food desert
noun
: an area where little fresh produce is available for sale
Despite the common perception of food deserts as city neighborhoods where fast food chains and convenience stores dominate, many of Kansas' food deserts are in rural areas. In some, residents have to drive 20 miles or farther to find a source of healthful food.—
Megan Hart
Megan HartExamples of food desert in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The impoverished food desert plagued by vacant lots, few job opportunities and gang and gun violence is where the Blackwells, parents to three children, have lived for a decade.
—Ashley R. Williams, CNN, 31 Mar. 2024
About 40% of South L.A. residents live in a food desert, according to USC’s Institute for Food System Equity.
—Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2024
Economists and public health experts noted that eating habits are hard to break and food deserts offer few options that allow consumers to switch things up.
—Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2024
Their growth has emanated from a clever strategy: catering to cities that want to address their food deserts.
—Gary Stern, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Many come from marginalized and underrepresented groups and are single parents living in food deserts.
—Steven Aquino, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024
The most important issues facing Mecklenburg County are equitable education for our scholars from pre-K through college/career training; safe, equitable housing; food security, especially in the six ZIP codes deemed food deserts; and reducing gun violence.
—Charlotte Observer, 8 Feb. 2024
The cancellation came as a disappointment to the community, especially the Harambee neighborhood, which VGI executive director Dr. Sandra Jones described as a food desert.
—Journal Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2024
Across the street are empty fields and roads leading into neighborhoods that have been designated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a low-income food desert.
—Christine Wen, The Conversation, 15 Feb. 2024
Ashley R. Williams, CNN, 31 Mar. 2024
About 40% of South L.A. residents live in a food desert, according to USC’s Institute for Food System Equity.
—Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2024
Economists and public health experts noted that eating habits are hard to break and food deserts offer few options that allow consumers to switch things up.
—Daniel Miller, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2024
Their growth has emanated from a clever strategy: catering to cities that want to address their food deserts.
—Gary Stern, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Many come from marginalized and underrepresented groups and are single parents living in food deserts.
—Steven Aquino, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024
The most important issues facing Mecklenburg County are equitable education for our scholars from pre-K through college/career training; safe, equitable housing; food security, especially in the six ZIP codes deemed food deserts; and reducing gun violence.
—Charlotte Observer, 8 Feb. 2024
The cancellation came as a disappointment to the community, especially the Harambee neighborhood, which VGI executive director Dr. Sandra Jones described as a food desert.
—Journal Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2024
Across the street are empty fields and roads leading into neighborhoods that have been designated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as a low-income food desert.
—Christine Wen, The Conversation, 15 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'food desert.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Food desert.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/food%20desert. Accessed 24 Apr. 2024.
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