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Welcome to the Food Desert Website

Feeling hungry? No proper food in the house? Can't face that trek to the shops? Tempted by a burger and some chips from the local takeaway, or a chocolate bar, but it's not really healthy, is it? You may be living in a food desert. The food desert website tells you all about food deserts, why they affect everybody, the links to globalisation and social exclusion, and how the effects of food deserts may be alleviated or eliminated.

Part I - What are food deserts?

What is a food desert (17 June 2008) Original use of the term 'desert' in an urban context, 1990s definitions of 'food desert', food deserts as seen in other countries.

How did food deserts develop (18 May 2009) Development of grocery shopping in the UK from the 17th century (see Part V UK Small shops) for the most recent developments concerning the independent retailing sector. Links to economic, technological, social, and political / planning factors that have impacted on the UK grocery retail sector during this period

Where are the food deserts (24 February 2009)? Welcome to Desertia City, see what sorts of places may be food deserts -do you live in one?

Part II - Combating obesity and improving diet

Obesity figures (18 May 2009) Definition of obesity, obesity in the UK, obesity levels worldwide, theories on why obesity is rising, medical effects of obesity, and the financial costs of obesity and poor diet

What can be done to preserve access to groceries those affected by food deserts (18 August 2007) This section examines ways to keep small shops open, and more generally, how to preserve easy access to healthy food retailing for the disadvantaged. For the business climate affecting small grocery shops and the threats to this sector, see Part V, small shops.

Initiatives to improve diet for various groups (18 May 2009)

Part III - Research; food deserts, obesity, retailing, and related subjects

Existing published research on food deserts (1 March 2007)

Table of Food Desert Research - 163 food access - related articles listed here (18 May 2009) .....If you know of a publication that you would like to appear in this section, please email Dr Hillary Shaw (hshaw@harper-adams.ac.uk, or hillshaw@aol.com), with a copy of the article if possible

Part IV - UK Supermarket development.

UK Supermarket sales and profits. (18 May 2009). Annual financial figures for UK retailers.

UK Supermarket timelines and store numbers. (18 May 2009). Details key events, such as takeovers, new product development, new area penetration, in the development of UK grocery retailers, and the number of outlets operated in various years.

UK Supermarket market share, and size of total UK grocery market (18 May 2008)

Current trends and issues in food retailing, for supermarkets (24 February 2009)

Part V UK Small shops.

Current trends and issues in food retailing, for UK small shops (18 May 2009)

Current trends in financial institutions, banks and Post Offices, as relating to small shops (24 February 2009)

Part VI - World (non-UK) grocery retailing.

Non UK retailing situation, supermarkets and small shops, brief history of selected retailers

European countries (18 May 2009)

Countries from Asia, Africa, and The Americas (18 May 2009)

Part VII - food retailing maps, UK

Click here for INDEX MAP - has your area been mapped yet?

Key to maps; map symbols this links to a page explaining in more detail the map symbols and supermarket code letters show on the maps

Map Group	Map	Grid size	Area of map (sq. km).	date last extended
None	London	250 metres	270.1275	21 May 2009
SOUTH COAST	Basingstoke area	500 metres	661.5000	10 November 2006
SOUTH COAST	Bournemouth area	250 metres	122.5625	16 June 2007
SOUTH COAST	Portsmouth area	250 metres	77.0625	30 May 2007
SOUTH COAST	Salisbury area	500 metres	860.7500	16 June 2007
SOUTH COAST	Southampton area	250 metres	633.5000	10 November 2006
None	Somerset	500 metres	511.5000	28 September 2007
None	Stevenage area	250 metres	149.2500	5 April 2005
MIDLANDS	Leicester	250 metres	420.2500	18 May 2009
MIDLANDS	Birmingham	250 metres	1,629.9375	18 May 2009
MIDLANDS	Burton on Trent	500 metres	72.00	18 May 2009
MIDLANDS	Crewe	250 metres	1.500 New Map	9 February 2008
MIDLANDS	Hereford	500 metres	103.0000	14 April 2008
MIDLANDS	Shrewsbury	500 metres	941.8750	18 May 2009
MIDLANDS	Stafford	500 metres	1,434.5000	18 May 2009
MIDLANDS	Stoke on Trent	250 metres	78.5000	24 August 2008
MIDLANDS	Telford	250 metres	555.0000	14 April 2008
YORKS & LINCOLN	Leeds, 1999	250 metres	206.0625	1999
YORKS & LINCOLN	Leeds, 2002	250 metres	206.0625	2002
YORKS & LINCOLN	Hull	250 metres	31.5625	14 April 2008
YORKS & LINCOLN	North Lincolnshire, 1999	500 metres		1999
YORKS & LINCOLN	North Lincolnshire, 2002	500 metres		2002
YORKS & LINCOLN	North Lincolnshire. 2004	500 metres	1,386.5000	17 April 2005
YORKS & LINCOLN	Sheffield	250 metres	24.6250	9 July 2004
None	Newcastle on Tyne	250 metres	104.0000	6 October 2008
TOTAL UK			10,191.2500

Part VIII - food desert maps of Belgium (French - deserts d' alimentaire, Dutch – voedsel woestijn)

Map Group	Map	Grid size	Area of map (sq. km).	date last extended
None	Brussels (centre +south, east)	250 metres	60.000	21 May 2009
TOTAL BELGIUM			60.000

Part IX - food desert maps of Germany (German - Lebensmittelwuste)

Map Group

Map

Grid size

Area of map (sq. km).

date last extended

None

Wiesbaden/Mainz

500 metres

705.250

17 June 2008

TOTAL GERMANY

705.250

Part X - food desert maps of France (French - deserts d' alimentaire)

Map Group	Map	Grid size	Area of map (sq. km).	date last extended
None	Nantes	250 metres	671.000	15 July 2007
None	Cevennes	500 metres	277.000	26 April 2006
TOTAL FRANCE			948.000

Global Total = 11,954.0625 square kilometres

Future mapping planned:- London-Greenwich & southern Tower Hamlets; Stoke on Trent; Burton on Trent area; Crewe area, Wrexham area; south-west Shropshire, also COPENHAGEN.

If you need an area mapped, or previously-mapped area updated, with precise locational data of small shops, supermarkets, markets, ethnic-minority-oriented shops and more, please contact Dr Hillary Shaw at the address below.

Part XI - quantitative analysis of the food desert maps - This section under construction

Scunthorpe, distance to fresh fruit and vegetable shops, 1999 ( 8 January 2005)

Part XII- related sites

Useful web links (18 August 2007)

If you have any comments or suggestions regarding this site, please email hshaw@harper-adams.ac.uk, or hillshaw@aol.com, or write to Dr Hillary Shaw, Business Management and Marketing Group, Harper Adams University College, Edgmond, nr. Newport, Shropshire, TF10 8NB