At least Washington DC has a bus system. For many food deserts around North America, especially in medium-sized cities, there are limited to no public transportation options.

Wow. My nearest grocery chain is only a block away. I can't imagine having to commute so far. If I really crave something I just walk, buy it and make it home in 10-15min. It really makes me put some of my worries in perspective.

The problem is if you open a grocery store in a ghetto than it’s going to be robbed.

At 71, I can understand why she takes mass transit. However, a collapsible shopping cart would be a great benefit.

In Mexico and California there's literally cars like food trucks that sell items from inside. In fact my aunt used to do this and she would make at least 1 thousand a day, some days up to 5thousand selling the basics like tomatoes, onions, garlic, lettuce, avacado, limes, oranges, pineapples, guavas, apples, and other fresh food then in another car she would sell staples like coffee, milk, eggs, meats, bread, soaps, toilet paper, herbs, teas ect. She also had someone make rounds for fresh Mexican bread She would only target food deserts and largely populated apartments, she was the only one to do this and she was very successful. She said "if there's a need for something this big....the money flows like water" she got stopped because laws changed and these cars became illegal in her area but for as long as she could she went on and paid the fines imposed because she said "people need to eat but do nothing to help the community"

It's about way too many crackheads stealing from the supermarket. Way too many people getting into fights in the bottle and can room. The supermarket just breaks even with low sales . Eventually this supermarket closed down. Same thing happened to my CVS up the street. Too many crackheads shoplifting. Went out of business. I see the same thing happening with my local family dollar, and Walgreens. They take the baskets fill it up with food ,supplies and walk out the door with it. We still have Walmart way out in suburbs but shoplifting happens there too! It's More trouble than what it's worth to insure everything if crackheads r going to steal everything. I go dumpster diving. Or go to a food stand, 3 in this hood. One food stand has donated bread from a local supermarket, rarely picked up goes bad have to put it in the trash. Don't be one-sided on this. What would you do if your store was repeatedly shoplifted from? Leave the hood! 😡😥✌️

Toni looks AMAZING at 71 and yeah Southeast DC which im not too far from is definitely a food desert.

Those are pretty low standards for a food deserts. I had to ride my ride my bike 2 miles in college because i didn't have a car and we didn't have public transit. Stories also avoid areas of high theft because you can't make a profit. Just look a the latest Walmart videos shot in a Chicago Walmart. It had food all over the floor and nothing on the shelves because people are stealing most of the food. 4 out of 8 Walmart's just closed down because of a high rate of theft.

I live in Juneau Alaska most of our entire state is a food desert 😂

American University used to have a food policy class and we studied this exact issue in DC. And we studied the policy of raw milk, the large waiting lists for community gardens, and farmers rights all in DC. It's cool to see others becoming aware of this issue thru such a large source as NPR.

Before watching the video I had to comment because I can understand this. I took my mom to the DMV area and there were no grocery stores and restaraunts for MILESSS! I live in Dallas Tx and whether you are poor or rich, theres plenty of food, restaraunts and grocery stores. We were so annoyed at how far we had to go for everyday stores. Its really pathetic and makes no sense. Next time we go, we know where NOT to go. Geeze! This needs to change. Hope you're reading this city council in the DMV area.

Food Deserts= Loss of income from constant theft of products= shut down said business and move to a economically safer area.

I dont live there but hve the people considered small vegetable container growing?

This happens when stores that sell wholesome food close down and leave. Why? Because they were sick of the crime, the rampant shoplifting and the vandalism. These people brought this all upon themselves.

Theft. No store can survive.

Food desserts are going to grow when these grocery stores and pharmacies move out of DC due to crime.

God bless this wonderful lady 🙏🌻.

So basically you need denser and better mixed communities, way better public transport and a city that isn't build for cars. I'm from Europe and it was pretty shocking for me that I couldn't go anywhere without having a car. I grew up riding my bike or using public transport to get around the city.

I returned to the neighborhood in Detroit I lived in until 4th grade last year. One of my dads and some childhood buddies still live there. And I heard they were gentrifying slowly. I have lived in Los Angeles and its suburbs and now live in Boston. Plenty of grocery market options. For reference, I live in a gentrifying community but it's considered to be a good neighborhood and kind of artsy. I live close to an inner city subway and right next door is a housing project, and right next to that is a regional grocery store, Stop n Shop. I walk 10 minutes the other way there is a Whole Foods. Back in the old neighborhood in Detroit, there used to be independently owned grocery stores, 2 of them. They are both gone. And the neighborhood was in much worst shape with crime and things like then than it is now. But now that place is a food desert. I have no idea where my dad and stepmom shop for groceries but thankfully they both have cars. I bet they shop somewhere near where they work.

Too much crime discourages supermarkets and shops in that space leads to food deserts.

I was thinking, maybe an idea would be for people to buy frozen food or freeze it themselves the leftover, that way they can have a stock of good vegetable and fruits in their freezer, so they eat more fruit and vegetables. Legumes when bought dry can keep for a long time and can be hydrated and then boiled for good nutrients, like protein and fibers.

No Toni, it’s not planned. It’s math. Just take your free food and appreciate it.

Why isnt a pedicab, tricycle not made an option for transport, an alternative to walking?

Foliage outside the homes gets better nourishments homedepots you see on metro. Public transit you see huge piles of fertilizer potting soils

South East DC is also crime ridden....

How much is a bus ride?

It’s not a conspiracy. It’s a business closing down because theft makes operating without a loss impossible.

No grocery store within 1/2 mile is considered a food desert? That's only a 10 minute walk or 5 minute bike ride... Definitely blown out of proportion.

Thomas Sowell has an excellent clip on this: "Food Deserts: Why Poor Black People Pay More For Food".

My God that's sad to have to travel that far just to buy food it's messed up.

I've always heard of America as "the land of freedom," but in reality, what I see is tons and tons of regulations, especially regarding zoning. If those zoning regulations were more lax, we could see more small local businesses developing in residential areas to meet the demands of that population. The best way to solve this kind of problem is not more state intervention but the other way around.

Another grocery store closed down in DC due to high thefts 😂

Why do you people have a Wikipedia link directly underneath your vid?

I do shopping in dollar store... but NOT every time ... hahaha.. I do shopping also in Alberston, QFC, Safeway, Aldi, Costco, Wincoo, FredMeyer... but NOT every time always at the same store... NOT every time !!! ... just one or another store every week... But NOT every time at same store !!! .. The reasons : prices... items.. product... conveniences.. my moods on that day.

Their communities are NOT so poor that they cannot have grocery stores on most streets of poor neighbourhoods. This is Washington DC. This is not suburbia.

Oh my god it very sad to here that should travel so long to get the food.. I

Maybe someone in this area should start a store and fill the need. Start your own grocery store and you will make millions

I don't talk about the person portrayed the in movie but just in general; For a healthy person walking 0.5 miles (0.8km) should be doable. That's about 15-20 minutes per way.

Ood that are not local small stores nearby. Like no brand stores.

Food swamps & food deserts, unfortunately, exist throughout the country in poor rural and urban areas. That's a shameful tragedy. Healthy food is a basic human need and access to it a basic human right. So my question is, how does one start a grocery in these areas?

Something that's planned? If the demand for fresh groceries were there, a store would scoop up the opportunity.

I don’t own a car because I am blind in one eye. So Walk to my nearest grocery store and I get a cab 🚕 back that way I have a months worth of food.

Because being repeatedly shoplifted, robbed, looted and burned is not a sustainable business model.

Obviously security and shoplifting are major factors in the lack of food markets in high crime areas.

Welcome to USA.

She looks excellent considering she is actually 71 years old. Her facial skin tissue looks like that of a 30 year old.

this woman literally had to go to Maryland to go get groceries and she lives in D.C. it’s 😞

I though she would want to ask PEOPLE to open a grocery store nearby.

Nearest grocery store for me is 10 miles away, I would hate to be so close to one

This wasn’t planned. Grocery stores are just not viable in areas that are vulnerable to shoplifting and vandalism.

It's a concern, but it seems to be more of an issue about transportation. I think in the future most buses will be replaced by single person automated pods. They will go right to where you are, you ride them directly to the destination, in this case a grocery store, load the groceries, then it will drive you back and drop off you and the groceries, and it goes back to the nearest pod station to recharge. Of course some will still have their own cars, so they can have the one they want and not have to wait for it to arrive, and might want to hack it so it can't be controlled by an outside computer. But whether they do it with automated pods or traditional buses, it is an issue of transportation. Rather than trying to dictate that a private company builds a grocery store where they don't want to, we should enable people to get to the grocery store.

At least the NPR report recognizes that high rates of violent crime is a major factor.

Why can't the major food retailers open a store in the neighborhood where people live?

👍

Come on, 800 metres is nothing. You cannot have a grocery strore at EVERY 800 metres.

Hey Toni, how can a business survive without profits and all the shoplifting?It’s not an accident they leave that neighborhood. You get free food and you’re still complaining.

Can at least 1 sain person explain to me a simple fact. Why in Poland where i come from if a situation like this was brought to light by any form of media including social media there would not only be self sufficent gardens long in place but also at least 10 business plans in the making by people that would flock into there to take advantage out of the scarcity of resources available. I think i know the answer - black mob violence.

Planned? No. It's entirely natural. Why did you move there? It was cheap. Why was it cheap? It lacks services and amenities that would drive up demand, and the price. Why is no one building supermarkets? Crime. Lack of profit. The same reason you aren't building one there.

Unpopular opinion: not sure if I feel sympathy after living a long time DC no company would invest on places where crime is rampant, and people rob and sack their grocery stores and then complaining why they left us all alone.... like is crazy to think actions have consequences.

Half a mile away from a grocery store? That’s like 99% of Americans. What do you want the grocery store to be right next door to you? The CDC recommends people should try to walk 5 miles a day and people are griping about a 1/2 mile walk. We are getting so soft.

She has lived in an area for 28 years that she considers a food desert. At any point in time during those 28 years did she consider moving?

Food deserts are caused by high crime period.

It reminds me of Marie Antoinette's 'If you don't have bread, I wish you could eat sweets.'

please, walk, is good for you

She's trying to walk too fast, maybe for the camera? And I'd wear some running shoes, maybe rescued from the trash, rather than good boots like that, for a "long distance" grocery run. Those shopping cart things associated with little old ladies are a Godsend, because they can hold a fuckton of groceries. On Food Stamps, I'd buy essentials to get me through the month first, stuff like oatmeal, pork chops, etc., stuff that lasts and you can buy meat and freeze it. Food deserts suck, but so does trying to run a market where theft is a huge thing. In my town the downtown Safeway closed and ostensibly it was because of a parking validation conflict with the building owner, but theft was huge and the place was basically ghetto as fuck.

Why not look at WHY these stores left ???? THEFT.....FEELING UNSAFE INTIMIDATED ....who wants to invest in such a situation

No grocery store can survive if there are other grocery store every 800 meters away. Eventually, people would choose the better grocery stores, and get the less desirable grocery stores closed.

Shopping for food or just about anything else is concentrated along busy streets. Where you find fast food you also find grocery stores. There is no such thing as a food desert. If you can get to a fast food outlet you can also shop at a grocery store within a few blocks of that McDonalds. It's all about choices.

"It isn't just about black people, it's about poor people" - Right, so maybe it isn't about black people at all but exclusively about poverty?

Why would any sane company want to put a location in "low income community"? After the Summer of Love in 2020, you're asking for it. Plus the "equity" laws regarding theater are absurd. You get what you vote for. Clean your communities up and stop acting like animals.

You dont have to get cars or grocery stores, all you need is change into a high income neighbourhood to loose your victim status according to this mockumantary.

Hard to stay in business when your constantly robbed.

They do nothing to protect those types of resources

Retired and have to get food stamps smh

Is this a joke or parody? Really? I am 69 and I powerwalk for over 2 hours three times a week. I have no car and my commute to the store is longer than hers. I walk further to the bus stop than she does, and I have never thought of myself as under privileged by living in a food desert. Such whiney people. For me it is good exercise. Geesh!

The only thing that can work in black neighbourhoods is a pawn shop , you can become a millionaire as a pawn shop owner in poor black neighbourhoods. It’s funny videos like this make them look like victims, they fail to show how urban black neighbourhoods treat businesses, I had to step in and help a Chinese senior dude, getting punched in the face by some random black dude for politely asking him to leave the store, nobody wants to get hurt while conducting normal everyday business, stop committing horrendous amounts of crime in your immediate areas

Obesity in the Black community is a serious health problem, especially among women, many of whom are enormous. Food deserts will encourage the obese to be more physically active in the pursuit of sustenance, and should encourage neighborhood vegetable gardening and raising of poultry for a healthy and plentiful food supply. The destruction of community supermarkets due to nonstop shoplifting and flash mobs may prove to be a blessing after all. Eat more 🍎🌽 & 🐟 instead of 🍔🍕 & 🍦.

2 miles isnt far. Whats thst 5 bucks in a uber?

Firstly if entrepreneurs are scared of their neighborhood is their fault, moreover half a mile is quite easy to walk or they could share a car, maybe 3/4 household could buy a car and use it to go shopping together... I don't this is a government problem

Something tells me that this woman will continue to waste her time and money running all over the city to save 1$, even if a local supermarket opens up.

They keep robbing the stores

Somehow ALL those business people who want to make a profit won't do so with food? SOmehow they won't open a store in a "food dessert"? Supply and Demand! IF THERE REALLY WAS A DEMAND IN THESE FOOD DESSERTS THEN THE BUSINESSES WOULD OPEN UP. WHen grocery stores do open up the people DO NOT BUY! "Fresh food" is NOT purchased in these locations. THAT IS WHY THERE AREN"T ANY GROCERY STORES! Use consistent thinking, are corporations greedy and will do anything for a nickel? Are there all these hungry people with money who cannot get food? Common critical thinking, please.

but please don't just say it's a race thing , because that's total bs. I live in the deep south and their are plenty of white and black folks stranded in a food desert. we grow a lot of our food. also business isn't going to come to an area if there is no profit. it's about the choices people make during their life and things that happened to them . but it's not about black or white! ok? ok!

*This is modern day "FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC APARTHEID" by corporations and governments that fail to govern the well being of its citizens.* When financial profits are put ahead of creating societal abundance in the lives of everyone, apartheid takes place ie. a financial and economic vacuum is created in one area for the benefit of another. It creates a win-lose situation and not a win-win situation. Understanding corporate finance is critical to being able to understand the reasons why this scarcity of profits thinking kills economies and eventually the corporations that feed on their own greed instead of giving to create more abundance. Finance still obeys the law of conservation of energy and other laws of physics (Bachelier, late 1800s). *"For those who have much, more will be given. But for those who have little, even the little they do have will be taken from them." - Matthew **25:29*

It’s 2022 and this is freaking America 🇺🇸 shame

Poor neighborhood is a euphemism for black neighborhood. those who are smart enough to know what that means don't live there any more. Day ain't gots no stos.

Ahh.. The nonsense. Let's break this down shall we She retired yet she doesn't have a pension? Has EBT? Where's her husband? Crime is also a factor?...crime is the biggest factor. When places like Walmart and a giant have to close because of thousands to millions of dollars lost via theft, that's an issue. It's not about race. It's about reality. Many people make poor choices in life and expect to be bailed out. She can move her ass to Nebraska, afford a house and some land. Grow food and purchase what she needs. She's not serious about her life.

Of course when you arbitrarily include low-income as part of the definition of a food desert for purely ideological reasons, you'll find it matches low-income areas. It's a manufactured result, a bit of propaganda which NPR is spreading here. Two miles is not that far. It's a leisurely one-hour walk. Any able-bodied person should be very capable of this. It's unfortunate that a 70-year-old woman has no younger family or friends to do her shopping for her, but that's beside the point. This woman lives in a nice, clean apartment and gets high-quality food - all for free! She then accuses those paying for this of some dehumanizing racist conspiracy against her! And NPR spreads this view in a sympathetic light without any qualification! What a joke! These neighborhoods don't have proper grocery stores with fresh produce because the locals rob and vandalize such stores and choose to eat junk food over healthy food, even when the junk food is more expensive. There are poor neighborhoods of immigrant communities from East Asia and elsewhere that have plenty of fresh produce. Bribing and forcing grocery stores into these neighborhoods is not going to get the locals to start eating broccoli instead of chips and soda. This is a delusional fantasy concocted by those who haven't actually seen the people they pretend to be so concerned about.

She sounds stupid saying it is planned - it isn't directly planned it is a result of economics which she might want to take a class on. At the core, a poor area will have less stores vs a rich area as it can't support (afford) many stores which is a BUSINESS. Anyone running a business knows you place it for return on investment and a food store is not a public service. She instead should be trying to get the city or government to open a non-profit food store as that could be an option but likely still far away from her. Or she could go after the bigger fish like proper community planning where you don't end up with one side of the city poor and another rich that ends up creating a larger difference then just a food store. One of the main problems in the US was most locations/cities/etc were not planned to be an integrated area (stores,schools,walking/biking paths,etc) - Japan is by far one of the best places where planning with proper zoning allows for easy public transit using fast trains, stores can be built on the 1st floor of a very small house, etc -- which all lead up to functional communities with public transit options if needed. However, no one is pushing this in America which will just continue to cause issues like in this video. This will likely never be corrected in America until law makers stop going after money and power and truly want to help their people. We honestly need to make every person in power (town/city/etc) take a class on proper known working community planning and zoning - and better yet make them take it again if they get into office and require all highschool students to take a class on it. For example in a small town/city in Japan - people who don't take on normal jobs will often get a small house with a small store front on the 1st floor (next to other houses with the same) where they can provide a small service for the area or products. This allows those people and therefore town/city to have maybe not be extremely rich but enough to live properly - most stores or items is within half mile from your front door with plenty of people walking or biking if they prefer that or they can buy a car - it tends to be more flexable and a better living of life vs the US and other similar places where everything is decided by economics with no planning and a poor zoning system the US uses (IE: in the US you couldn't have a small store front for your house in almost every city/town - and likely if you could the house would have to be huge because they would require the BIZ floor to be at least 2,000sq ft and the house portion be the same vs Japan where they can have a very small house (people don't need large houses with large rooms; and smaller house and smaller more simple bedrooms work fine) and use a small portion as a store front. Anyways I'm rambling - but people need to wake up. If this was more normal it doesn't lead to people 'wanting more, more, more' and having to keep up with the Jones and just provides a better quality of life I feel. Of course not saying one place as it prefect; but we should look at good real world examples around the world, model after it while being open to adjustments that are well thought out and make it better.

Would you open stores in crime ridden black area? Why not?! Shameful!