Food Deserts and a Southwest Community of Baltimore City

Abstract

“Food deserts” lack both efficient transportation systems and stores carrying nutritious foods, and the cost of healthy food is generally more expensive than processed. This study is concerned with the presence of food deserts in Baltimore, focusing on the Cherry Hill community. An adapted ethnographic survey was used to analyze community food access and local stores were inventoried. Our results indicate the presence of a food desert in this neighborhood. This is of particular interest as Cherry Hill is characterized as a suburban area within the city of Baltimore. Moreover, this lower-income neighborhood's access to nutritional food options is further complicated by the physical and built environment characteristic of suburbs and contradictory to studies that focus on the dichotomy of inner-city versus suburban access to healthy food. We contribute to a growing body of knowledge concerning unequal food distribution in urban communities and issues of social and health injustice.

Keywords:

• food justice
• suburban
• built environment
• geography
• mixed methods

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jessica Childs

Jessica Childs is currently working as an agricultural specialist on a communitysupported agriculture farm and plans to pursue a graduate degree focusing on food justice and urban agriculture. Geography and Environmental Systems Department, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA ([email protected]).

Laura R. Lewis

Laura R. Lewis is the Washington State University Extension Director for Jefferson County. Her research and educational outreach focuses on issues relating to agrobiodiversity conservation and crop evolution as well as social-ecological aspects of agrobiodiversity in urban and rural landscapes. Washington State University Extension, Jefferson County, 201 W. Patison Road, Port Hadlock, WA 98339, USA ([email protected]).