Do You Know?

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Food Deserts are geographic areas where residents have limited options for healthy, affordable foods, and are disproportionately found in vulnerable areas with high concentrations of poverty. However, since there is no exact definition of food deserts, U.S. government agencies and others characterize areas as food deserts by analyzing food insecurity, income status, access to grocery stores, and available transportation in those areas. Also, the root causes of food deserts are complex and often linked to social, economic, and political conditions. Overall, food deserts are widespread in America and can contribute to many health problems, including obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease.

The USDA defines Food Insecurity as a household's inability to consistently provide enough food for each person to live an active and healthy lifestyle. For instance, the disruption of a person's food intake or regular eating patterns due to a lack of food as well as the uncertainty, lack of, or inability to obtain nutritious food are all examples of food insecurity. According to the USDA, 89.5% (or 116.7 million) households in America experienced food insecurity throughout 2019 and 2020. Among the 89.5% of households, 85.2% housed children under the age of 18.