Food Desert Essay

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Introduction Environmental justice focuses on the fair treatment of people across all demographics, as it relates to environmental laws, regulations, and policies (Hilmers et al., 2012). An example of environmental justice is food deserts. Food deserts are areas concentrated in low-income neighborhoods, where residents do not have access to healthy food options such as fresh fruit, vegetables, and other whole foods (USDA, 2011). Similarly, low-income areas tend to lack supermarkets and other healthy food retailers (Office of Community Services, 2017). In California, food deserts are prevalent due to the unaffordability, limited access, and an overabundance of unhealthy food choices. Approximately one million Californians live in food deserts (California Budget & Policy Center, 2012). In food desert areas, residents tend to pay higher prices for healthier foods because of the lack of supermarkets in their neighborhoods (White, 2015). …show more content…

A lack of money affects access to food in many ways. First, as these areas are remote, it’s difficult to deliver food with a short shelf life such as fresh produce, meat, or dairy products before their expiration date (W.K. Kellogg Foundation, 2004). With delivery to remote areas taking longer, the shelf life for products is even shorter, which causes buyers to purchase these products more often to make up for the loss (W.K. Kellogg Foundation, 2004). Poverty can also lead to people making unhealthy food choices, since it is the cheaper choice in the short run (Templeton, 2017). Moreover, it is likely that there is not a reliable mode of transportation to go to a grocery store in the impoverished and rural area (White, 2015). In addition, lack of education also negatively influences food choices; it is difficult for residents to make healthy food choices if they do not know the difference between healthy and unhealthy foods (Templeton,

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