While the mountain state is rich with biodiversity and lush agriculture, many people in the state of West Virginia are unable to incorporate nutrient-dense whole foods into their diet. Large disparities in localized fresh foods are a significant problem that threatens the health of over 27% of residents living in what the USDA has deemed a “food desert.” So-called “food deserts'', focus on the lack of grocery stores in a given community. A binary logic of presence or absence fails to take into account the agency of vulnerable households and their complex food sourcing strategies including cultural and social practices that affect food consumption patterns. As outsiders to the region, it is important to form personal connections with the land and people to better understand solutions to the ever-evolving food crisis in Appalachia. The overall price of food has fallen along with the relative value of wages, yet the industrial production systems processing and delivering this food have contributed to nutrient deficiencies and health problems, specifically among poorer communities. Rising rates of obesity, diabetes, and hypertension are alarming, and most policy interventions continue to seek to reform the consumptive habits and behaviors of individual consumers rather than address the food and economic policies that produce markets awash in low-cost unhealthy food options.
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