A food desert is an area where people have limited physical access to affordable and nutritious foods. They live more than one mile from a supermarket in urban areas and more than ten miles in rural/suburban areas.

In 2010, the USDA reported that 23.5 million Americans lived in food deserts. These numbers have risen each year. Food deserts lack suppliers of whole foods like fruits and vegetables. Instead, the available foods in food desert neighborhoods are highly processed and low in nutritional value.

Food insecurity is the lack of means to maintain your daily food needs. Studies have shown food deserts and food insecurity contribute to a proliferation of health issues and an estimated 16-year shorter life expectancy estimate for individuals who are unable to maintain their daily nutritional needs.