For most people in Brown County, a trip to the grocery store is just another chore with the primary challenge of locating the best deals, deciding between name-brand and generic or keeping track of the grocery list.
But in parts of downtown Green Bay, poverty and lack of access to a large supermarket create a food wasteland where people struggle to find healthy food at affordable prices, according to analysis from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Called "food deserts," these areas are defined as a patch of census land with a substantial number or share of low-income residents with low access to a supermarket or large grocery store.
Local food, hunger and retail experts recognize an insidious cycle without a clear solution: a population that desperately needs but cannot financially support a supermarket, forcing the residents to small shops and convenience stores where they pay a premium for processed foods that provide little nutritional value.
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