Learn more about Food Deserts
- American Nutrition Association
- The USDA definition of food deserts: parts of the country vapid of fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthful whole foods, usually found in impoverished areas and largely due to a lack of grocery stores, farmers’ markets, and healthy food providers. 23.5 million Americans live in food deserts.
- Food Deserts in American Infographics
- Tulane University’s infographics and statistics on the effects of food deserts, the difficulties for people living in food deserts, and how the situation can be improved.
Programs and Initiatives
- Corbin Hill Farm Share
- A Harlem-based nonprofit that delivers fresh, locally-grown fruits and vegetables to urban communities through a year-round, weekly subscription program. The program also accepts food stamps.
- MoGro
- A nonprofit mobile grocery project in northern New Mexico, including Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and rural and tribal communities. They offer weekly, locally-sourced produce shares for $5 for families on SNAP, or $10-25 depending on the household’s income and resources.
- HealthyRetailSF
- A San Francisco-based pilot program that helps shops and corner stores in “food deserts” make the switch to selling fruits and vegetables by giving small-business owners $15,000 to $20,000 for new displays, refrigeration and computerized sales systems, and marketing campaigns.