The Socio-Economic Significance of Food Deserts

This article examines the growing existence of areas where there is limited or no access to affordable, nutritious food. These areas, known as food deserts, are most prominently found in low-income communities and have been shown to contribute to the high rates of obesity and diabetes in these areas. This article also delves into the socio-economic implications of living in food desert area and how the two are directly related.

Document Details:
Published By:	Patchwork Nation
Publication Date:	June 2011

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Content Type:	Articles and Issue Briefs
Topic Area:	Background Information

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TAGS: diabetes, food deserts, obesity, poverty

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- Content Type: ?
  The Content Type category tells readers the way information in a particular resource is presented:
  
  Articles and Issue Briefs are shorter resources that provide information on topics related to hunger, poverty and hunger free communities work (e.g. newspaper articles, issues briefs).
  
  Research and Studies are longer resources that provide more in-depth information on specific issues related to hunger and poverty (e.g. academic papers, other studies, surveys and survey findings).
  
  Toolkits and Templates are the "how to guides" for getting from ideas to action (e.g. general instructions, step-by-step outlines for planning, checklists, pre-written forms, modifiable letters).
  
  Online Tools are resources presented in a web-based format.
  
  Case Studies highlight success stories and lessons learned from coalitions engaged in hunger free communities work.
  
  Community Plans are the written plans of HFC coalitions from across the country for making their communities hunger free.
  
  Slideshows and Presentations consist of information presented in slideshow, PowerPoint or similar formats.
  
  Non-English Language resources are resources available in languages other than English (e.g. Spanish, French).
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  The Community Type category identifies resources that provide information for specific geographical regions. Resources that could apply to any or all but do not specify a particular community type do NOT respond to these search terms:
  
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- Topic Area: ?
  The Topic Area category refers to the behind-the-scenes, mostly internal efforts of HFC coalitions as a whole:
  
  Background Information resources provide general information on topics related to hunger, poverty and HFC work.
  
  Coalition and Partnership Building is the cornerstone to HFC work. Coalition/Partnership building is the process of bringing together and organizing individuals and/or organizations to work together towards a common goal.
  
  Engaging Public Officials is vital to HFC efforts both in terms of the leadership that public officials can provide and their ability to affect policies related to hunger issues. Resources in this category make mention of this aspect of HFC work. Some of the resources are intended for public officials themselves about how they can actively engage in and promote HFC work. As such, they are useful to constituents for providing ways they can ask public officials to become involved.
  
  Engaging Community Institutions – They are institutions in every community whose realm of work is in some way affected by hunger. As such, engaging community institutions and leveraging the influence they have can greatly enhance HFC efforts. Examples of these types of community institutions include schools and education networks, hospitals and healthcare systems, and others.
  
  Analyzing Hunger in Your Community is part of what in more technical terms would be called a "needs and resource assessment." In order to come up with an effective plan to end hunger in an area, HFC coalitions must first understand hunger in the context of their particular community.
  
  Analyzing Community Resources and Assets – This part of a "needs and resource assessment" helps organizers understand what resources are available within a community, what resources are needed and how resources and assets might be better used.
  
  Analyzing Your Local Hunger Relief System – Also part of a "needs and resource assessment" Analyzing Your Local Hunger Relief System examines the breadth and effectiveness of current resources and efforts in a community that alleviate hunger.
  
  Developing Programs to End Hunger – Once HFC coalitions understand the needs, resources, and hunger relief system in their community, developing plans and programs (or "program development," as it is often called) to end hunger is the key component in getting from goals and ideas to action and results.
  
  Raising Public Awareness and Participation, also commonly referred to as "outreach" or "marketing," is the aspect of HFC work that reaches out to the general public to engage community members both as beneficiaries and partners in creating a hunger free community.
  
  Evaluating and Measuring your Coalition's Progress, also commonly referred to as "monitoring and evaluation" is an important aspect of any coalition project in determining if its goals are being achieved.
  
  Training Service Providers falls within the realm of what is known as "capacity building". Capacity building refers to strengthening the skills, competencies and abilities of individuals and organizations to improve the anti-hunger work that they do.
  
  Funding and Staffing Ideas and Assistance – Organizations and coalitions need a combination of funds and staff in order to operate. Resources in this category deal with this aspect of HFC work.
- Activity: ?
  The Activity category refers to “external” activities, which are typically carried out by member organizations of a coalition, and sometimes, thought not often, coalitions as a whole.
  
  SNAP Outreach increases awareness of the SNAP program in a community to individuals and families who are eligible but may not be receiving SNAP benefits.
  
  Food Banking/Food Pantries provide individuals and families with uncooked or unprepared food items.
  
  Gleaning is the collection of leftover crops from farmers' fields after they have been commercially harvested or on fields where it is not economically profitable to harvest.
  
  Food Rescue is the collection and redistribution of leftover groceries and prepared foods that would otherwise go to waste from grocery stores, restaurants, and other food service or food manufacturing entities.
  
  Backpack Programs provide food assistance to low-income families with children by giving food items to students at school for them to take home.
  
  Home Meal Delivery programs deliver food items and meals to individuals who might have challenges in obtaining and transporting an adequate amount of nutritious food. (e.g. Meals on Wheels for homebound senior citizens)
  
  Community/Soup Kitchens provide individuals and families with cooked or prepared meals. At times community/soup kitchens might also give bags or groceries along with cooked/prepared meals.
  
  School Meals are free or reduced-priced meals provided to low-income children during the school day through the School Breakfast Program (SBP) and the National School Lunch Program (NSLP).
  
  After School Feeding programs provide healthy and nutritious meals to low-income children after the school day has officially ended.
  
  Summer Feeding programs provide healthy and nutritious meals to low-income children or children in low-income neighborhoods during the summer months when school is not in session.
  
  Community Gardens are typically public or community-oriented gardening plots, which often promote local, sustainable agriculture; environmental awareness; nutrition education; community development; etc. At times, locations are near schools, hospitals, parks, and other public gather places.
  
  Farmers Markets are direct markets where individual vendors, typically local farmers, sell their goods and produce directly to consumers. Farmers Markets are growing in popularity, both as options for fresh and nutritious foods, and for those supporting local food systems.
  
  Farm-to-School Programs connect producers of local food to school feeding programs. These programs support local agriculture and often incorporate health and nutrition education for children.
  
  Food Access/Healthy Corner Store Initiatives help to provide fresh, affordable and nutritious foods to areas, known as “food deserts” where such food access is often not available.
  
  Health & Nutrition Education provides individuals with knowledge and resources for eating nutritious foods and living healthy and active lives.
  
  Advocacy enhances the voices of individuals and organizations on policies that affect individuals’ and communities’ abilities to become and remain hunger free.
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