenience stores which may offer some healthy foods, but often at higher prices than supermarkets. Low-income households often leave food deserts to shop where food prices are lower.” This evidence shows that the price of food in small convenience stores in food deserts is high even though these stores provide fewer nutritious options. People in the food deserts have to go far distances to get healthy, cheaper food. Having to do this with fewer modes of transport is unfair and unjust to the people whose lives revolve around food