Limited Food Access

 Limited Food Access

The inability to access sufficient amounts of food is an issue that plagues populations globally. Worldwide, about 795 million people suffer from chronic undernourishment, and about 15% of households in the U.S. lack food to some degree. More than 29 million Americans live in “food deserts”, which means that they do not have a supermarket “within a mile of their home if they live in an urban area, or within 10 miles of their home if they live in a rural area.” On top of the absence of these markets, limited mobility, economic barriers, and a lack of fresh food options prevent certain low-income communities from obtaining healthy and affordable food. This problem has only been exacerbated by the farm policy incentives that drive an excess production of sweets, fats, and meats, and producers choosing to cut costs through extensive food processing and use of high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated soy oil to increase product self-life and convenience.