The Death of Distance: Food Deserts Across the Global Divide

Abstract

The twenty-first century has been referred to as the urban century. More than half of humanity lives in cities (Boone & Modarres, 2006). The majority of cities are unable to produce enough food to sustain their residents (Pothukuchi & Kaufman, 1999). However, some cities are exploring the idea that urban agriculture can create a more resilient food system (Grewal & Grewal, 2012). Resilience of a food system implies that regardless of any external forces (e.g., climate change, hazard event, or economic crisis) to food production or supply systems, residents remain food secure until the system is restored (Grewal & Grewal, 2012). Yet, some argue that the global food system is too interconnected with our local food systems and that no system can exist without some level of vulnerability to external forces (Evers, 1994; Plattner, 1985; Pottier, 1999). The purpose of this chapter is to focus on three case studies that explore the idea of these interlocking food deserts to illustrate how global and local processes converge on health issues (such as obesity) in urban settings.