Welcome to Ignorance is My Privilege, the column dedicated to breaking down the ignorant bubble we live in, separating us from the very real issues in our world. Today’s topic addresses food deserts as they exist in the country and on a more local scale in New Jersey.
First of all, what is a food desert? A food desert is classified as a region where people have inadequate access to healthful and affordable food. Especially with the current state of the American economy and the burdening effects of inflation on many families’ purchasing power for weekly groceries, this issue illustrates the extent to which the income-wealth gap affects even the most bustling cities and towns in America.
Of course, there are those smaller corner grocery stores (bodegas) that are accessible. However, they do not sell produce and nutritional food that is needed for everyday eating and a healthy lifestyle. Thus, families, such as this one in Atlantic City, travel over an hour to the nearest Walmart to stock up on groceries for the month because that is the only nutritional and affordable option to feed their family of five members. To give some perspective, 14% of New Jersey residents live in food deserts (that is roughly 1.3 million out of 9.267 million). [Attached is a map showing NJ food desert hotspots]. Even New Brunswick is moderately high on various lists of proposed food desert communities in New Jersey.
It is evident that this is an important issue that serves as a daily challenge for many Americans, so here is what is being done about it. A great step in the right direction has been Governor Murphy’s establishment of a Food Desert Relief Program, dedicating $40 million in aid to multiple New Jersey communities through tax credits, loans, grants, and/or technical assistance. Additionally, there is various legislation that has been introduced in the US government to address food deserts, such as the Food Desert Act introduced by House Representative André Carson from Delaware in February 2023. Furthermore, there is a non-profit organization called the NJEDA (New Jersey Economic Development Authority) working to help local communities.
Now that you have learned more about food deserts and the likelihood of it affecting some of your classmates and many New Jersey residents, here is how you can help. I acknowledge that we are all students, so monetary assistance in the form of donations is most likely not feasible for most of us. Thus, primarily, educating yourself and others is a great way to acknowledge the issue. Additionally, because food banks and distribution centers in many New Jersey towns such as Newark, Atlantic City, and Trenton are often very busy and struggling to provide for the big pool of members that need their help if you can offer up some of your time to volunteer there, even for a few hours, that would be immensely appreciated by the staff. Finally, in New Brunswick, and more specifically on our Rutgers campus, if you would like to get involved, you can join organizations like the Student-Organized Rutgers Against Hunger initiative that is working to reduce the effects of this very issue in our local community.
Lastly, suppose you or anyone you know is ever experiencing or at risk of food insecurity. In that case, the Rutgers Food Pantry is located on the bottom floor of the College Ave Student Center, which provides free, accessible food for Rutgers students who need it.
Ignorance is our Privilege, so let’s work to be less ignorant about food insecurity.
Below are some links for further information if you are interested:
NJ Food Desert Relief Program and Eligibility
More on the state of Food Deserts in New Jersey
NJEDA’s work to reduce Food Deserts
Rutgers and Reducing Food Insecurity
Ignorance is My Privilege is a biweekly series. Come back on Fridays for more!