Food Deserts and Oases

Anthropology of Food ANTH 2301 Food Deserts and Oases Access to reasonably priced, nutrient-dense food is becoming more and more uneven globally. Food deserts are places where availability to wholesome foods is insufficient or inconsistent. Food deserts have been connected to eating disorders, obesity, and malnutrition and pose significant difficulties to health and wellness in a number of ways. In Western countries, low-income and minority neighbourhoods are often associated with various forms of social inequality, including food deserts. A lack of affordable, wholesome food frequently makes many of the problems these areas confront worse. Access to food will be more and more essential to human existence as the global population grows, climate change picks up speed, and food production concentrates in the hands of a few number of businesses. While anthropological research on foragers suggests otherwise, the narrative of progress that Western culture has adopted holds that agricultural advancements and globalisation have stabilised and safeguarded our food supplies. Access to fertile land, good water, a steady climate, and a dependable labour force are all necessary for agricultural output. Occasionally, diseases, droughts, and even disruptions from conflict and severe weather cause crops (and animals) to fail, which causes poverty and hunger in many parts of the world. Furthermore, families and communities become increasingly vulnerable as they grow reliant on middlemen to obtain food and create less and fewer meals on their own. Even while state civilizations and foragers differ greatly, there are important things we can learn from both. In spite of the uncertain conditions that affect everyone on the planet, foragers are able to modify their demands according to the season and local availability, leading to a more diversified and adaptable diet. They adapt their demands to what is available and consume locally. Additionally, there are food oases—regions with easy access to fresh produce and supermarkets—and their numbers are rising. Some are in rural locations where sustainable farming helps a nearby restaurant or town, while some are in urban or suburban settings. The Trustees' Table in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, uses produce from the Pleasant Hill Shaker gardens in the area. At Shaker Farm, visitors to the ancient cloistered monastic community learn about plant kinds, the Shaker seed industry, and sustainable gardening practices. After enjoying a farm-to-table dinner, they stroll down to the Trustees' Table. During the Shaker occupancy (1805–1910), regional Kentucky delicacies including warm or cold salads, apple pie, garlic potatoes, and vegetable pot pies would have been staples of the seasonal cuisine. The Trustees' Table is a heritage restaurant that supports and preserves Shaker farming and research on the property by using produce grown in the surrounding gardens. A grassroots local food movement known as Real Local RVA was established in 2014 in Richmond, Virginia, with the goal of assisting the downtown commercial and residential districts of the city. It states that "collaboration over competition" is its guiding principle. Monthly meetings, farm visits, and community events featuring local companies and notables in the food movement are sponsored by the organisation. All of the participants are smallscale farmers, independent grocery stores, or neighbourhood eateries whose goal is to use only local goods and ingredients. Real Local RVA does more than just support small farms and independent companies; it also funds sustainable farming workshops and education, collaborates on marketing and "storytelling" regarding its partnership and the principles of local food networks, and creates a recognisable brand that members of the larger urban community can use to identify participating businesses. Even if local food movements are becoming more and more well-known, the majority remain mostly function in wealthier regions. We need to incorporate all of our neighbours and neighbourhoods in the zones in which these healthy programmes function as we establish more of them, especially in cities. Socialising and food go hand in hand. According to Michael Pollan, "the shared meal elevates eating from mere animal biology to an act of culture, from a mechanical process of fueling the body" (2008, 192). Anthropology's study of food is significant for a variety of reasons. Food helps create social networks, commemorate significant life events, and disclose cultural identities and physical weaknesses. Different cultures have different eating regimens, acceptable food categories, roles in cooking and serving, and preferred and least preferred food types. Food is frequently a key component in understanding human civilizations, which anthropologists study.