The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines a food desert as a “low-income census tracts where a significant number or share of residents is more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket.” As of May 2017, the entirety of the University’s campus and many of the surrounding neighborhoods are designated as a food desert.

In East Baton Rouge Parish, more than 75,00 residents live in food deserts, which is an incredible 17 percent of the Baton Rouge population, twice as high as the national average of eight percent. Things that impact the greater Baton Rouge community also impact the University, and the food desert in East Baton Rouge Parish affects many of our students.

One in four University students live in on-campus housing and one in five are from out-of-state. Because many of these students do not have cars and rely entirely on provided services, they are especially vulnerable to the impact of the food desert. If they do not have a meal plan or if they miss out on the arguably slim dining hall hours, there is no alternative for fresh food.

I came to the University as a freshman without a car from an out-of-state area that has an abundance of grocery stores. I wrongfully assumed that living in a capital city like Baton Rouge meant I would easily be able to walk and get whatever I needed. I was disappointed to discover it would be a 2.1 mile walk one way from my dorm to the nearest grocery store.

“Limited access to affordable, healthier foods is one factor that may make it harder for some Americans to eat a healthy diet and could negatively affect their health,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in reference to food deserts. 

With other health risks such as elevated stress, sleep deprivation and alcohol consumption, the overall health of college students is already at risk. Students deal with all of these issues in addition to having to face the lack of access to affordable, healthier foods leaving their health in danger.

There are some fantastic resources the University has put in place to help students gain access to fresh food in light of the food desert, but they still need some expansion. Every Sunday there is a shuttle that stops at the Walmart Neighborhood Market on Highland Road, but it only runs for 4 hours. Every Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. the university hosts a farmer’s market in Free Speech Plaza, but between having such a small sales window and students’ busy class schedules, this is not enough to adequately accommodate students.  

Small changes like expanding the shuttle hours, having the farmer’s market more than one day a week or for longer hours on Wednesday and making sure that all students are aware of these resources could make all the difference.

The University recently finished an $85 million expansion to the University Recreation Center in an effort to encourage healthy lifestyles and personal wellness among students. The new UREC is designed to provide “healthy buildings for healthy bodies,” but without addressing the food desert issues in our area, their idea of healthy bodies is at risk. 

If encouraging healthy lifestyles and personal wellness is truly a goal of the University, then making fresh produce and foods available to students should be at the top of their priority list.

Anna Coleman is a 19-year-old mass communication junior from Kennesaw, Georgia.