Food deserts in context: how site-specific factors reshape food deserts discussion

Research on food deserts has evolved from a narrow focus on geographical distance to a comprehensive framework considering socioeconomic, infrastructural, and cultural factors. This review synthesizes global literature to examine how local contexts reshape food desert definitions, measurement, and interventions. We find a clear shift from distance-based metrics to multidimensional analyses incorporating affordability, mobility, and local food environments. Correspondingly, interventions are diverse, spanning from supermarket investments to digital platforms, with effectiveness highly dependent on site-specific conditions like urban density or social capital. We conclude that addressing food deserts demands integrated, context-sensitive policies, as a one-size-fits-all approach is insufficient. Future research should leverage mobility data, online food access trends, and localized models to build more effective food security strategies.