From Food Deserts to Food Access. Methodological and Theoretical Considerations for Research in Sparsely Populated Rural European Areas

The disappearance of food shops in small towns and villages is a common feature in many European areas. The food habits of rural inhabitants are affected by the limitations on their food supply, posing a challenge to how they organise their daily eating. Although this represents a major problem for the quality of life in rural areas, food access problems have been understudied in Europe. This paper presents some research notes to encourage the study of the effects of the shortfall in food businesses in depopulated rural areas of Europe as a guide for research on this phenomenon. The paper reviews the international literature, drawing attention to the theoretical problems and methodological limitations involved in this type of study. A series of recommendations are given with the aim of enabling future research to record the food situation of the inhabitants of impoverished and depopulated territories with greater precision and depth.