1. The term “food desert” refers to areas where it is difficult to find fresh food such as vegetables, fruits, and milk because there are no large supermarkets nearby.
2. This phenomenon was first used to describe a poverty-stricken area in Scotland in the 1990s, and it has since spread throughout the world, particularly in countries with high elderly populations like the UK, the US, and Japan.
3. The lack of access to fresh food has led to an increase in health issues such as obesity and malnutrition, as well as social and emotional isolation due to decreased outings in these areas.
Food desert refers to an area where it is difficult to access or purchase fresh food items such as vegetables, fruits, and dairy products, due to the absence of large supermarkets or grocery stores nearby. This term was first coined in the 1990s to explain the situation faced by impoverished residents in a public housing area in Scotland, UK. Since then, researchers from countries with high rates of aging population like the UK, US, and Japan have widely used it, and it has become a significant social issue worldwide.
Food desert phenomenon has become a major social problem in these countries. As residents increasingly rely on processed food instead of fresh food, the prevalence of adult illnesses like obesity and nutritional imbalances has risen. Moreover, decreased opportunities for going outside have led to social and emotional isolation among residents.
Food deserts can easily be found in areas with low population mobility, such as suburban areas or densely populated areas with elderly residents. These areas often lack adequate public transportation and have a limited number of stores.
The United States has even established criteria for identifying food deserts. It defines areas without grocery stores within a 1-mile radius in urban areas, or a 10-mile radius in rural areas as food deserts.
In recent years, gentrification and inflation have exacerbated the food desert phenomenon. With the presence of upscale stores, low-cost grocery stores are being pushed out to the outskirts of cities.
To address this issue, Japan and the US have actively taken measures. In Japan, elderly individuals who reside within 500 meters of a grocery store are defined as “weak shoppers” or “shopping refugees”. The Japanese government estimates that the number of shopping refugees exceeds 8 million. Government departments such as the Economic Industry Performance and Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries have taken direct action by providing subsidies to distribution companies that open markets on-site or encouraging the establishment of mobile markets.
In the US, the Department of Agriculture has implemented nutrition management programs for residents living in food deserts and provides tax support to new grocery store owners, among other policies.
In conclusion, the concept of food deserts highlights the critical issue of limited access to fresh food in certain areas. This poses significant health and social challenges for the residents. Governments and relevant organizations in various countries are implementing measures to address this problem and ensure that everyone has access to nutritious food. However, more efforts are needed to create sustainable solutions and combat the widening of food deserts caused by gentrification and inflation.
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