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Passage: 'Food deserts'—urban areas with limited access to affordable, nutritious food—are often analyzed as a failure of market distribution. However, this framing neglects the 'food agency' of local residents. In many underserved neighborhoods, the 'informal food economy' of community gardens and local cooperatives provides not just nutrition, but a site of social resistance and community building. When we view these neighborhoods solely through the lens of 'deficiency,' we miss the creative strategies residents use to sustain themselves. Urban policy should focus on 'food sovereignty'—supporting the community’s right to control its own food systems—rather than merely enticing global supermarket chains to open new locations. The goal is empowerment, not just grocery aisles. The author critiques the standard framing of 'food deserts' because it:

1. Overlooks the existing creative and communal efforts of local residents.
2. Underestimates the financial profits of global supermarket chains.
3. Prioritizes community gardens over more efficient large-scale agriculture.
4. Incorrectly assumes that affordable food is necessary for social stability.

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