Tennessee Task Force to Address "Food Deserts"

A task force in Tennessee is trying to encourage independent grocers to locate more outlets in low-income areas. The Tennessee Grocery Access Task Force is a coalition of more than 50 private and public sector groups who want to see a financial incentive program developed to encourage independent grocers to locate in so-called "food deserts."

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says a food desert is a low-income census tract in which a substantial number of residents have low access to a supermarket or large grocery store. According to the USDA, that means such individuals may have little access to healthy foods like vegetables and fruits.

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