Food Deserts Must Be Addressed, Former Ag Secretary Notes

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It’s a growing problem, in small towns and urban centers alike; food deserts. Agriculture Secretary under Bill Clinton, Dan Glickman said these deserts describe parts of the country where no comprehensive or complete grocery store is available.

“So you get a variety of food products, whether it's fruits and vegetables or whether it's dairy or whether it's a variety of proteins," Glickman said. "And there are vast areas of this country, in rural areas, as you say, particularly in lower populated rural areas as well as urban areas, where people don't have access to these large comprehensive grocery stores.”

Making It Difficult To Have A Balanced Diet

Glickman noted food deserts particularly impact people getting fruits and vegetables in their diet, meaning it’s a struggle for adults and children to have a complete and healthy diet

"Many of them have these little markets that sell a lot of highly ultra-processed foods, chips, and things that aren't necessarily good for you as a staple of your diet," Glickman said. "And there have been some things that we've done that maybe have helped out in this regard. There's a lot more urban gardening. There's a lot more farmers markets around the country where people can buy fresh produce.”

Glickman noted while addressing the issue of food deserts may not be an exclusively Ag issue, noting it’s more of a community development problem, he said those in farm country can help those local communities by getting involved in farmers markets or charities trying to address the problem.