There’s a shocking statistic in the city of Chicago: over 600,000 of our 2.8-plus million residents live in so-called “food deserts.” Local food policy consultant Mari Gallagher’s groundbreaking reports on food
deserts have helped put our city on the map as a national focal point for food disparities. According to Gallagher, food deserts are neighborhoods where residents lack access to fresh, healthy produce. In
Chicago, the majority of food desert residents are African-American women and children.