This article was produced in partnership with Bayer
It’s hard enough to make nutritious choices (we’re looking at you, deep-dish pizza) even for those of us who have access to healthy foods. For those living in areas of the country without readily available wholesome eats, the struggle is infinitely harder.
Known as food deserts, these urban and rural areas where economics and geography conspire to constrain access to healthy, nutritious foods can be hotbeds for food insecurity.
“Underserved communities are disproportionately impacted by food deserts and food insecurity,” says Patrick Lockwood-Taylor, president of Bayer U.S., a leading life-sciences company on the frontlines of the fight against food insecurity.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration reports there are over 6,500 food deserts across the United States, with more than 19 million people at risk of food insecurity. Most of these deserts are found in densely populated areas, systemically underserved communities of color, and rural towns—all places where it’s not economically viable to operate a grocery store (which only adds to the scarcity of food). And, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, while food deserts exist all over the country, they’re more common in lower-income states in the South and Midwest such as Louisiana and Mississippi.
Anatomy of food deserts
When you break down the numbers, 10.5 percent of U.S. households were food insecure at some point in 2020, and many of these are in or around food deserts, the USDA reports. What’s more, food insecurity for children in the U.S. increased from 15 percent in 2018 to 24 percent in 2020. Globally, the number of people facing food insecurity is predicted to rise as much as 240 million by November 2022, according to a report released this year by Eurasia Group and DevryBV Sustainable Strategies.
Food insecurity is only one of the problems affecting people who live in and around food deserts—logistics are an issue, too. In a food desert, at least a third of residents must travel out of their way to access a grocery store (more than a mile in an urban area and more than 10 miles in a rural area). Then there’s the question of whether shelves will be stocked when they finally get to the store. When residents of a food desert make it to the grocery store, there’s no guarantee the store will have what they need—supply chain issues are perpetually delaying shipments, and stores in food deserts are particularly slow to restock when items sell out.
In a Harris Poll survey commissioned by Bayer, 76 percent of respondents said they see more empty shelves at grocery stores now than at the beginning of 2022. In that same study, 69 percent of respondents said they worry about ending up in a food desert.
The road to readily available (healthy) food
By working with farmers across the country, companies like Bayer are helping to create more sustainable, harvest-maximizing strategies. “Bayer is committed to empowering farmers on the ground by providing access to the seed and technologies they need to be most effective during these challenging times,” says Lockwood-Taylor.
Through FieldView
, Bayer’s flagship digital farming platform, farmers can maximize yield potential while optimizing inputs. In addition, Bayer was one of the first companies to begin to develop a transparent, science-based approach to a carbon market in production agriculture. Bayer’s Carbon Initiative rewards farmers who embrace climate-smart farming practices like no-till farming or cover crops to further sequester carbon into the soil, which simultaneously can enhance soil health and support better harvests. The company is now building on that success with ForGround, a digital platform that will evolve beyond carbon offsets to connect farmers with companies seeking to meet their own sustainability goals. In addition, the company has also launched the Smart Corn System* featuring Short Stature Corn, developed to better withstand unpredictable weather, to help farmers deliver more predictable outcomes.
“It’s through these types of critical, breakthrough innovations that Bayer is positioned to address food security. With more mouths to feed, we must help farmers do more with less,” says Dr. Jacqueline (Jackie) Applegate, Bayer’s president of North America Crop Science.
The company is also raising awareness about the issue of food insecurity in other creative ways, through such initiatives as the #HeresToTheFarmer campaign, a partnership with country star Luke Bryan to celebrate America’s farmers and fight hunger. For every share of the hashtag on social media now through October 31, Bayer helps provide one meal through the Feeding America network and up to 1 million meals to communities in need. Since the partnership’s inception in 2015, 6 million meals have been donated and more than $180,000 has gone to Feeding America member food banks and local farmers at each of the tour cities.
When we hear stories of food insecurity and nutritional gaps in America, it’s easy to assume these hardships are few and far between. The truth is, they’re far more prevalent than we’ve imagined—at least until we do something to reverse the trend.
*This product is not currently available for commercial sale or commercial planting. Commercialization is dependent on multiple factors, including successful conclusion of the regulatory process. The information presented herein is provided for educational purposes only, and is not and shall not be construed as an offer to sell.
Services and products offered by Climate LLC are subject to the customer agreeing to our Terms of Service. Our services provide estimates or recommendations based on models. These do not guarantee results. Consult with your agronomist, commodity broker, or other industry professional before making financial, farming, or risk management decisions. More information at https://ift.tt/zDZTGbg. FieldView is a trademark of Climate LLC, Bayer CropScience Inc. licensee. Bayer and Bayer Cross are registered trademarks of Bayer Group. ©2022 Bayer Group. All rights reserved.
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