The food deserts of Memphis: inside America's hunger capital | Divided Cities

In the 'food deserts' of Memphis, Tennessee, dominated by fast food outlets and convenience stores, locals lack what seems a basic human right in the richer half of the city: a supermarket. With a big gap in life expectancy, are these Americans doomed to die younger than their neighbours - or can they fight for their right to nutrition?
Subscribe to The Guardian on KZbin ► is.gd/subscribe...
• Divided Cities ep 1: Does Melilla really need a Trump-style wall? ► www.theguardia...
• Divided Cities ep 2: Why Havana's taxi drivers vastly out-earn doctors ► www.theguardia...
Support the Guardian ► support.thegua...
Today in Focus podcast ► www.theguardia...
Sign up for the Guardian documentaries newsletter ► www.theguardia...
The Guardian ► www.theguardia...
The Guardian KZbin network:
Guardian News ► is.gd/guardianw...
Guardian Football ► is.gd/guardianf...
Guardian Sport ► bit.ly/GDNsport
Guardian Culture ► is.gd/guardianc...
#FoodDeserts #Memphis #DividedCities #Tennessee #USA #HungerCapital

[@Sfgurl415]

Growing up in San Francisco we always had access to grocery stores. The closest one was about a 10 minute walk. However, being Hispanic my dad used to prefer to buy a lot of our produce from Fruterias which is basically a latin store that sells fresh produce and foods more than any other type. As kids we used to hate it cause none of the processed foods like Twinkies were easily found there. lol. As an adult I totally appreciate that we were raised on healthy home cooked meals. ❤️

[@MiladyToxic]

We never appreciate what we have when we're young, and we never realize what we don't have, either, until it affects us as adults. Thank you for sharing your story.

[@cristalcruzzin1756]

Life is crazy because I lived in a really small town like they described in the documentary it was sparse there’s not a lot of people but with in that town we had like three groceries stores and easy walking distance because the town was so small it only had one stoplight. And these people are living without a store for their entire lives and I can’t imagine living like that. It’s so sad.

[@nightcoder2633]

Mission street, I loved going there as a child.

[@alexblack1234]

San Francisco is the greatest city in the country.

[@AMM0beatz]

14th Mission hispanic grocery stores is where my parents would go to buy all the vagetables and meat, every pay day thats the place. But that was in the 80s, not sure if its still there.

[@Orius25]

In the U.S., corn, sugar, soy and wheat are all subsidized by the government. That's why junk food is cheaper than healthy food, because the ingredients in it are paid for by tax payers, like high fructose corn syrup. If the government switched subsidies to the healthy food, then it would change the health of the population over night.

[@cookie22100]

So you're basically saying that our tax dollars contribute to making us sick. We need our government to change. I didnt know this before!

[@artalcoolique3341]

You forgot meats.

[@jamesoleary2476]

cookie22100 and also to exporting our bad food overseas

[@cerebraldreams4738]

Potatoes are cheap, and you can get a bag of frozen veggies for under $2. Mix it with some chicken and broth mix, and you have yourself a healthy soup. Just because some healthy foods are expensive, that doesn't mean all healthy foods are expensive. There's a lot of cheap stuff that pretty much anyone can afford on food stamps.

[@captainanus8131]

CerebralDreams improvise. Overcome. Adapt

[@emingokberkesin8947]

USA is really weird country, I live in Turkey, we have also many problems with food, but still low income earners have access to fresh foods, USA has abudant resources but not for its people.

[@joez3706]

Turkey blows 🙄

[@johnwhite-q7s]

America is a third world country. There are parts of america that are so poor, other americans can’t believe it

[@joez3706]

@@johnwhite-q7s America is absolutely not a third world country. While there are certain regions that are very poor overall the United States of America is the richest country on the planet.

[@calebballantine3402]

@@joez3706 what is the point of being the richest country on the planet when millions of your people are living hand to mouth in run down neighborhoods? You have seen yourself in this video there are people who work who still are living on the poverty line.

[@cassandrabuitron427]

This is so true.

[@hellenkeesha4393]

Complete opposite in Africa,,here veggies,fruits ,cereals and such are way more affordable than those fast foods.

[@Katherine-sv7iz]

True like burgers in Kenya could go for 350sh and an apple for 25sh and spinach for 10sh

[@TESkyrimizer]

Same in China what is wrong with America

[@toadstuhle2524]

Soy, milk and wheat are all subsidized by the government so overly produced foods are all very cheap.

[@sandysimpson4785]

As it should be...

[@neverdowifeydutiesatgirlfriend]

@DinkleDigerooorganic beef that we eat in Africa is awful but American beef is better?🤣this must be a joke

[@teresah.6696]

@ 6:00 she takes 2 buses which takes her about 1 1/2 hrs., just to get to the grocery store and she is still within the city limits of Memphis, something's wrong with this picture, we're in the 21st century and everyone should have access to produce/food.

[@herewegokids7]

Crime

[@kathleen5237]

I order groceries online and all supermarkets deliver. It's a lot easier than taking buses and carrying the groceries

[@mr3817]

It's because all the grocery stores shut down from losses from THEFT. Stop playing the victim card. You are a powerful amazing person who creates your reality. Don't like living with so many criminals that grocery stores aren't close? Change your location. Change your education. Start a garden. Start an Urban Aquaponic Farm. So many options, so much abundance, why focus on the mirage of lack?

[@r.jyonce8253]

m r your ignorance is absolutely disgusting. Do some research it’s not that easy

[@teresah.6696]

Raven Jackson .....Raven, sweetheart stop trolling. Have a nice life, you're will need it.

[@donparnell5730]

One of the problems is shoplifting is considered a minor crime, and the thieves aren't properly punished. I worked in retail for years, and it would frustrate me over and over to see shoplifters get a slap on the wrist.

[@grahamcracker9552]

Imagine trying to get insurance for your business in one these locations where shoplifters walk right out tge door with your merchandise.

[@ricochetsixtyten]

So the whole community should be punished because of what a few juveniles do?

[@scottowensbyable]

@@ricochetsixtyten I think you should open a grocery store there.

[@JahTsir]

@@ricochetsixtyten if it gets bad enough , yes. It's a grocery store, not a charity place.

[@alpacamale2909]

@@ricochetsixtyten yes

[@doctorbigsmiles]

How much can one carry home on the bus? Poor people gotta haul like mules.

[@elvinmay54]

2 weeks shopping by UK standard. For about 2 people. When in uni I used to walk home with about 10 days of shopping in a 25 minute walk

[@TT-fr7gz]

Melissa Lauder yep. I walk down the canal to and from Sainsbury’s, which will take around 20 mins each way. It’s healthy, and also a nice walk.

[@djdigital3806]

I did it. Be thankful for bus service.

[@TNDCBaby]

@Veronika Zimmermann Laziness? You may have 2 hours to spend grocery shopping but not everyone has that luxury. Not everyone can make that several times a week to stock up on fresh foods that go bad in a few days. Not everyone has the money to spend on the trip. Not everyone has a functioning transportation system to take that 30 to 40 minute ride.

[@mirsaes]

Doesn't anyone know how to grow a tomato or a head lettuce anymore?

[@Mell0wY3ll0w]

Friday or Sunday Markets sound like a great idea. Businesses don't have to move into the area. But can provide a service people require. It's a win win.

[@Lena.Jones13]

They often don't take ebt... So ppl can't necessarily afford it

[@cdmurray88]

My house is fortunate to have vehicles and can afford groceries, but even I work a job that wouldn't allow me to go to a Friday or Sunday market; which is common of people who work hourly jobs.

[@MsLignumvitae]

Brilliant idea I think that's doable

[@Jfkd1989]

@Pro-White Advocate, End Black Privilege lol you're such an edgelord

[@Lena.Jones13]

@Pro-White Advocate, End Black Privilege muh???

[@5pctLowBattery]

In America you won’t starve, but you really have to pay if you want to eat healthy.

[@ahuehuete4703]

Not really, but it takes much more effort to prepare a meal from scratch, and to be honest, too many people just don't know how to cook.

[@antwto8784]

thats why theres sooooo many fatties in 'murica

[@arminiusofgermania]

How mentally deficient would you have to be to not know how to cook? If you can follow basic directions, you can cook, and if you can't, then you have more serious problems than being morbidly obese.

[@maroonhorizon1693]

5%LowBattery you’re very ignorant. I’m poor and I barley had food growing up. Ate expired food that was donated from my school. Some nights had no food! IF YOU THINK POVERTY DOESNT EXIST IN AMERICA YOURE IGNORANT

[@cerebraldreams4738]

@@arminiusofgermania - It's not that people don't know how. It's that cooking takes actual time, and people don't want to put in the effort. Rice, beans, and potatoes can be found almost anywhere, and they're very cheap yet healthy at the same time. Frozen vegetables are also pretty cheap, but like rice, beans, and potatoes, they have to actually be cooked. Also, people prefer the taste of potato chips.

[@a.e.rromero5403]

We need more community gardens

[@Blueocean881]

So allotments? Yes! As long as there is someone in the community willing to regulate and educate on how to cultivate plant life depending on the season and seed I think this could be the single most beneficial thing to happen in a community. That and shopping trolley loaning for anyone not taking the bus, these could be brought back into a local storage room for the next person to use. If the community is a close one, there could be a community meeting group where for two hours a week someone lends a hand with the shopping, or even chauffeurs families who are part of a healthy eating program on a rota. Incentives like free travel would drastically decrease the inclinations families might have towards dopamine filled foods which are often a last resort comfort. Sometimes all it takes is collective support and understanding.

[@daphneytennard3267]

Agree

[@dac518]

@@Blueocean881 wat

[@bellawu3011]

Im also surprised why it is uncommon for Americans to grow food in their backyards when so many lives in their own house with a garden where one has full control over what grows there

[@blupyxi5669]

Lol. You're gonna need a big garden, luv. The problem is there's no time to cook due to being mainly single parent households. Our men don't make the best fathers or providers (majority)

[@alpacamale2909]

they destroy their stores

[@obakhanjones2869]

By the way this didn’t just happen to Memphis it’s been like this for years! I moved away 11 years ago in 2008 and it was like this ever since I could remember. But back then there was no Whole Foods or sprouts just Kroger, Aldis. They have a Sav-A lot and Dollar General in nearly every neighborhood but all they have is generic junk food which is worse than the name brand junk food.

[@obakhanjones2869]

It seems like the push for big city industry is a worldwide thing.

[@karinefonte516]

@@dontevercalmdowntsegai It's also a sort of lost knowledge. The more urban we become, the less we need (or so we believe) to grow vegetables. I'm from Portugal and schools around here do their best so children learn how tho grow and appreciate vegetables; houses have backyards with fruit and crops, sometimes even chicken. Who lives in flats and want to farm even do it vertically! But only if they know how. I personally have a hard time doing it because I go by trial and error, but already have some bell peppers in my fridge from my balcony, on a 6th floor apartment.

[@riverdeep399]

Obakhan Jones so it isn't just white flight. All different kinds of folks are moving out of a run down area if they can? Why was it posed that way? In Britain the hate is on working class/ poor people.

[@Michelle-pn9xt]

Save alot is a grocery store. You can purchase healthy foods there. All grocery stores sell foods like fruits and vegetables, brown rice, and oatmeal.

[@berryberrykixx]

To be fair, Dollar Generals are being remodeled around the nation to fit a small area of produce in.

[@imarvg8285]

Buying healthy is expensive sometimes. I spend up to 180 a week to feed a family of 6.

[@thecattermat]

that's not bad for 6 people eating healthy

[@vickieclark5931]

It's still a lot cheaper than going out to fast food all the time.

[@cerebraldreams4738]

Depends on what you buy. Rice, beans, and potatoes are cheap, but the flavor can be kind of bland. Ultimately, health is driven not by availability, but by preference. Poor people in American don't want to eat rice and beans five times a week, so they don't. Poor people in other nations don't have a choice, so they eat healthy.

[@cerebraldreams4738]

@S R - There's an abundance of cheap and healthy food in the United States. It tastes bland. That's why people avoid it. People in third world countries don't have a choice, and when faced with a choice between starvation or bland food almost everyone chooses to eat boring food.

[@symonemondy9456]

@@cerebraldreams4738 people know they can season the rice and beans but i think culture plays a huge role. I grew up in a privileged african American family and we ate southern food and fast food all the time. Southern food is not very healthy and is loaded with salt and sugar. I am not well off financially like my family so beans and rice are not a choice. I try to find deals on meat and fruit. Alot of african americans only know how to cook southern food. I actually was stuck on what to cook because all i knew was my upbringing. I advise people to look up other ethnicities and look for ideas on recipes.

[@jennywinter3025]

But they are quick to take Aid to other countries but don’t take care of their own

[@tanyaisom]

Exactly

[@wolfumz]

who is "they?"

[@jennywinter3025]

@wolfumz 🇺🇸

[@wolfumz]

@@jennywinter3025 jenny... that's just a flag! The amount of food USAID sends abroad has fallen 60% in the last 15 yrs. US gives less food aid, than many countries in europe, even though our economy is much bigger. We are _not_ giving too much when it comes to global hunger.

[@judycanchola6167]

wolfumz the government who else🤷🏻‍♀️

[@sharonsloan]

Would be nice to see the community mobilise to grow their own produce. If all that vacant ground were turned to food production, they have the climate to grow all year round. It just needs investment.

[@cdmurray88]

"it just needs investment" is the key here; knowledge is sparce, the soil needs to be cared for, the cultivars need to be picked for the region, the cuisine needs to be tailored, the seeds need to be bought/saved, the plants need care, the waste needs to be composted... It's not just throwing seeds on the ground and voila

[@benjamin_markus]

@@cdmurray88 yup, of course it's not going to happen by just itself, it does need a lot of effort but still this is the only real solution

[@revolutionalist]

Maitre Mark growing for hobby and commercial use with health and safety is a complete different game

[@Keksdich]

@Maitre Mark exactly ! The people in the video semm to all have gardens... what is easier than throwing some potatoes into the ground and sow some beans , salad, etc ??

[@solarmoth4628]

Maitre Mark How would they get access to solar energy?

[@HumanBeanbag]

A store can only be robbed so many times. That's why they close down, that's why they don't come at all.

[@rhoefferle]

Higher theft area versus lower theft area

[@jarednovel]

EFFECTIVE MEANS OF DEPOPULATING BLACK NEIGHBORHOODS ...THIS IS ETHNIC CLEANSING IN SLOW MOTION

[@belleame4671]

👏🏿

[@atwitinthephilippines9370]

That woman had 5 kids.

[@dantaylor7344]

Not race related, wealth related. No matter your skin colour rich people just don'r want poor people about

[@fkatwigsisthequeenofenglan4748]

@@dantaylor7344 both are true

[@question-every-thing]

@500 triumph real talk

[@frodoteabaggins666]

The main reason for these “food deserts” is high crime in these black areas. The looting and thievery is out of control. It sucks for the residents that are honest folks but there are far too many bad apples ruining it for the community.

[@kethnoty]

But there is still a lot of fast food.

[@stelladavis7832]

@@kethnoty Yeah, so? How do you shop lift a big mac?

[@zamzam-br3fi]

I'm at a loss for words, but shoutout to those Moms doing their thing. Love and admiration, but something needs to happen.

[@wesley5729]

@mneisbaar I agree. I think it all starts in the household. you want your kid to have a mother and father figure who can teach him or her how to be responsible and ethical. if you don't they will try to find that connection elsewhere, which couldn't end well.

[@punothebear]

Birth control needs to happen.

[@melanphilia]

@@punothebear couldn't agree more 🤔

[@Evan-yv7rn]

@mneisbaar Because women who have unprotected relations with men who are not committed will not accept blame for their actions. It's the man's fault...or maybe society? Have we tried blaming white people yet? What about the wealthy, like Bezos or Musk? Maybe it's their fault, too, somehow. Or maybe popping out babies for an extra $250 a month from government subsidies is sort of a bad decision that gets made. Just keep incentivizing single motherhood! What could go wrong?

[@errhka]

smh this lady saying she doesn't know the ingredients in Grape Drink - sugar, water, PURPLE!

[@RXTV]

That Purple stuff

[@Mandology575]

Errhka That’s not what she meant. She read all the ingredients, and it’s a bunch of chemicals that she doesn’t know, and neither do you.

[@Ask_Me-er7ge]

You forgot all of the chemicals

[@Michelle-pn9xt]

Purple is not an ingredient!

[@honeybadza3884]

I think y'all are missing the point. It was a joke. I for one found it funny

[@stonecrestquilt]

I wonder if crime has anything to do with grocery stores leaving these areas?

[@demoiselledelamontagne]

This is happening in the richest country in the world. Something ain't right.

[@lefthanded5473]

Top 1% own most of the wealth

[@federicoxxx.jjjh.f2sss348]

@@charlesscott27 but it's not. That's a lie you tell yourself to feel better. No decent country would charge their citizens enormous amounts of money to receive healthcare.

[@gs7828]

They need to teach families how to cook. Like, for real, instil a culinary culture that will last and be capable of inspiring people, alleviating their distress and enabling their creativity.

[@jimmixed777]

@Michael Combs I live in Germany, poor People have more Kids then rich People. So I guess its not a Black / White Thing.

[@jimmixed777]

@Michael Combs I live in Germany, and thats the Standard everywhere. Successful People have 1 or max. 2 Kids - Poor People 3 - 6 Kids.

[@kaysmith8602]

I currently live in a food desert. We have one grocery store for about 40k people. The place I lived before here had 3 large stores for about the same amount of people and there was an abundance of healthy food options. When I moved to the place I live now I was quite shocked by how little fresh food options there were. The majority of it was cheap junk. It has gotten a bit better in the past 3 years, but it’s still pretty terrible in comparison to what you can find in surrounding towns. There are a few programs in place that help get fresh, healthy food to the poorer folks around here. They will hand out fresh produce for families at schools. There is also a community garden and you can use snap/ebt at the local farmers market. But considering healthy foods are so much more expensive than $1 banquet meals and Raman noodles, a lot of people choose the junk food in order to make the most of their small food budget.

[@dynamitedingo7720]

Is it possible for you to grow your own food?

[@connormcnamara1284]

@@dynamitedingo7720 they probably dont have enough space/time

[@DST-1-hp]

To be honest things like rice and beans, peanut butter banana sandwhiches, and more are not that expensive and long to make.

[@ferarribrown5752]

I dunno man. Right across the street I got a grocery store. 8 min I got another one. All walking distance... In the country. Your government wants you to die. Bottom line.. not sugar coating it. Love Canada 💯

[@nyyt854tufc]

​@@connormcnamara1284 I see a lot of standing around doing nothing stop waiting for someone to save us when we can save ourselves

[@halethhaladin326]

If you have ever lived or even visited Memphis, you know there is A LOT being left out of this video.

[@elliw.]

Could you name a few things? Never been there.

[@brownbagz]

Every mid size and small city in every state has food dessert's! Hell, our water is still bad here in Flint!

[@wonnielee3407]

Thankfully he in Memphis Mayor Herrinton cleaned up our natural tap water years ago some say it's better than bottled water. Hopefully Flint, Detroit, and other cities alike are properly taken care of for the betterment of its citizens.

[@mignondee]

Wonnie Lee I sure do miss Memphis tap water. I have to buy bottled water here in FLORIDA.

[@sister9670]

What do y'all do for y'all water supply Butter Pecan?

[@nuggets0717]

How do you guys get access to water? It’s a damn shame the govt acted like that was a crisis during election seasons and for PR but then left Flint behind. Sending blessings and best wishes for xmas

[@jonothandoeser]

They will NEVER clean that water!

[@JoeSmith-sl9bq]

Rob, loot and destroy stores. Then wonder why no one wants to operate stores in your area. Ssshhhheeeiiittt

[@MichaelOBrien71]

No accountability is the problem

[@pistolpete667]

Lets address the real issue honestly,why can't grocery stores last in these areas?

[@Flashyfinancier]

​@@FleshMann-sp9xdthe biggest reason is the large population of Black people living there.

[@Flashyfinancier]

​@@FleshMann-sp9xdBlack people who steal

[@quantumphaser]

Let's get to the point... Theft is the number one reason a grocery store leaves an area or won't build in an area.

[@richgibson267]

Girl has to take the bus to the store yet she has a $1000 I phone in her back poster.

[@peterschmidt1453]

Only 1 side of the story presented here. No mention of theft, burglary and violence.

[@Mell0wY3ll0w]

The speaker is great. She isn't selling an idea, it is what it is. I'd be more inclined to help if it was presented to me this way.

[@kate-miawhite5633]

this is very sad. people should always have access to fresh fruit and veg :(

[@ericsanford7075]

They do!

[@ashuu3]

@Claire fitzpatrick In India even day labour with 6 dollars a day eat the fresh vegetable. It doesn't seem plausible to me. I, myself, have plenty of fruit and vegetable though no meat(as a vegan) with less than 300 dollars a month. A rich country like the UK must have far more food than a third world. It can't be true!

[@merlenef666]

Wow I will never complain to walk 8-10 to my grocery store ever again. When the first mom showed us her groceries I thoughtI not even a banana or a apple is in her house. I hope they get help

[@vg60828]

A Whole Foods in a low income neighborhood would only lose money, this all comes down to private companies making business decisions.

[@sark4786]

but shouldn't they? I am still confused to the solutions here, nobody seems to have a solution.

[@anastasiab9506]

Add to that a danger of being robbed, looted and burned and no one wants to take the chance. They just created a food desert in parts of Minneapolis by destroying local Targets and Walmarts.

[@TomiAdewoleAdetom]

@@sark4786 There's DEFINITELY a solution - but it's too high for most peoples' sensibilities. Single motherhood and the government funds that incentives it are the problem. I am willing to bet that if you took a gander at the demographics, it's probably like 90% single motherhood.

[@markrenton1093]

@@TomiAdewoleAdetom , nailed it.

[@Mobin92]

You shouldn't need a pretentious Shop to seell fkn fruits and vegetables to people.

[@tormon506]

Germany and France make supermarkets donate all leftover fresh food and it is re-sold in deprived areas for much less. That way, even the poorest get a very nutritional and balanced diet.

[@dimaatik]

SIGNS AMERICA IS NOT THE GREATEST COUNTRY ON EARTH ANYMORE👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎

[@pm0913]

dimaatik never was

[@hughmckendrick3018]

Only the Americans believed that.

[@isaacfiokouna8190]

Never been

[@maskon1625]

Look at the people we have in charge! for years they've been playing the same game but now that we have cell phones and technology we can communicate across the diaspora. People can see exactly what this country is now

[@visorij3374]

It is and always will be.

[@JudyWanderi]

The America they don't show us in movies or news. That of inequality and poverty.

[@Moneybags1980]

as a Caribbean in the US, culture plays a big part in food choices. We were poor like any other person in the area but we ate very different. We can live off rice and beans with green peppers, head lettuce and onions on the side being poor. My parents DID NOT buy juice or soft drinks, we only drank water. Whereas (don't get offended, just an observation) African Americans go for cheap junk food. The fast food restaurants were always busy. my parents always said African Americans ate a lot of junk. They did in my opinion also. a meal at mcdonalds is about $5 each. Thats expensive for a family of 4. we survived off fresh food for cheaper!!! I personally mainly only ate at Caribbean peoples house so I know what I'm talking about!

[@Daydreamerr13]

brianna scottland it’s true unfortunately AA have a bad relationship with eating healthy due to slavery.

[@myafreeton9431]

True

[@alh9569]

You need to actually watch the video, brianna.

[@honeybee7855]

@@Daydreamerr13 Caribbeans were enslaved too. I think it's what happened post slavery that makes a difference..

[@diaprojectdiss]

@@alh9569 Rasta people live in every hood in this country and still find ways to eat healthy. Face it, if we don't have meat, however bad, we don't think we have food. We wouldn't consider rice, beans, veggies to be a real meal worth the price of freedom.

[@jeffbarnes1033]

How about the folks in the neighborhood with a car start a service to take folks to the store for a small fee. No big grocery store will ever open in an area that is high violent crime and everyone is on EBT

[@adrianmobley6805]

I was thinking something similar. Maybe Kroger (or someone) could provide a "Food Bus" to take a certain number of people to the store. It could be done Friday - Sunday a couple times each day.

[@walkingintruthknowledge7418]

When you're a target for extermination, nothing you can do will work. These demons have an agenda. And they'll stick to it.

[@annamaria7417]

That's what we do here

[@4465Vman]

cool

[@grizzlybear4]

I think most people don't have cars, or the gas money to take 12 neighbors shopping....I'm sure people who have cars do help their neighbors out, but are also spread way too thin.

[@alexhu6422]

lots of space to grow your own food. i would immediately start growing corn and beans on those free acres. you should also fight for a new bus route and start a community garden so that everyone can learn how to grow stuff.

[@corenpowers419]

I feel her pain. When I was 21 years old in my first apartment, it was hard being that I didn't know how to drive at the time, I had to literally buy a car, and push groceries an hour home.

[@bobbyswanson3498]

we have more than enough wealth and resources for everyone to have food, transportation, education, and healthcare, but so many have none of it

[@Ashley-cr4ow]

It’s because the people at the top don’t share their wealth and give back to the communities. Amazon doesn’t even pay taxes. These billionaires and multi millionaires have enough money to last 10 lifetimes for each family member. Yet it’s being held on to, and spent to live a life of excess. I know it’s not freedom but there should be a cap on how much money people are allowed to have.

[@tokebakissitesacramentcali1877]

@@Ashley-cr4ow If you do that, the big companies will just go away and settle business else where which is just gonna worsen the problem. Economics are a lot more complicated than you think.

[@Ashley-cr4ow]

@@tokebakissitesacramentcali1877 okay but the money would still be getting circulated throughout the population instead of staying in one place. Are you saying if Jeff bezos started giving a fraction of his dollar to build poor communities in America that wouldn’t help? I’d say more jobs would open up, and there wouldn’t be such a divide between the classes. Greed is greed and it always affects the lower income population whichever way you look at it.

[@tokebakissitesacramentcali1877]

@@Ashley-cr4ow No. That's precisely not what I just said... Read again.

[@zd4v1d]

There's an economic reason why there are no "supermarkets" in the neighborhood. No one is being systematically "starved." It's simply a tough neighborhood to set up shop in, dangerous, and therefore expensive.

[@windingpath]

Theft and crime concern are also major reasons. Profit margin of grocery stores is razor thin (average 2%), most business just don't think it's worth the risk.

[@d.d.mac.3773]

Riots, stealing, looting, property damage, = food deserts. "In 2014, the city of Memphis ranked eleventh in violent crimes for major cities around the U.S. In 2006, Memphis led the nation in number of violent crimes. In 2001, 2005, and 2007, Memphis ranked second most dangerous in the nation among cities with a population over 500,000. It also ranked as most dangerous in 2002."

[@DragonHeartTree]

Need home gardens- fruit trees in yards, tomato plants, rows of greens, squashes, etc. Farmers Markets. In my home town the churches operate community gardens.

[@travisbrown6814]

So you expect people to bust their butts working all day to come home and spend all night working their food sources. Modern day slavery

[@travisbrown6814]

@Lolly Logan You live that life before you call out others.... Jerk

[@cdmurray88]

Agreed on this point, grass is a waste, grow food.

[@DragonHeartTree]

Well I was pretty poor most of my life, growing vegetables helped keep us healthy. Having stores nearby didn’t help because I didn’t have money.

[@blitzunddonna]

Just wondering - how about riding a bike to the supermarket? Cheap to get and maintain and you can transport a lot with it. I’ve been doing it for years by choice. Bonus: I get my work out in at the same time!

[@maroonhorizon1693]

Where do you put your bags..

[@itsema91]

@@maroonhorizon1693 I live in the Netherlands and everything is carried on a bike. If you really want to load up on groceries you can have two carriers on the back and a large basket at the front plus a backpack. I have carried tonnes of groceries like this and you can easily cover 5-10km in a short amount of time. I think here the problem would be that US roads are not made for cycling (let's face it they're not even made for walking) so it might be unsafe/unpractical to cycle.

[@maroonhorizon1693]

itsema91 interesting!

[@zerothewicked]

@@maroonhorizon1693 when I lived in. New York I used a couple of cheap second hand saddle bags, but I knew a guy that just zip-tied a milk crate to the handle bars

[@daniellenichols9757]

Most of TN is like this, everywhere between Nashville and Knox is like this. The avg size female in this part of TN is 15/18. Also there's NO public transportation. I know....I live here 😒. I moved from a VERY large urban city in South Florida on the Gulf Coast where we have 10 superwalmarts....malls... grocerie stores on every corner along with 7-11 and circle K. When I moved here in 05 I was (and still am) in culture shock.

[@brucechakur9431]

I live in lake city fl I homestead here I have cousins in Memphis That I want to move here I have a brother living in Oklahoma moving and we are going work together and grow our food Jackie in north fl

[@donnaleeclubb119]

I love Nashville. I love Tennessee. It is a beautiful state. I went to Memphis and found it sort of poor. Maybe it was the area I went.

[@TheRealCantaraBella]

A lot of TX is like that too. If you don't own a car, you are toast

[@kaylawaters2691]

Honestly most of TN residents are definitely plus sized/overweight/obese (more like size 20+) and don't eat right or healthy. I'm basically an oddball for actually eating and drinking things that are pretty healthy (but still tasty) and being half the size of the average TN resident. I also don't drink alcohol, don't smoke, don't do drugs, don't usually eat candy (other than mints or occasionally hard candy), and don't consume much sugar or salt.

[@katrinaquezada42]

in my area the low income areas have grocery stores, I guess I'm lucky in a way the local groceries sell lots of food food because there is a high immigrant population here and they won't buy processed foods.

[@RicciOlson]

I used to live 4.5 miles from my nearest market. I grew my own vegetables...in the desert. I couldn't imagine how much I could grow in any area with all that greenery!

[@lolcatjunior]

People aren't educated in farming.

[@aliflanagan7669]

I’m not an expert, but in a city you generally can’t just use land. All of it is owned by someone and they won’t let you touch it if it’s not yours. Trying to grow produce takes weeks if not months and requires attention that lots of people don’t have the time or energy to give.

[@catfein9827]

There’s a ton of places where all the land is paved over or if you live in a rental or an apt complex you aren’t free to grow stuff. Stop judging unless you’ve lived there and know what you’re talking about.

[@porkychop6970]

@@catfein9827 rude comment

[@karenweakland6028]

Starving.... Not a " skinny" person in the video.. They eating ??? Kids??? Pets???

[@homerhat420]

Zero self awareness

[@Anonymous.24.]

Victim mentality can literally ruin your life.

[@kevinvanveen3260]

I’m really glad that i live in the netherlands. In the town were i live there are three grocery stores within walking distance which sell fresh produce which is actually cheaper than processed food.

[@nochill9475]

Same in London, and the distance is about a 5-10min walk. In any direction also.

[@genderfluidsneutral4591]

sadly i bet most of those grocery stores are Albert Heijns. All other competion has been driven out. I have 2 Albert Heins on my street, they are almost opposite each other

[@omomeidontaya3143]

@@genderfluidsneutral4591 imagine 🤣🤣 2 on the same street???

[@genderfluidsneutral4591]

@@omomeidontaya3143 what happened, is that its a busy intersection. The dominant grocery chain bought out the competition. They put another albert heijn there to prevent any competitors from moving in. (to be fair, the second grocery is a to-go express check out)

[@genderfluidsneutral4591]

@Ann_the Snowowl In holland if it takes you 45 minutes to reach an Albert Heijn grocery, you are probably in the North Sea

[@stephanledford9792]

This video is several years old, but just popped up on my KZbin recommendations, which is interesting because Walmart just closed two stores in Portland that were in areas like this, and Aldi has just done the same in a similar neighborhood in Chicago. The Southern city where I grew up had grocery stores close in similar areas of the city because they were repeatedly robbed and vandalized. I realize this is not the fault of most of the nearby residents, but you cannot blame the grocery stores for avoiding areas they feel are dangerous and unsafe.

[@Wheretheportlandorarealadiesat]

I live in 10 miles from Portland Oregon

[@handsome_jay_]

You should mention how hard it is for small business to open a shop in low income areas with high crime rates

[@ImranZakhaev9]

Crime is definitely a big factor here. If we can end the war on drugs, and get reasonable zoning laws to turn sprawling suburbs into profitable, productive neighbourhoods, then we can hit the root of the problem. Because right now, no one will open a grocery store in these areas for a reason.

[@simplykxiree1277]

As someone who lives in the higher income areas of Memphis , I think that our mayor is getting really lazy about this growing issue .

[@garylandman7889]

food desert residents need to stop shoplifing.

[@RCCarDude]

My city had grocery stores looted during a blizzard. Food deserts exist because of crime. The prison population needs to be 3x larger for us to have a chance at a functional society again.

[@imopman]

or just start applying capitol punishment without a million appeals and 10 years before it happens. Prisons would have more room then.

[@tijuana118]

I'm currently living in an area that has no super markets, laundromats or reliable transportation. It literally took me and my daughter 4.5 hours to go to the grocery store on the bus last week.

[@user-hr8uv6pk4y]

Start planting and growing your own food. Dont rely on the government for your come up.

[@elizabethharalson7903]

Little known fact, food stamps can pay for seeds and plants for a garden.

[@dejans6623]

The woman in the beginning showing her "groceries" from grocery store. It was literally all preserved (canned and frozen) food. That is not grocery. That comes in the definition of quick foods.

[@timkom2289]

Frozed or canned vegetable is still better than nothing, if you have hard time to get into supermarket.

[@dejans6623]

@@timkom2289 Bro as a student in university I used to ride my bike or take a bus to go to Walmart and buy fresh food cuz local grocery store was way too expensive. The Walmart was about 3 miles away. It all depends on what you truly wanna eat and driving a bike for 2-3 miles twice a week is healthy plus you get healthier food choice. Idk I don’t wanna put my choices on anyone else but it does seem that people make it sound harder than it really is.

[@zcoosa1648]

"Inside Americas hunger capital", I bet the obesity rate in Memphis says otherwise.

[@bingmarshall6937]

The truth behind these grocers not going into these neighborhoods is THEFT. I would NOT open a place of business where there’s so much crime. It simply isn’t worth it.

[@patiakreles]

In Chile we have "almacenes de barrio" that are minimarkets (much smaller than the one showed here), typically the owner keeps everything behind him and you ask for what you need, except for bread and other fresh produce. It's like a typical store from legend of zelda, lol. Now in quarantine these are always open. They are in danger due to mega super markets, such as walmart (lider here) taking a huge part of the customers. I hope our small mini markets won't ever die. This makes everyone live close to a grocery store.

[@ryltair]

Do their customers regularly come in to break all the vases too?

[@DeathDirector]

the most distressed neighborhoods are the ones with the highest crime rates.

[@docjw8914]

@Sue Martino The poorest states are majority Republican.

[@rgh267]

The neighborhoods with the highest crime rates are the most distressed.

[@DeathDirector]

@@docjw8914 this didn't age well..

[@grahamcracker9552]

Imagine trying to get insurance for your business in one these locations where shoplifters walk right out the door with your merchandise all the time.

[@Flashyfinancier]

You mean Black shoplifters?

[@777macdude]

It's easy to get and hire some security bro🙄

[@boolosboi7503]

Looking at these people, hunger isn’t the problem.

[@JACKTOTTER]

It is really hard to manage a business in a high crime area with a lot of theft

[@crocus5632]

Ok, but why aren't they then growing their own vegetables and potatoes and fruit? They've got houses and earth, right?

[@joannreynolds5717]

people were real poor where I came from years ago.We survived by growing our own gardens. They have plenty of empty lots grow stuff. We made gardens by digging with shovels but that might take some work.

[@LadyPinkster]

Joann Reynolds 👏🏽

[@evano5635]

We should introduce vertical farming in this community

[@kali2593]

City and States need to invest in community owned grocery stores. So you remove the profit motive in having a stores in a poor neighborhood. So taxes pay for the store and have the community help run the store.

[@shantishalom1]

Why vertical? They can use all the abandoned house's backyards!

[@starloszelson4541]

Evan O why Don’t you do it

[@VocalSpiritPresents]

Most definitely! Tower Gardens for individuals, Tower Community Gardens for families and Tower Farms, like the one inside Chicago Airport, would help a lot.

[@mind-of-neo]

Memphian living in a food desert here. This city is one of the clearest examples of the massive gap of quality of life between the haves and the have nots in this country. Its one street of nice houses and dense development going right into the next street that somehow looks simultaneously like a post-apocalyptic urban wasteland and a rural island community miles from civilization

[@bayislove]

Fast food value menu items are only $1. Think about how backwards and messed up that is....some of the worst foods are the cheapest

[@oooBASTIooo]

Not sure about this. Essentially, if people want to buy produce, sellers will sell it. But the two women they interviewed certainly didn't buy anything healthy, even when going to the supermarket. So why would you expect a local shop to stock up on fresh food -- that spoils much faster than canned food -- if no-one seems to buy it? I think this documentary is misleading.

[@Blog4Justice]

Of course it is misleading, it's on The Guardian's channel,; a failing Marxist newspaper whose sole political purpose is the destruction of Western culture via identity politics and perpetual grievance-mongering.

[@katherinekier]

Soooo misleading and inaccurate.

[@dylz]

i just visited memphis for the first time. it's a wonderful city with such a rich history, great people and an incredible cultural legacy, but the divide is real and palpable. many areas farther away from the heart of downtown and east memphis are tragically neglected and underdeveloped. it's a shame, because the entire greater memphis area could benefit so much if these areas were revitalized. i hope these community-focused, community-driven efforts can be just the beginning of a new era of prosperity. there is so much potential to be realized.

[@sana-if7rb]

You sound like those hipsters who ''redevelopped'' austin, and we know what happened in east austin.

[@gdlkgscruff6634]

@@sana-if7rb I'd rather live with obnoxious Hipsters than be surrounded with Hood Rats

[@michaelakudrow2945]

You say Shoplifting, Riots, and Looting like they are BAD things, LOL

[@mark9531]

They were PEACEFUL Shoplifting, Riots, and Looting.

[@kjlovescoffee]

6:30 - travels 1.5 hours to a grocery store, buys three large bags of chips, two sixpacks soda, a sixpack whitebread buns, peanut butter, some other unidentified condiment (syrup?), two cans of skipjack tuna and a dozen eggs. Not a single vegetable.

[@chrstiania]

Yeah was wondering about it aswell. It all seemed like stuff you'd get at the convenience store. I lived in a place before where I had to catch ond or two busses to get to the grocery store... Got a big backpack and a couple of bags and brought everything I could carry. Wouldn't waste my energy and backpack capacity on unnecessary stuff like sodas and copious amounts of empty calories

[@angeladouglas8200]

Thank you for this video. I'm from South Memphis and this tears my heart apart.

[@ismt101]

You should be glad that you are getting food

[@angeladouglas8200]

@@ismt101 WTf are you talking about/

[@omomeidontaya3143]

White or black ?

[@tnate6004]

I lived in Memphis a couple of years ago and saw first-hand the poverty - not just poor but dirt poor and the poverty was spread out across the city. Besides bringing supermarkets in, what do you think would help South and North Memphis to rise up and what do you think are the roadblocks? I'm just asking because you live there and you know the situation.

[@Skinnyd4]

As a kid, I lived in quite a few neighborhoods that could definitely qualify as food deserts. I think the worst was in Bordentown, NJ, where at one point, they not only got rid of the supermarket, but put it in such a awkward place that it was hard to get to even if you had a car and impossible to get to by bus. Eventually, they put in - I think it was an Aldi's, but ever that took a few years. Where I live now, if you are lower income and/or don't have transportation, the farmer's market is open three days a week and it is right downtown. It's very convenient for everyone.

[@furukawanagisa9682]

“The debate over whether access to healthy food should be a privilege or a human right continues”…Murica💁‍♀️

[@Albanian_traveller]

I know it has nothing to do with the topic of the documentary but I'm learning to speak English and I love how they talk. Very melodic 🤓😍

[@MetalliChuckles]

Every time I go to the grocery store I think about how privileged I am. Fortunate to have my car and to be able to afford $120 a week for groceries, most of that being fresh fruits and veggies. I will definitely look for ways that I can become involved to make all parts of my community healthier!

[@Defender78]

so have you helped you community get healthier since you left this comment?

[@peteo7342]

'' Looks and feels dangerous @ 1:37 '' - Pretty much describes every predominately black neighbourhood throughout the US. If not, then why do non-whites want to move to the better predominately white neighbourhoods ? And why do the likes of jesse jackson and al sharpton not live in black neighbourhoods ? No room for their multi-million $ mansions - of which they each own several? Too far from the airport where they fly around in private planes, and then get limoed around with private armed security to poor black neighbourhoods where they sprout off how racist America is, then get limoed back to their private planes and escape the poor masses ?

[@bnwo]

incel.

[@Keksdich]

plant a veggie garden for Gods sake

[@zappawench6048]

American topsoil is very poor in some areas. I tried to grow veggies and fruit in my garden, without success, due to poor soil quality and blight.

[@riverdeep399]

Zappa Wench make mulch and compost ..

[@veronicashipp5207]

Water is not free

[@j0499]

You need permission from your landlord, most landlords aren't going to let people dig up their back yard...

[@Keksdich]

@@j0499 then get the permission or plant in containers if the landlord wont allow it

[@ambycakes]

Would be amazing if the community all started gardening/bee keeping etc even if it meant trading goods and/or very affordable prices. You could do a lot with produce too like make jams, pickled veggies etc and sell them/donate to the locals. People need to also take some action not sit and wait for it to happen. It won’t.

[@zebrahead8727]

Amby totally agree!

[@katrinam6795]

Vertical gardening also works if you have plastic containers and soil in case you don't have a garden. There are quite a few friends of mine who grow tomatoes or herbs on their balconies. That is not much of course, but already adds to a healthier diet

[@scottisguilty2208]

You should visit a grocery store in the hood and see if you still think they’re capable of maintaining a garden

[@silverstar4289]

You voted for your desert. Now contemplate on it

[@robertblake9892]

In Chicago a Whole Foods closed in a rough neighborhood, some entrepreneurs opened a Sav-a-Lot, the locals boycotted it, said it didn't meet their persnickety standards.

[@thegreatergood8081]

Wawa just closed down two locations in Philadelphia because of out of control criminality. "Racism" isn't the reason for so-called food deserts.

[@philipbriney4430]

Too many shoplifters is the cause often

[@Vision33r]

When you loot and riot why would businesses move back to those violent areas.

[@svetlanikolova7673]

ITSCALLED COMMUNITY GARDENS GREEN HOUSES AND LOCAL FARMS. Why is nobody acting?I DONT GET IT.

[@clumsiii]

say it louder

[@drfcspezial8218]

Two things... (1) Education is a significant hurdle to accomplishing the things you rattled off. Poor people will not learn to be farmers overnight. (2) The vast majority of humans of any economic level around the world are not remotely knowledgeable of any of the things you rattled off. In reality 99% of humans rely on 1% of other humans to grow, harvest, and mine our food. So lets not pretend that the things you rattled off is some simple feat that the vast majority of hungry people have figured out while the communities featured in this video are filled with folks idly twiddling their thumbs, too dumb to figure out something so simple. Never mind the fact that sustaining urban gardens is both a financial and timely endeavor that you'd be surprised to learn that poor people do not have the luxury to experiment with.

[@svetlanikolova7673]

@@drfcspezial8218 Actually poor people like me can learn and I can grow food as simply as i do a cup of coffee. Second education is by doing and there are plenty of permaculture eco villages that will be glad to reach while the people are learning and doing. They get on the job experience. You are narrow minded

[@svetlanikolova7673]

@@drfcspezial8218 2 . there are thousands of people that can grow food fast and easy all over the world. so dont give me bs. And where did you get your 1 % From? lol you might want to learn more before you open your trap. Farmers are willing to employ and teach people on the job! Get your facts straight!

[@svetlanikolova7673]

@@drfcspezial8218 Financial? lol the last time i checked food scraps from te restaurants are free so as cardboard and leaves. That is your recipe for compost. As far as the time, it takes me 30 min to set up an isle for food and planted. you are either ignorant or you never heard of no dig gardening? You must be really ignorant aren't you?

[@mon7eban]

$1 Of vegetables seed feed you a whole season of vegetables...Everyone should start planting food instead of buying it. Turn our lawn into food forest.

[@Brandon-hn4yg]

You use food trucks you get robbed. You open a store they steal from you

[@Captainnautica]

I live in Memphis I have all my life so the only miss representation I’m seeing is that one of the problems is the lack of knowledge we while aiding the community we have to teach and educate the youth. This is a problem caused by systematic oppression there is no easy fix but we need to genuinely educate these communities not just through classes but music and entertainment as well.

[@christinebeames2311]

Deju if they can read they are capable of change , but dont

[@ferarribrown5752]

Oh Laquisha tell pookie n da boiz to stop acting up or they gonna Tek are things away. Lol

[@brianhall4960]

When a store does open stop stealing everything. Lol

[@billjane5522]

Funny how no comments on the driving force behind the closure of these stores. CRIME SPECIFICALLY SHOPLIFITING

[@xtxt9135]

If it was profitable and safe,business would flood in. People lie,but money never does.

[@brownsugarbaby5003]

Exactly

[@kaywisseh]

My heart just broke watching this 😥