The Problem
- rutwacreates
- Dec 18, 2025
- 2 min read
Updated: Dec 19, 2025
Area of Concern
Hunger and food insecurity affect millions worldwide. The World Health Organisation reports that 9.2% of the global population experienced severe food insecurity. Beyond hunger, food insecurity has lasting impacts on health, economic stability, and social mobility.
The USDA defines a food desert as an area with limited access to affordable and nutritious food. These regions often lack grocery stores and healthy food providers within convenient reach. In urban areas, food deserts are typically found in economically disadvantaged neighbourhoods with inadequate public transportation options. This makes it harder for residents without private vehicles to access healthy food.
In North Carolina, over 349 food deserts impact more than 1.5 million residents. Mecklenburg County is particularly affected, with 15% of its neighbourhoods classified as food deserts. Local organizations, such as the Food Trust and 3 Sisters Proposal, have mapped the extent of this issue.
Dr. Colleen Hammelman, Associate Professor at the University of North Carolina Charlotte explained, “Lack of food security affects shopping habits, with limited housing, cooking facilities, and resources changing how people buy and prepare food.” Low and moderate income households are most affected, as poor public transportation worsens access to grocery stores with fresh, healthy food. Many residents rely on corner stores or fast food, leading to health problems.
Initiatives like community gardens, mobile markets, and food banks are addressing food insecurity in Mecklenburg County. However, these efforts often lack the resources for long term impact and fail to address the root causes of food deserts. Community gardens, for example, provide fresh produce but depend on volunteers and seasonal conditions. This limits sustainability. Food banks can’t provide consistent meals, making it hard to break the cycle of food insecurity.
Food security is access to food within the current system, while food sovereignty enforces access to healthy food as a human right. In North Carolina, food sovereignty is vital to addressing social isolation, inter-generational health issues, and reduced economic opportunities. Charlotte’s social mobility index improved from 50th in 2014 to 37th in 2022, but food sovereignty remains a barrier to further progress in reducing poverty.
In our own experience setting up a fresh food market in a Charlotte food desert in 2022-2023, we learned that systemic change is challenging and requires persistence. Dr. Hammelman noted, “If the solution to a food desert were easy, it would have already been implemented.” We realised that empowering communities is key to creating sustainable, systemic change aligned with the concept of food sovereignty.
References:
Comments