While I was in Durban last summer I spent some time talking with folks involved in guerrilla gardening there. The idea of guerrilla gardening is to reclaim public spaces and use vacant lots and unused public spaces to grow food. The movement bridges social justice, environmental justice, and food sovereignty.

Some 26.5 million Americans who live in food deserts, areas without grocery stores which offer affordable food, especially fresh fruits and vegetables. The US Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service now offers a Food Access Research Atlas which maps the food deserts in the United States.

The irony is that such regions often have expansive access to fast food restaurants and convenience stores marketing junk food. But they do not have access to quality produce and groceries.

Perhaps not surprisingly, food deserts are disproportionately located in neighborhoods home to minorities and those living in poverty. Indeed, the racialization of food deserts have led some…