Note for readers: The conversations around food deserts are often peppered with technical terms and names. We’ve compiled this appendix of terms and acronyms and will continue to build it as the series continues.
Census tract – An area roughly equivalent to a neighborhood established by the Bureau of Census for analyzing populations. They generally encompass a population between 2,500 to 8,000 people.
EBT – Electronic Benefits Transfer is an electronic system that allows a recipient to authorize transfer of their government benefits from a Federal account to a retailer account to pay for products received.
Food desert – Parts of the country vapid of fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthful whole foods, usually found in impoverished areas. This is largely due to a lack of grocery stores, farmers’ markets, and healthy food providers.
Food insecurity – Household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food.
Low-income – A census tract with either a poverty rate of 20 percent or more or a tract in a metropolitan area with a median family income less than 80 percent of the surrounding metropolitan area median family income.
Low access – Being far from a supermarket, supercenter, or large grocery store. A census tract is considered to have low access if a significant number or share of individuals in the tract is far from a supermarket.
SNAP – Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; SNAP provides a monthly supplement for purchasing nutritious food.
USDA – United States Department of Agriculture
