The basic definition of a food desert is pretty clear: a geographical island where the poverty rate is over 20% and residents have limited access to nutritious food. Essentially, there are areas in the country where poorer residents that have limited means of transportation and are limited in food options. Many are forced to rely on fast-food restaurants or convenience stores within walking distance, and these often have few, if any, fresh and healthy food choices.
Many believe these food deserts are more common in urban areas, since there is a common assumption that those in poverty in rural areas will still have reasonable access to transportation, i.e. a car. However, even if lower-income people have access to a car, they still won’t be able to visit a grocery store often if it’s over 20 miles away. Unable to visit a major grocery store, they’re left with very few alternatives for fresh food. The obstacles are worse in the mountains, where winter conditions can make some roads impassible for long stretches of time. And while some people might be willing to walk a mile home with an armload of fresh groceries in good weather, they might forgo it with harsh winter conditions. Without options for a healthy diet, people living in food deserts are at a risk for a wide range of health problems such as obesity and diabetes.
The USDA Food Desert Locator is an online tool that maps census tract data and identifies 11 food deserts in Western North Carolina, seven of which are in urban areas. They span from Rutherfordton to Hendersonville and Asheville, up to large portions of Haywood, Madison and Mitchell counties.
Solving the problem of food deserts isn’t simple, and it requires multiple approaches. Steffi Duginske, the coordinator of Healthy Haywood, a program of the Haywood County Health Department, said that survey results among county residents asking why they don’t eat a healthy diet runs the spectrum: from lack of access to quality/healthy foods to poor diet choices and just not knowing how to eat healthy. Not only do residents need to have access to healthy food, they must be educated on how to properly utilize it. To that effect, MountainWise is partnering with Corner Stores in an effort to expand their healthy food options. Our goal is to both bring more fresh foods into corner stores, and to encourage those choices with eye-catching displays, recipe cards, etc. We believe that if people are given more access to fresh food options and the knowledge with how to use them, they will make the best choices for themselves. It’s still early on in the program, but we’re believe we’re on the right track toward combating food deserts in Western North Carolina
Photo courtesy of iFindit.