As income inequality persists in the United States, individuals are increasingly categorized into two groups: the haves and the have-nots. For wealthier individuals, access to critical resources such as healthcare, quality education, and safety are seen as guarantees — a stark contrast to the lack of resources faced by those from less privileged backgrounds.

Income inequality also affects food access. In wealthier areas, individuals enjoy seemingly unlimited options when it comes to finding food and groceries that are nutritious and healthy. However, many Americans do not share this accessibility. This is due to “food deserts,” which can be defined as “geographic areas where residents’ access to affordable, healthy food options (especially fresh fruits and vegetables) is restricted or nonexistent” (Food Empowerment Project, 2017). Those who live in food deserts suffer from unhealthy diets and lifestyles, which in turn leads to negative health outcomes for the millions of Americans in these areas.

Some of America’s most pressing public health issues are obesity and diet-related illness. According to the CDC, “20% of young people aged 2 to 19 years and 42% of adults have obesity,” leading to an increased risk of “heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers” (CDC, 2022). Like many other socioeconomic issues in this country, poorer Americans and persons of color (POC) bear the brunt of this crisis, shown by the fact that minority groups such as Hispanic and Black Americans are, according to the US Department of Health and Services, more likely to suffer from obesity (Office of Minority Health, n.d.). Given food deserts drive health disparities amongst diet-related illnesses, targeting food deserts is essential to curb these problems. However, such solutions are impossible without understanding the history of this issue and why the richest country in the world continues to have significant proportions of its citizens living in areas scarce of healthy food. Consequently, we can better evaluate the programs and policies that can mitigate this issue and how they can be modified to provide pathways for better health across demographic groups.

Food deserts are almost exclusively found in low-income areas that are housed disproportionately by POCs. This is due to several factors, including historical and systemic racism. One stark example of historical prejudices that have current consequences is the practice of redlining, which was used to deny loans to people living in certain neighborhoods, such as in the suburbs. Redlining practices “disproportionately affected” communities such as Black and Hispanic ones, forcing them to concentrate in areas in which they could get loans, such as in inner cities or areas with limited economic opportunity (MoveForHunger, 2020). The lack of opportunity and resources in these areas made it difficult for businesses to open in these communities, including grocery stores. As a result, many Black and Hispanic communities lacked stores and restaurants that provided nutritious food. Because POCs are more likely to live in food deserts and have less access to healthy foods, they are more likely to experience diet-related health problems, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease (Mukherjee, 2020). Due to this, many experts in this field use the term “food apartheid” to describe the distribution of food deserts, highlighting the racial and socioeconomic aspects of this crisis.

Another challenge that those who live in these areas have is that because food deserts are almost entirely home to lower-income individuals, residents in these areas do not have access to private transportation (Criden, 2008). This makes it difficult for them to travel to grocery stores that are located outside of their neighborhoods. Due to the lack of an emphasis on public transit across America, those without private transportation — many of whom are lower-income individuals — are truly left behind.

It must be noted that, contrary to common belief, one’s diet is not dictated solely by personal choice. Instead, food access has a large influence on what an individual eats. In food deserts across America, access to healthy foods is slim. When nutritious products such as fruits, vegetables, and grains are not within reach, the only other alternative diet is one that is heavily based on processed meals and junk foods due to the relative ubiquity of fast food restaurants and gas station stores. This, coupled with a lack of health education regarding food in schools and compounded by existing socioeconomic factors that work against lower-income young individuals, drives negative health outcomes for scores of Americans, giving many no other option than enduring the consequences of diet-related disease.

Currently, there are a number of programs at the local, state, and federal level that target food deserts. These include incentives for local grocery stores to provide services in food deserts, as well as federal educational programs that aim to teach about the importance of maintaining a healthy diet. However, these programs have been widely criticized for being insufficient in their scope and impact. For example, the Healthy Food Financing Initiative, which provides grants to grocery stores to open in food deserts, has been criticized for focusing too much on urban areas and not doing enough to address food deserts in rural areas (Health Food Policy Project, 2023). Additionally, many have critiqued the efficacy of food health education in schools, as without corresponding action to provide resources, this education is limited in its use.

Efforts to truly target food deserts can be wide-ranging, starting from within a community and increasing in size to federal legislation. While measures such as volunteering at a local food pantry or growing a community garden are emphasized and undoubtedly can help vitalize a community, actions to end food deserts must be broader. Many organizations have provided examples of more scoping political measures to combat this issue. This includes programs such as tax incentives for purchasing healthier foods or increased funding for public transit to provide those who live in food deserts ways to travel easily out of said deserts.

In addition to these efforts, it is important to implement large-scale programs that reduce economic insecurity, which serves as a root cause of many health issues we see today that also disproportionately affect POCs. An example of a project with this type of scope that exists today can be found in Alaska with the PFD program. The PFD program, or “Permanent Fund Dividend” is a universal income system found in the state of Alaska in which the state government provides up to $2,000 to each resident per year. While this program does not explicitly target food insecurity, it has profound effects on this issue. As stated in an article analyzing the program by Vox, the “PFD can mean the difference between a year of hunger and a year of plenty” for many Alaskans, thus demonstrating how a large-scale project like this can have a critical impact in the fight against food insecurity and food deserts (Sundlee, 2019). Simply put, when families have enough money to meet their basic needs, they are more likely to be able to afford healthy foods and be able to live a life without the fear of going hungry persists.

The lack of access to healthy foods is a serious problem that is disproportionately impacting communities of color. This problem is rooted in historical and systemic racism, and its consequences are vividly seen in the sizable gap of positive health outcomes across races and socioeconomic classes. There are several efforts underway to address these issues, but more needs to be done. Programs that increase access to healthy foods in food deserts, improve public transportation in low-income areas, and reduce economic insecurity represent more concrete pathways to progress. Whether it’s through community-led initiatives to improve access to healthy foods, industry-led initiatives to provide access to those who do not have it, or political policies that promote food justice, steps can be taken to ensure that the next generation of Americans can live in a society where access to a healthy diet is a right, not a privilege.