Unfortunately, throughout the United States, millions of people live in neighborhoods where finding an affordable, healthy meal or even food is almost impossible. These areas, where there is no sustainable option nearby, are known as food deserts, areas marked by limited access to grocery stores and a surplus of fast-food or convenience stores. For families living in these areas, buying fruits, vegetables, and whole grains often requires high travel time, cost, or both, making it unreliable and unsustainable. The result is a national nutrition gap contributing to obesity, diabetes, and other related diseases. However, solving this issue may seem simple by adding a grocery store or two, but it actually requires more than just nutritional education or a few food drives. Rather, zoning reforms, which are city-level policy changes, could offer a powerful and sustainable way to bring healthy food closer to where people actually live.

Food deserts form when city zoning laws, economic inequality, and transportation barriers overlap, leaving many low-income neighborhoods zoned in ways that make it difficult for full-service grocery stores or farmers’ markets to open. Instead, they become filled with and reliant on small convenience stores and fast-food outlets selling processed and high-calorie foods.

In fact, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reports that over 18 million Americans live in low-income areas without nearby supermarkets. These areas are not just the result of poor consumer choices; rather, they reflect decades of policy decisions shaping where businesses can and cannot operate. When cities restrict grocery store development through outdated policy zoning laws, they can unintentionally block access to healthy food.

A 2021 article from the Pace Environmental Law Review Blog titled “Using Zoning to Help Eliminate Food Deserts” explains how city planning can correct these issues. The article argues that zoning reforms can make it easier for grocery stores, community gardens, and farmers’ markets to operate in underserved neighborhoods. Cities like Baltimore have taken this approach with new zoning codes allowing small grocery stores and community gardens in residential areas. Minneapolis introduced a “Staple Foods Ordinance,” requiring all licensed food retailers to carry basic healthy items like fruits, vegetables, and grains. These are just some examples of how local governments use legal tools to bring fresh food options into communities.

Unfortunately, there are still some issues, like the fact that developers, business owners, and residents often show resistance, arguing that grocery stores are less profitable in low-income areas and that development could raise rents. The Pace article points out that cities must combine zoning reform with community engagement and financial incentives.

Food deserts are not just matters of geography or unfortunate circumstances; they are a reflection of policy. Zoning reform gives citizens a tool to change how food access works at the local level, encouraging grocery stores, farmers, and community gardens to operate in lower-income areas. This improves public health, promotes health equity, and strengthens communities when residents are involved in development. Creating better food environments allows people to afford and sustain healthier choices. Through smarter zoning laws, the U.S. can take steps away from the obesity crisis plaguing the country.

“Using Zoning to Help Eliminate Food Deserts: A Few Steps Forward.” Pace Environmental Law Review Blog, 12 Apr. 2021, https://pelr.blogs.pace.edu/2021/04/12/using-zoning-to-help-eliminate-food-deserts-a-few-steps-forward/.

“Food Deserts.” U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service, 2024, https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-choices-health/food-access-research-measurement/.

Zenk, Shannon N., et al. “Neighborhood Retail Food Environment and Fruit and Vegetable Intake in a Multiethnic Urban Population.” American Journal of Public Health