Food desert refers to an area where fresh food is either non-existent or too expensive.

“食品荒漠”是指没有新鲜食品或这种食品价格极贵的地区。

看了以上定义，你也许对此还是没啥概念。憋急！我们来看看对此问题颇感头大的美国农业部是怎么解释的：

What is a "food desert"? A community in which residents must travel at least a mile to buy fresh meat, dairy products, and vegetables. 

什么是“食品荒漠”？“食品荒漠”指某社区居民必须“跋涉”至少一英里的路程才能买到新鲜的肉类、奶制品和蔬菜。

More precisely, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines a food desert as any census district where at least 20 percent of the inhabitants are below the poverty line and 33 percent live over a mile from the nearest supermarket (or in rural areas, more than 10 miles). 

美国农业部对此给出了更为精辟的定义：任何接受人口普查的地区中，至少20%的居民生活在贫困线以下，33%居民的居所距离最近的超市超过一英里（在农村，该距离为超过10英里）。