A Food Desert in the Delta

Tonight the PBS News Hour continued its reporting on the obesity epidemic, focusing on Mississippi, the state with the "highest rate of childhood obesity in the country [where] 44 percent of kids ages 10 to 17 are obese or overweight."

Tonight's report, In Mississippi, Growing Vegetables in a 'Food Desert' focuses on the delta region, and it considers the problem of "food deserts," areas where it is difficult to purchase healthy foods. Food in a "food desert" can often be found only in a convenience store, gas station or liquor store. That food is often highly processed junk food - high calorie, high fat, sodium filled chips and snacks. Grocery stores with a good selection of produce may be many miles away.

It is particularly ironic to find a food desert in the Delta - known for its prime agricultural soil. However, most of the farms in the Delta grow commodity crops that are shipped out of the region. And, despite the wealth of some of the large landowners, the poverty rate is among the worst in the country.

Enter, the local food movement and the re-education of people in the skills of gardening. A web feature on this last point is provided below.

The full report is now available at the News Hour website.