[Food Desert] ⑥ Address as a Critical Welfare Issue Linked to Survival: "Need for Diagnostic System and Inter-Ministerial Cooperation"

Three Experts Interviewed... No Korean-Style Solution Yet
"An Integrated Diagnostic System for Food Deserts Is Needed"
"Additional Measures Must Follow, Not Just Mobile Markets"
"Attention Needed for Urban Food Deserts That Are Easy to Over

Editor's NoteHave you ever found grocery shopping difficult? In an era where you can buy the food you need anytime, both online and offline, it may seem unimaginable, but there are regions in South Korea where there is no supermarket within walking distance and even delivery services do not reach, making it hard to obtain food. These areas, where buying food is as challenging as finding an oasis in a desert, are called "food deserts." Food deserts are expanding due to aging populations, regional decline, and the digital divide. We aim to examine the problems caused by the everyday inconvenience of grocery shopping and to reflect on possible solutions together.

"It may be hard to understand in Seoul, but there are places in South Korea where only two buses run a day. Watching elderly people wait endlessly for a bus while carrying heavy groceries after shopping, it feels like grocery shopping is a struggle for survival." - Cho Wonji, Senior Research Fellow at the Jeonbuk Research Institute

Experts unanimously agree that food deserts should be approached as a welfare issue. The inability to access fresh food when needed significantly lowers the quality of life for residents. However, there is a lack of awareness about food deserts in South Korea, and there are not even proper surveys or statistics on the issue. Experts have suggested that the government should establish a diagnostic system and seek ways to strengthen inter-ministerial cooperation.

Residents of Food Deserts Suffer from Underweight and Nutritional Deficiency... Impact on Mental Health as Well

Food deserts lead to nutritional imbalances among residents. According to a survey conducted by the Jeonbuk Research Institute in Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province, the proportion of underweight elderly (49kg or less) living in rural food deserts was 17.4%, more than 1.9 times higher than that of elderly in urban areas. This is due to the lower quality of foods consumed. While rural food desert residents often grow vegetables in their gardens and thus consume more fiber, their intake of protein, calcium, and vitamin A-essential for muscle maintenance and bone health-is significantly lower than that of urban residents.

The inconvenience of not being able to eat quality food when desired also affects mental health. Cho Wonji explained, "Research shows that the instability of not being able to secure food reliably lowers cognitive function in the elderly and amplifies anxiety and depression." Ongoing nutritional deficiencies and stress over eating habits can lead to impaired brain function, increasing the risk of cognitive disorders such as dementia.

Yoo Chanhee, Research Fellow at the Korea Rural Economic Institute, emphasized that the existence of food deserts itself is a warning sign of regional extinction. Yoo pointed out, "The emergence of a food desert means that other businesses such as gyms, hospitals, and pharmacies have already closed and left. It is a sign that the local commercial district is disappearing, so it must be closely monitored."

No Diagnostic System... Urgent Need to Identify Food Deserts Nationwide

The problem is that it is impossible to accurately identify food deserts nationwide. The National Data Office identifies administrative villages without grocery stores through a general survey of agriculture, forestry, and fisheries every five years, but this is only done every five years and only checks for the presence or absence of stores, making detailed diagnosis difficult. Currently, food desert research is conducted independently by regional research institutes, and there is no national-level survey or data collection. As a result, it is impossible to determine where and to what extent food deserts are distributed across the country.

Cho Wonji advised that an integrated food desert diagnostic system is necessary. He explained, "We need to know how severe the situation is in each village to provide tailored support. A system that comprehensively considers various factors such as the proportion of elderly residents and public transportation conditions should be established and continuously monitored."

Inter-Ministerial Cooperation Is Essential... Policy Support Needed Beyond Mobile Markets

There were also suggestions that a multifaceted approach is needed, rather than relying on a single measure. Yoo Chanhee said, "Government programs such as the agri-food voucher program and mobile market initiatives are just one way to address food deserts, but they are not sufficient on their own. Synergy can be achieved by expanding demand-responsive transportation (public transport operated according to user demand rather than fixed routes), which some local governments have recently implemented."

Cho Wonji believes that inter-ministerial collaboration is essential. For example, this could involve linking the Food Bank program run by the Ministry of Health and Welfare with the Door-to-Door Mobile Market operated by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Cho Wonji emphasized, "Originally, mobile markets could not sell livestock products, but the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety relaxed regulations, making it possible. Ultimately, these are issues that require multiple ministries to work together. The roles and services of public institutions need to be expanded accordingly."

Lee Nuri, who has researched food deserts in Seoul, expressed a similar view. Lee stressed, "Residents of food deserts must be consistently reminded of the importance of healthy eating. This cannot be solved simply by ensuring access to supermarkets. Ultimately, we need to consider how to include these people in a community that can provide support."

On the 1st, residents visiting the Door-to-Door Dangjin Rural Mobile Market set up at the Dogok 1-ri Village Hall in Hapdeok-eup, Dangjin, Chungnam, are purchasing goods. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

Attention Needed for Urban Food Deserts as Well

Lee also urged that attention should be paid to food deserts emerging in urban areas, not just in rural regions. He explained, "In cities, because the infrastructure is well-developed, people cannot imagine the emergence of food deserts. This makes them harder to detect than in rural areas. Urban food deserts tend to arise in places where residents' economic power has declined, where redevelopment has driven up prices, or where communities for the elderly are lacking, so a detailed approach considering housing types and local characteristics is essential." For example, many urban food desert residents live in environments where, even if fresh food is available, they cannot cook it. Lee added, "In such places, rather than increasing mobile markets as in rural food deserts, it is actually more effective to provide pre-cooked fresh food or to increase the number of nutritionally balanced meal centers."