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Food insecurity, an economic and social condition where households have limited access to nutritious food, is a long-standing and growing problem in both the rural and urban areas of the United States. Food deserts refer to areas that do not have adequate food access to affordable and nutritious food. Food deserts can be characterized by availability, accessibility, accommodation, affordability, and acceptability (5A’s). This research investigates food deserts in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, which includes the city of Charlotte. The food insecure population estimate in Mecklenburg County is about 15% which is higher than the national average of 11%. Using visual analytics, a combination of analytics and human factors, this study aims to examine how age, education, and income are related to food deserts in Mecklenburg County. Data gathered from US Census Bureau was used for analysis. Results indicated that education and food desert status, and age and food desert status in Mecklenburg County were related.
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A Visual Analysis of Food Availability in Davidson County NC
Community Food Strategies provides guidance and tools to local food networks in North Carolina to empower the creation of equitable policy change at all levels. Their vision is the realization of an equitable food system that improves the quality of life for all. In Davidson County, the recently formed Local Food Network, created under the guidance of Community Food Strategies, is working to create a more equitable and sustainable food system and is evaluating how best to apply their resources toward this end. The county is largely rural, and rural areas tend to have lower food access. Two cities, Lexington and Thomasville, have experienced economic depression over the past three decades with the exodus of furniture manufacturing overseas and as such, both cities have communities that suffer from poverty and food insecurity issues. In this research, we use visual analytics and spatial analysis to build a survey and analysis of local food availability for the county. Visual analytics is increasingly being applied to applications like this to increase understanding of large datasets and improve decision making. This research provides a base analysis for the Local Food Network to present the state of the local food system to potential partners who can help create policies that will increase equity and availability of food to everyone in the county.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1735258
- PAR ID:
- 10487817
- Publisher / Repository:
- IEEE
- Date Published:
- ISBN:
- 978-1-7281-6861-6
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 1 to 6
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Location:
- Raleigh, NC, USA
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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