Deserts, particular terrains of the world that are typically associated with minimal vegetation, scarcity of water, and dry, hot temperatures. Mention the word desert, and one can almost feel the blistering, hot sun on the back of their neck. Known for their harshness, many cannot inhabit these landscapes.
Although deserts are seemingly not related to Omaha, Nebraska, a type of desert– one characterized as harsh and difficult to thrive in– is becoming more interconnected to the population in the current socioeconomic climate: food deserts.
According to Food Empowerment Project, a non-profit dedicated to educating the population on ethical food choices, food deserts are defined as lower-income regions where people have limited access to fresh, healthy food due to a lack of grocery stores.
“With a lot of different population mixes in this area [Omaha], access to specific types of food are limited,” school social worker and community counselor Peggy Breard said.
Breard has been the social worker and community counselor for fifteen years, dealing with all non-academic aspects of student life, including food insecurity.
“Food insufficiency is growing, and it’s just a matter of grocery prices being too high,” Breard said.
The Omaha-Council Bluffs area has a significantly higher percentage of food deserts, particularly concentrated in northeast and southeast Omaha and western regions of Council Bluffs.
9% of these populations are living in food deserts compared to the national average of 4%, according to the Omaha Community Foundation, a non-profit created in 1982 and centered around philanthropy; these conditions directly impact diet.
“Healthier foods create the opportunity for healthy growth, and for people who are using the higher processed foods or the fast foods, it does create more fat in your diet, which creates obesity, which causes health problems,” Breard said.
The impact of food deserts are not only seen at a health standpoint; they also contribute to racial disparities. The typical demographics of a food desert are Hispanic and African-American communities; on average, Caucasian-majority areas have four times as many grocery stores as predominantly African American communities.
Not only are African Americans more likely to live in food deserts than Caucasians, but they are more likely to die from heart disease.
In Douglas County, African Americans 35 and older succumb to cardiovascular disease at a rate of 546.4 per 100,000 compared to 369.1 per 100,00 for Caucasians of the same age cohort, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2020 Interactive Atlas of Heart Disease and Stroke.
Consequently, low-income populations and minority groups typically have higher rates of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease associated with living in these areas.
Food Empowerment Project states that annually, heart disease contributes to 2.4 million deaths in America. Elevated levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, which can clog arteries when in excess, and unhealthy fats are commonly associated with living in food deserts, contributing not only to heart disease but a wide range of cardiovascular implications, such as strokes, atrial fibrillation, and heart failure.
Understanding the implications of food deserts and acknowledging areas in which they are most prevalent have led to the creation of organizations dedicated to mitigating inaccessibility to nutritious food.
Grassroots organizations– establishments focused on volunteerism– such as Black Men United, have opened food pantries specifically in north Omaha, a region particularly inundated with fast food and scarce in grocery stores, to provide quality food to thousands.
Whether one lives in a food desert or knows community members suffering from the impact of food insecurity, the consequences of food deserts are becoming increasingly evident. Getting involved in the community, supporting food pantries and charities, and encouraging healthy food consumption can make a long-term difference and eventually instill connotations of abundance, not scarcity, in these deserts.