Are There Food Deserts in Rainforest Cities?

Abstract

Food deserts have been widely studied in Western contexts but rarely in transitioning economies and never within a rainforest. The Brazilian Amazon is a rapidly urbanizing region with high levels of poverty and food insecurity, providing an ideal context in which to explore this current research gap. Within this setting, five urban centers ranging from small town to metropole are examined to explore any potential variations between urban centers of different sizes and settings. A large survey was conducted with interviews in 554 food shops, assessing shop characteristics, food availability, price, and alternative household food acquisition strategies. Methods were developed to explore food deserts, accounting for food acquisition across multiple shops within a neighborhood. Insufficient access to healthy food was estimated to be widespread (42 percent of households), with access worse in smaller towns. Unlike many previous studies, local access to healthy food was not linked to neighborhood poverty and prices were generally lower in poorer areas. High levels of nonretail sourcing of food (e.g., fruit trees, fishing) in this region might lead to an overestimation of the food access problem if only retail food provision were considered. We conclude that food deserts are widespread in the rainforest cities studied, yet we highlight the importance of understanding local retail and nonretail food contexts. Finally, we question the extent to which the traditional food desert concept can be directly applied in the context of transitioning economies.

Food Environment Research in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Scoping Review

“…Nonmarket-based food sources were also found to be important in some settings. Examples include own production in Salvadorian communities vulnerable to food insecurity ( 45 ), and wild food harvesting in Brazilian rainforest cities ( 59 ).…”

“…Three articles from diverse settings found positive associations between levels of urbanization and the availability of market-based food vendors, such as fast-food restaurants, full-service restaurants, and supermarkets ( 23 , 31 , 60 ). Three articles applied a food desert perspective ( 49 , 59 , 61 ). In Brazil, food deserts characterized by insufficient availability and accessibility of healthy foods, particularly fruits and vegetables, were found to be widespread amongst urban communities ( 59 ).…”

“…Three articles applied a food desert perspective ( 49 , 59 , 61 ). In Brazil, food deserts characterized by insufficient availability and accessibility of healthy foods, particularly fruits and vegetables, were found to be widespread amongst urban communities ( 59 ). In Mexico, food swamps, rather than food deserts, typified by the inundation of unhealthy foods and drinks, were identified amongst low- and middle-income communities.…”

Social Vulnerability to Climatic Shocks Is Shaped by Urban Accessibility

“…Using a structured questionnaire, we recorded the cheapest price available of five imported foods (frozen chicken, tinned meat, dried spaghetti, cracker biscuits, rice) and two locally sourced foods (toasted manioc flour and the cheapest fish species available; see Supplemental Material). These foodstuffs were surveyed because of their importance within Amazonian diets (Davies, Frausin, and Parry 2017). Per capita manioc production was calculated by dividing municipal production for 2010 by the total municipal population in 2010 (see Supplemental Materials).…”

Investigating the impact of GIS modelled daily exposures to the retail food environment on routinely linked child health data

“…In developing countries where food insecurity is a widespread issue, the term 'food desert' is being used to define areas where it is difficult to obtain affordable, nutritious and safe food [66]. In contexts where access to healthy food is limited and food resources are stretched, 'food deserts' are an important method of defining the environment [67]. However, identifying areas that have poor access to healthy food may not be the most appropriate way to understand the role of access to food on obesity in the UK [65].…”