Some rural areas, in fact, are considered “food deserts,” areas with limited, if any, grocery stores.1 These food deserts are the collective result of several forces, including the growth in more populated areas of hypermarkets (with a large variety of food products), an insufficient population base to support a wide range of local supermarkets (resulting in the loss or consolidation of these stores), and changes in distribution channels food distribution , changes that tend to favor larger food retailers at the expense of smaller grocers in rural areas. Filling the void in some parts of rural America are convenience stores and gas stations, which charge a premium for a limited range of food choices, often with low nutritional value. Over the years, many have studied the existence of “food deserts.” The main concern about food deserts is that in some geographic areas there may be insufficient quantity and quality of food or systematically higher food prices. For example, Lewis, Sloane et al. (2005) found that there are fewer healthy restaurant options in poor Los Angeles neighborhoods compared to wealthier Los Angeles neighborhoods. Powell, Slater et al. (2007), using national data, found that poor and minority neighborhoods have fewer chain supermarkets than wealthier, whiter neighborhoods. Rose and Richards (2004) find that food stamp recipients who live closer to supermarkets consume more fruits and vegetables. White (2007) reviews numerous studies examining whether food deserts exist in the United Kingdom (UK). These studies have attracted the attention of policy makers. In the UK, a government commission published a report ten years ago stating that food deserts were a problem, which in turn led to the introduction... of paper... (e.g. distribution networks existing) While there is no universally accepted definition of “food deserts,” one way to approach the concept is to start with access, or the degree to which individuals live in close proximity to a large supermarket or supercenter. Many believe that such food establishments offer consumers a wider range of food choices at relatively lower costs. Map 1 identifies counties where at least half the population lives more than 10 miles from these large grocery stores, counties we define as “low access” locations. The largest concentrations of low-access counties are found in the Great Plains and Rocky Mountain regions of the country. Limited access is also prevalent in select areas of the Deep South and in the Appalachian region of Kentucky and West Virginia. Overall, 803 counties are low-access areas in the United States.