Food Deserts In Canada

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Food deserts are an increasing issue due to the fast urban sprawl of cities, especially in North America. Many people believe that has a developed country, Canada does not have any food security problems but that is one of the main problems with food deserts; no one knows what they are. One of the three biggest factors influencing food deserts is awareness and as of 2004, 8.45% of Ontarians are food insecure and that number has continued to rise (HEART AND STROKE). Also, poor eating habits lead to obesity and increased risk of Type-2 Diabetes as well as a heightened risk of cardiovascular disease (TORONTOLEGDOCS). It is also important to note that only one-third of adults in Toronto is eating the recommended serving of fruits and vegetables …show more content…
A city this big and growing is distancing itself from farms and fresh food due to urbanization. In a study published by the Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research, 22% of families were considered severely insecure about food within the past month (CANADIAN JOURNAL). Severely food insecure is defined by not having enough food or healthy food to feed yourself or your family for that specific day (CANADIAN JOURNAL). Of those 2.615 million people mentioned above, 51% live outside of a 1-kilometer walk from a grocery store (Lu, 2010). One kilometer is considered to be an acceptable walking distance to get groceries as it is difficult to walk longer distances without a car (Lu, 2010). The vast majority of the people in these areas are in the lower income brackets making it even more difficult to gain access to the nutritious food (Martin). In the urban development of the city, grocery stores have been established in areas of new commercial developments where other stores or malls are being built to keep shopping centers localized so people only make one trip (MARTIN PROSPERITY). The issue with this is that if you do not live near those new developments or do not own a car, that is not a possibility for you or your family. Food deserts are most prominent in the inner suburbs where they are filled with different ethnicities and a declining average income along with their diminishing optimism (MARTIN). Old Toronto is the area before massive urbanization took place and expanded Toronto to its current limits. The people now left in the center are kept far away from nutritious food sources with no way to access them. Many people in these areas find it too difficult to travel these distances without having a personal mode of transportation such as a car to get groceries and fast food is the simple option (Lu, 2010). The distance is not even the biggest concern for some

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