Food Deserts
Remaking the North American Food System by ISBN: 9780803215788
The Urban Food Revolution by ISBN: 9780865716834Publication Date: 2011-10-01
Food Deserts
According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention, food deserts are "areas that lack access to affordable fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat milk, and other foods that make up the full range of a healthy diet."
This lack of access can be caused by a lack of grocery stores selling produce in the area, lack of convenient or frequent public transportation routes to produce sellers, and a lack of farmers' markets or community gardens in the area.
Current government data reveals the number of food deserts in the United States are many. Advocates of community gardening and food justice see community gardens as a way to bring healthy foods to the communities living in these food deserts.
- Compilation from UIUC Horticulture LibGuide
The following websites provide further details on Food Deserts. Search for additional articles in the recommended library databases section of this guide.
- CDC's Resource Page on Food DesertsThe Center for Disease Control and Prevention has a resource web site on food deserts, covering everything from what a food desert is to how to locate them.
- Access to Affordable and Nutritious Food—Measuring and Understanding Food Deserts and Their Consequences: Report to CongressThis UIUC resource (online Government docs) is a report to Congress given in 2009 by the USDA Economic Research Service covering food deserts and their relation to hunger, food supply, and nutrition policy.
- Food Deserts in VirginiaThe Food Desert Task Force was created in 2013 to study the current status of food deserts in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The report “identifies challenges, consequences, strategies, and resources to address food deserts and offers recommendations for the General Assembly’s consideration and action.”