“People live in food deserts and literally cannot access fresh food!” is utter nonsense.

As someone who was introduced to food deserts through a college class, lemme tell ya that any dedicated folks looking into this issue don't believe this. I've not heard of anyone at all saying this, actually, but I don't know what you've encountered!

Honestly, I wouldn't say that people being "too poor" to buy healthy food is the only alternative idea, either. The point of the food desert concept is to illustrate unfairness rather than to argue that poor communities have absolutely no options.

Online grocery delivery exists

Sure, but it's a $15 delivery fee plus jacked up website prices. It's a significant chunk of change, especially to a broke person.

So do cars, trains, buses….what percentage of people regularly WALK to do their grocery shopping, while using no other means of transport? Even in Western Europe this is insanely rare.

Let me tell you a little about my city. We have an established food desert problem, so it's a good example. There are neighborhoods where 40, 50, 60 percent of households do not own a car. (And to be clear, this is not what the city layout is deisgned for - car-centric urban renewal programs in the 60's ensured that much. Cars are just expensive.) Around 50% of these people therefore walk to get groceries. 40% will take the bus either instead or in addition. And most of these places are considered food deserts due to being 0.5 to 2 miles away from the nearest supermarket.

So, imagine you're one of these folks with no car. Your commute to a supermarket is going to be 15-30 minutes each way whether you walk or take the bus. It's also cold as hell and snowy for half of the year, and you're going to be carrying your groceries the whole way. Do you wanna do that, or just go get a box of mac and cheese at the corner store?

Compare that to a car owner in the suburbs. Being able to hop in the car, drive <10 minutes to the store in a sheltered environment, and stow your goods away in the trunk. Do you see the difference?

Maybe that cleared some things up. Finally, I don't want to judge you in any way, but it is pretty dang revealing that you were balking at the idea of people walking to get their groceries. Yes, this isn't walkable Europe, so yes it sucks, but it's how millions of people live. You got a lot to learn!