Food deserts, or high-needs communities that don’t have supermarkets or grocery stores, have long been a public health threat. They’ve existed before anyone coined a term for them, and although we now have language for these areas, there’s still a lot of misleading information about them. 

Let’s get to the truth behind these common falsehoods: 

Myth: Food deserts are an inconvenience in some communities. 

That’s an understatement. Food deserts are an injustice to humans. These areas often represent a form of environmental racism because they disproportionately hinder the quality of life for individuals of marginalized communities, like Black and brown people. 

Exposure to food deserts can eventually cause poor health issues, like high obesity rates and chronic disease prevalence. According to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS), approximately 38,000 people in Missouri are diagnosed with diabetes each year. Recent data also found that 11.3% of Missouri adults live with diabetes, which is above the national average of 10.9%. 

Like illness, poverty is a stain on the psyche. Even if a person is fortunate enough to overcome financial hardship and enjoy the fruits of upward mobility, there will always be scars that represent the state of being badly nourished. Eliminating food deserts can restore dignity to those impacted and permanently close the growing nutrition gap between low-income and upper income households.  

Myth: Food deserts only exist in urban areas. 

Residents of urban areas aren’t the only ones plagued by food deserts. While Missouri ranks ninth in the nation’s list of states with low food security, 31 of its counties have two or fewer grocery stores, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

There’s several factors that lead to this assumption about food deserts. For one, many urban areas have limited transportation options, so some city-residing people aren’t known to commute beyond where public transit can take them. Also, real estate in urban areas is usually costly because of the high demand. When there’s not enough space to build food markets, nearby households are more likely to struggle from food insecurity. 

This brings us to another popular fiction: that crime is the common denominator of areas more prone to food deserts. Keep reading to unearth the facts. 

Myth: Food deserts come from a community’s rise in crime. 

Truth be told, it’s more complicated than that. While some areas experience frequent criminal activity, food deserts are linked to a larger problem in St. Louis. They’re the aftermath of discriminatory practices that have impacted marginalized communities, especially Black residents, for decades. According to Feast Magazine’s recent feature on the work of food justice advocates and cultural workers, including A Red Circle’s Executive Director, Erica Williams, understanding inequities in food distribution first requires a close look at the history of housing discrimination in St. Louis. 

The Fair Housing Act of 1968 put an end to redlining and other toxic real estate practices that denied minorities residency in certain neighborhoods. But, the damage has yet to run its course. Once housing regulations came into play, non-white St. Louisans faced another issue rooted in racism: white flight. 

Dr. Alan Green, former Missouri State Representative, is among many residents who’ve experienced living through the mass exodus of whites from St. Louis city to North St. Louis County and ultimately, beyond the county to other regions in Missouri.  

“When whites began leaving neighborhoods where Blacks moved in,” he said, “they took businesses with them. Popular stores like Kmart, Aldi, Schnucks, Shop N’ Save, and Dierbergs were all launched in the community within a span of 30 years. Blacks came from the city into North County. Whites fled and took their spendable income, so those same businesses that were heavily dependent on their money left, too.” 

As a community member with an extensive background in law enforcement, social work, public service, and ministry, Green witnessed the consequence of this large-scale migration. He worked closely with residents who were most impacted, even when it meant pouring from a nearly empty cup.

“There’s so much that needs to be done in our community,” he said. “It’s typical for some appropriations to get cut. The state might get rid of funds just when you think you’re making a difference because they didn’t see the need for it in the budget.”

Myth: People living in food deserts are better off going outside of their neighborhood to buy groceries. 

Again, it’s not that simple. 

As mentioned, some people’s limited access to transportation makes it difficult or impossible to travel outside of their community for quality food. They might not drive or own a car. Vehicle repairs could be too expensive. Or, inconvenient public transit schedules could pose a problem that keeps people within a certain radius. 

The other issue is revenue generation. Having access to stores that sell healthy, nutritious foods within a neighborhood helps strengthen it by creating new employment opportunities and job security. It also means a community can grow its tax dollars instead of forcing residents to take their money into better resourced communities. Overall, this translates into an area’s stronger economic presence – one that can, in turn, offer first-rate services and resources to its residents. 

“You have to have money to sustain a neighborhood,” said Dr. Green. “There needs to be finances in place for the fire department, the police station, medical centers, homes and small businesses. We need more residents to see that there’s a spot for people to come in, build and make money. The businesses are a community’s lifeline because when we lose them, it causes the property value to plummet.” 

Myth: There’s not much that can be done to curb the rise of food deserts

The opposite is actually true. But, operating a high-quality food store in a low-income community takes the passage of legislation and incentives that will bring in more viable choices. 

According to Dr. Green, “businesses like supermarkets and grocery stores have to feel confident in being profitable. That’s possible with the support of state funding and grants that ensure the money is strong enough to sustain operational growth.” 

For this effect, equity on all fronts is necessary. There has to be more transparency in state fund allocation in order to level the playing field for minority-owned businesses. State investment in community-facing organizations like A Red Circle help adequately address the hunger crisis in North St. Louis County and the state of Missouri through the provision of equitable resources for high-needs communities, like local food systems that eliminate food deserts. 

Bottom line: all Missourians deserve access to healthy foods, regardless of where they live. Not having it impacts residents’ ability to lead productive lives. While parts of the St. Louis region have been the recipient of historical systemic disinvestment, there’s still ample opportunity to amplify the health needs of our residents. That’s all the more reason to stand with A Red Circle in offering premier community enrichment programs that support returning healthy food access to North St. Louis County.