Food Deserts: Ethical and Medical Concerns

By Ahilan Eraniyan

The struggle for fresh produce and food is common in today’s world. Food of questionable ingredients and quality surrounds us, from processed fast food to “healthy” options filled with preservatives. The exorbitant price tag many fresh foods bear doesn’t help either, combined with the widespread availability of low-quality food, which creates a crisis of fresh food. When an area is deprived of groceries and other stores with healthy food stores, a “food desert” is created. Defined as a region “lacking in adequate supply of fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthy whole foods,” food deserts currently entrap more than 23 million people worldwide. Food deserts have recently fallen into focus as researchers seek to investigate their origins, widespread effects, and influence on food insecurity in the United States (Tulane).