this is a reality for 23.5 million americans, and that’s what a resident in the nation’s capital told us when we asked her about how she gets fresh produce.

a food desert is an area that has poor access to healthy food because a lack of supermarkets, farmer’s markets and grocery stores.

typically, food deserts are found in cities and the options surrounding residents are limited to fast food chains and small corner stores that do not supply healthy, nutritious options, perpetuating a cycle of chronic illness and obesity.

but what if a food desert area started growing its own food? that’s the solution stan jackson, president of the anacostia economic development corporation (aedc), was on the search for when he came across an opportunity to partner with brightfarms.

brightfarms will build an urban farm in ward 8 and partner with retail stores around the city (like giant) to sell produce. about two to five percent of the one million pounds of produce will go back to the residents of ward 8.

tackling the food desert problem in dc will not be easy – check out our infographic for more on what food deserts are and a map of how bad the problem is in dc – but this upcoming urban farm, which will use less water and produce higher and more stable yields, could be part of the solution.

do you or someone you know live in a food desert? are there food deserts in your community? join the conversation and let us know how long it takes you to get healthy food.

asthaa chaturvedi is a senior majoring in international affairs at the george washington university. jenny rabago is a senior majoring in journalism and biological anthropology at the george washington university.

the organization distributes meals to various shelters and organizations around the city through their program of recovering uneaten, perfectly edible cooked food from large events and donors. they needed to incorporate cheaper and healthier options with fruits and vegetables. it turns out that a lot of food waste in the country starts out not in our refrigerators but farms. in 2012, dcck recovered over 700,000 pounds of food, much of it from farms.

the process of recovering food from farms is called gleaning, and we caught up with the procurement manager at dcck, amy bachman, to capture the process. check out the journey of apples that will become desert for thousands of dc residents.

dcck has taken their model on the road and colleges and organizations around the country are trying to emulate the kitchen. how are you going to reduce food waste? join the conversation below!

asthaa chaturvedi is a senior majoring in international affairs at the george washington university. jenny rabago is a senior majoring in journalism and biological anthropology at the george washington university.

do you know what the world will look like in 2050?

it seems like every week a new statistic is released to indicate the dire consequences of climate change on the world of 2050 – a world most alive today will have to live through. yet only 40 percent of americans believe that climate change will affect them personally and only 32 percent think that global warming will harm them personally a great deal or a moderate amount.

we took to the streets of d.c. to see what people know of the possibilities of climate change in their lifetimes. check out our video to see what folks had to say. here are a few facts (of what’s in store in just 37 years) that didn’t make the cut as were editing:

• there will be 2 billion more people on earth. that’s 9 billion people.
• world food production will need to increase by 70 percent to meet demand.
• flood damage in 136 of the world’s largest coastal cities could soar to $1 trillion a year by 2050, according to a study published in nature climate change.

what do you think of this picture of 2050? what are you doing to prepare for a world unlike one we’ve seen before? join the conversation below! also, check out this clip of some people’s unique ideas about 2050. let’s just say the climate was not on everyone’s mind.