Environmental Injustice

Food deserts have been a huge epidemic in many urban cities including Chicago. A food desert can be defined as a neighborhood or cluster of neighborhoods that do not have access to a major grocery store such as a Jewel, Aldi, or Trader Joes. Three main areas, covering 44 square miles, in Chicago have been labeled as food deserts which include "an elongated ring connecting the Near North Side with Lawndale and Austin; an upside-down Y stretching from the Near South Side to Ashburn and Greater Grand Crossing; and a meandering mass swallowing most of the Far South Side". Additionally, a majority of these residents living in these neighborhoods are African American (478,000) compared to whites (78,000) and Latinos (57,000).

This brings a load of social issues to light: 


A large number of Chicagoans are at a high risk for serious health problems. “Diet has a direct link to obesity, diabetes, and other diseases, and you can’t choose a healthy diet if you don’t have access to it. Many in the food desert who suffer are children who already have diabetes but who have yet to be diagnosed and treated.” Nearly 1/3 of residents living in food deserts are children. 


Food Deserts also equal business deserts. These areas are high in crime so it's harder to attract businesses to open locations. Higher crime neighborhoods also require high tax rates, which also discourages businesses from opening there. Alderman Anthony Beale (9th Ward), which includes most of the Roseland area, commented saying, "Going on ten years now, I’ve been working aggressively to bring a store—a full-fledged national chain—to my community. I’ve done everything so far as to mark land down to one dollar, and for some reason, the big chains are redlining the African American community."

Education is also a main factor. Even if stores did come into these neighborhoods, people need to learn what is best for their health. People need to change their eating and cooking habits. A lot of people in society today find it easier to pick up a pre-prepared or pre-packaged meal, not just because of access, but time management as well. But, what people don't understand is even if the box is luring you with "Low Fat" or "0 Calorie" content, it doesn't mean that it's necessarily good for you. People need to come back to the basics of whole, natural foods. They need to learn how to cook sometime tasty without loading salt and oil on it. 


On the brighter side, food deserts in Chicago have taken a dramatic 40% decline within the past 5 years. Additionally, Michelle Obama, who has taken the health, diet, and exercise dilemma (Let's Move Campaign) under her wing as the First Lady, also made a recent appearance in Chicago urging other cities to follow Chicago's lead. 

Check out these articles for more information on food deserts in Chicago:
Chicago Magazine
Huffington Post
Bloomberg Businessweek
Chicago Stories

Also check out my post on Rethinking Soup with Fresh Moves