Food deserts are areas within neighborhoods and communities with limited access to affordable and nutritious foods, especially in relation to socio-economic deprivation. Students at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS) and Colorado College (CC) are researching this issue in Colorado Springs to help inform the City and other organizations. At a Wednesday, Sept. 19 Green Bag Lunch-n-Learn, UCCS students Joshua Hendrickson and Brandon Zimmerman as well as CC student Melanie Yemma will share what they’ve learned and seek audience feedback regarding further research needs.

A basic assumption behind the growing interest in food deserts is that those without reasonable access to healthy food may eat poorer diets putting themselves at greater health risk. It’s relevant because community services addressing food security, individual self-reliance, healthy eating education and access to food can use this information to help target service areas for maximum benefit. 

The lunch-n-learn runs over the noon lunch hour, from 12:11 to 12: 49 p.m., at the City Administration Building, 30 S. Nevada, in Suite 102. Attendees are encouraged to bring and enjoy their lunches during the presentation. Those who come have the opportunity to win a door prize tote bag made from reused City banners. 

Each month, the City Office of Innovation and Sustainability sponsors a lunch-n-learn topic on an environmental issue. This month’s topic supports the Pikes Peak Library District’s selection of Margret Atwood’s Year of the Flood as the All Pikes Peak Reads book selection. Questions? Contact City of Colorado Springs Sustainability Coordinator Carrie McCausland, 719-385-CSGN (2746) or cmccausland@springsgov.com.