Food deserts by country
Lower income households tend to stick to sourcing food from local vendors with more limited operating hours or through pastoralism.
When these studies took frequency into account, it was found that poor Africans use informal vendors more often for most of their needs and go to supermarkets to buy large quantities of a staple.
The 2014 AFSUN survey results indicate a wide variety of factors, such as gender, income, and education affect access to nutritious food.
[7] In 2005 in Western Australia, a dearth of high quality and affordable fruit and vegetables in isolated regions was identified as one factor limiting consumption, along with produce seasonality.
[8] A 2014 review found that the less populous and very remote areas of the state had fewer grocery stores and higher prices for fruit, vegetables, and dairy than in cities.
In 1990, a five-year campaign to increase access to healthy foods was started and led by the Department of Health in Western Australia and industry groups, to mixed success.
Furey et al. describes food desert creation as arising where "high competition from large chain supermarkets has created a void".
[17] Research suggests that supermarkets are the most effective way to supply communities with a wide selection of fresh and relatively affordable healthful food.
[19] Compared to residents of higher-income neighborhoods, low socioeconomic status (SES) individuals tend to have diets higher in meat and processed foods and a lower intake of fruits and vegetables.
"[28] Chain supermarkets benefit from economies of scale to offer consumers low prices, but are less prevalent in low-income urban areas.
[31] In the end, a 1990 U.S. government report found that people in urban areas pay 3 to 37 percent more for the same groceries locally than they would in a suburban supermarket.
[32] A 2002 report found, that in the absence of other grocery outlets, residents in low-income urban areas are often "forced to depend on small stores with limited selections of foods at substantially higher prices".
[citation needed] 2009 USDA findings are that prices for similar goods are on average higher at convenience stores than at supermarkets.
Resident small grocers struggle to be profitable partly due to low sales numbers, which make it difficult to meet wholesale food suppliers' minimum purchasing requirements.
[21][22][42] A summary report by The Colorado Health Foundation concluded that individuals with access to supermarkets tend to have healthier diets and a lower risk of chronic disease such as diabetes.
[17] Studies show that food insecurity can impact the health of elderly adults including lower BMI, limited activity and malnutrition.
[47] An elderly person without consistent access to enough fruits and vegetables and the proper variety of nutrients are at higher risk for health problems and future ailments.
[48] A 2010 study inversely correlated distance from supermarkets and decreased availability of healthy foods with increases in body mass index and risk of obesity.
[50] Nutritional disorders with co-morbidities are the ninth most frequent diagnostic category among hospitalized rural elderly Medicare beneficiaries.
Elderly adults struggling with obesity and overnutrition related to limited food choices are at risk of exacerbating existing chronic conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes, and increased functional decline.
[52] A 2005 study utilizing GIS determined that among the most impoverished neighborhoods in Detroit, African American ones were on average 1.1 miles farther from the nearest supermarket than white ones and 28% of their residents did not own a car.
[60] Health disparities related to food access and consumption are associated with residential segregation, low incomes, and neighborhood deprivation.
[33] A lack of adequate food sources and limited transportation available to low-income communities may contribute to poor nutrition.
[65] African Americans who lived in the same census tract with supermarket access were more likely to meet dietary guidelines for fruit and vegetable consumption.
[66] The study primarily critically assessed the structure of current social welfare policies, but noted that 25% of food stamp program participants lack easy access to a supermarket.
[34] Where growing vehicle availability is insufficient, better public transportation in rural food deserts or promoting safe walking and biking environments in urban areas may help.
[69] State and local governments are implementing public-private partnerships that use a combination of financing initiatives and community-level interventions to target areas with lower healthy food access.
[34] The progenitor program was Pennsylvania's Fresh Food Financing Initiative, a public-private partnership started in 2004 with state seed funds.
[64] Government programs like SNAP and WIC often in partnership with nonprofit organizations subsidize low-income individuals to purchase produce from farmers' markets.
In the fall of 2016 this pilot program was launched in conjunction with an established food delivery company, FreshDirect, for two zip codes in the Bronx.
