Many cities face the issues of food deserts and this can leave a negative impact on the community that doesn’t have access to fresh foods the same way other communities do. As a college student, you may be wondering “how does this impact me?”, that is why today I wanted to highlight the issue and explain ways you can help any environment that you notice is experiencing a food disparity.
What is a Food desert?
Before we get into ways to help, I think it’s beneficial to define what “food desert” means. According to the USDA, “food deserts are areas characterized by large proportions of households with low incomes, inadequate access to transportation, and a limited number of stores offering healthy groceries at affordable prices”. Areas that are food deserts may have closer access to fast food chains and other unhealthy food places, which can increase their risk of developing common chronic diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
Why Should You Care?
It’s always great to care about the well-beings of others and even helping out in the slightest way can go a long way. We should also care because in order for us to become a closer community, it’s important for us to know the injustices that occur in it.
What can we do?
One of the most direct approaches to helping this cause is supporting those that plan on putting grocery stores in these unaccounted communities. In Louisville, there is an organization called “The Louisville Community Grocery” that plans on opening a grocery store with local farmer’s produce for those living in the west-end of Louisville. There website is https://loufoodcoop.com/, and you can go there to learn more about how to help them carry out their goal.
You could also just spread the word. With more people recognizing the problem, more people can participate in creating a more equal community and a healthier future for all!
~TaeciAnn
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