Food Deserts

I am from Westmont, California and I live in a food desert. A food desert is an area of land where citizens are deprived of fresh produce because of distance and/or availability. Food deserts pose a serious threat to the African American community as health is already an ongoing issue.

 African Americans eat a lot of fried food. A large percentage of our food is prepared with cooking oil and unnecessary amounts of salt. Yes, it tastes good, but constantly indulging in greasy food leads to detrimental health problems like high blood pressure and gout. In order to live longer lives, the black community needs to cut down on greasy foods, or balance it out with healthy sides like fruits and vegetables. This is a problem in my community however, because the produce isn’t organic. Fruits treated with pesticides and GMOs take away from the healthy aspects of fruit and vegetables. Leslie Lizardo, longtime resident of Westmont, points out that, “The food that is supposed to be healthy, isn’t actually healthy in our community. “   

If I want to purchase an apple that is free of genetic modification, I’d have to travel 7.8 miles to the nearest Whole Foods Market in El Segundo. This isn’t too problematic for me because I have a personal vehicle, but it makes it hard for people that rely on public transportation. It takes about twenty minutes by car, and could take an hour or more via bus. I find it sad that someone from my community has to sit on a bus for an hour to purchase an organic piece of fruit. In order to take back our health, we must first educate one another on the issue.

Ron Finley, founder of Guerrilla Gardening, is an African American male from South Central who sought to improve his community. Rather than seeking economic gain, Finley created the non-profit organization in hopes of strengthening the black community through hands-on labor. Finley created Guerilla Gardening as a way to educate the world on the increasing number of food deserts in heavily populated areas.

Guerrilla Gardeners go around poor communities and plant fresh produce on pieces of unused land throughout the city. Finley's organization provides people unable to afford to eat healthy, or simply eat in general, with free clean food. Everything the organization grows is open to the public. The fruit is planted on sidewalks so that people don’t have to feel embarrassed about asking others for food. This organization’s work helps the hungry, as well as those who want to eat healthy, but live far away from fresh produce.

One of the biggest driving factors for the organization is health. In a Ted Talk on Guerilla Gardening, Finley states, "The drive-thru is killing more people than the drive by." Finley uses the organization to educate the community about the harsh reality of constantly eating fatty foods. In a LA Times article, Mary MacVean says, “But the number of fast-food outlets within three miles of home was associated with eating more fast food, fried potatoes and caloric soft drinks, and with less frequent consumption of produce, the researchers said.   Like MacVean, Finley also realizes that healthier foods are less likely to be present in these communities, so people tend to rely on fast food because it is easily acceptable. So, with that in mind, Finley decided to give produce away for free so that people would have an incentive to take back their health.

 This organization continues to strengthen the community through volunteer accessibility and hands on produce production. All ages are accepted to participate in field work, which allows different members of the community to interact with one another. By allowing the community to get involved in the planting produce, it motivates them to enjoy the fruits of their labor.