DC's food deserts: what we found out

DC, being the nation's capital, is understandably a hub for a wide variety of people from all corners of the US and the world. From the politicos of Capitol Hill to the families who have been living in Anacostia for generations, the range of financial solvency, and quality of life is quite considerable. One such glaring disparity is the food desert issue faced by SouthEast DC, namely Wards 7 and 8. These low-income wards have faced a lack of access to healthy, fresh foods as they have watched the number of groceries proliferate like wild-flowers on the other side of the Anacostia River.

Extensive research shows that along with hunger, lack of access to healthy food contributes to obesity and numerous health concerns, among which metabolic syndrome disorders prevail: namely diabetes and heart disease. Wards 7 and 8, which have the District's highest poverty rates, also have the city's highest obesity rates, leading quickly to a cocktail of health and social conundrums which should be immediately addressed. 

DC Hunger Solutions, created in 2002 as an initiative of the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), works towards the goal of creating a hunger-free community and improve the nutrition, health, economic security, and well-being of low-income District residents. Their research has provided some hard hitting facts. These statistics were gathered in 2010, however the issue of food deserts has yet to be addressed with any sort of impact, which is why DC Healthy Kitchens has taken up this mission to begin to eradicate this untenable situation through their Healthy Corners initiative:

• Of the city's 43 full-service grocery stores, only four are located in Ward 7, and three in Ward 8. By contrast, Ward 3 - the highest-income Ward - has eleven full-service stores.

• Few of the city's 40 farmers' markets are located east of the Anacostia River.

• The District of Columbia’s 43 full-service grocery stores are distributed very unevenly across the District.

• The ratio of full-service grocery stores to residents varies widely among the District's wards.

• The available grocery retail space varies significantly from ward to ward. Wards 7, and 8 have fewer square feet of grocery retail per person than the District average.

• On average, residents of Wards 4, 5, and 7 must travel longer distances than residents in other wards to reach the closest full-service grocery store.

• The District has a grocery gap. Some areas of the District—particularly in Wards 7 and 8—are underserved by full-service grocery retail, compared to other areas.