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can somebody ELI5 how "food deserts" work (or don't) in the USA? (lemmygrad.ml)

submitted 1 year ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I've heard this term a couple of time but never actually looked into it, and it is such an alien concept to me right now. I apologise in advance for sounding dumb here.

I can understand slums and favelas having a harder time getting access to fresh food, but how come entire government-recognised and incorporated neighbourhoods with electricity, water and all those more complex services can't have small grocery stores for basic healthy things like rice?

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[–] [email protected] 23 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

Grocery stores essentially don't exist in large areas of cities (and increasingly in rural areas as well). Instead there are places like CVS and Dollar General that don't sell fresh food at all, they only sell prepackaged processed (overpriced) junk. Since public transportation is very poor here, people who don't live near an actual grocery store don't have many options.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Dollar Generals have at least started selling produce, whether it's fresh is debatable.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

I didn't know that. It's better than the alternative at least. People in this country do not get enough fresh food.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Where does the local produce even go to in the case of rural areas? I assume they do a lot of monoculture, but there's always space for a chicken or a dozen in large enough farms, and other fresh stuff one can sell to their village people.