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Effect Of Covid-19 On Food Pricing And Coping Strategies Among Households In Kakamega County Kenya, Angela Mungai

Journal of Global Awareness

Food price shocks exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic have the potential to threaten food security, especially among low-income households. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of COVID-19 on food prices and the coping strategies of households in Malava and Lurambi Sub-Counties of Kakamega County, Kenya. The researchers adopted a descriptive survey design for this study. A semi-structured questionnaire was developed using KoBo Collect and synchronized to the Open Data Kit (ODK) server and used to collect data from a sample size of 200 households. Data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences Version 26 to …

Labor Migration Triggered By Covid-19 And Its Impact On Climate Change Adaptation Of Producers In Sunsari District, Nepal, Amrit Shrestha

Masters Theses

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many temporary labor workers who were employed in foreign countries lost their jobs and had to return to their homeland. These skilled laborers are involved in daily household tasks and farming decision-making processes. This study investigates the role of labor migrants who returned to their households due to COVID-19 on the climate change adaptation of farmers. The migrant laborers are relatively better educated, willing to adopt modern technology, and receive training. An ordered logistic regression was used to analyze the impact of COVID-19 on household’s access to institutional factors (Extension services, subsidies, and internet) as …

The Steaks Are High: Covid-19’S Impact On Direct-To-Consumer Marketing In The Oklahoma Beef Industry, Linnea Langusch, Dwayne Cartmell, Quisto Settle

Journal of Applied Communications

The COVID-19 pandemic encouraged some beef producers to market their products directly to consumers. For many consumers the idea of buying beef products from local sources is appealing. Relationship management theory framed this study, as beef producers used relationship building as a path to product promotion. This study explored Oklahoma beef producers’ perceptions of changes that have occurred in direct-to-consumer marketing and consumer communications in the beef industry during the COVID-19 pandemic using semi-structured interviews. This study consisted of 16 participants found via snowball sampling. Participants were Oklahoma cattle ranchers over 18 years old who used one or more channels …

College Student Food Security During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Frances Rafferty, Tania Schusler, Mariana Valencia Mestre

School of Environmental Sustainability: Faculty Publications and Other Works

Food insecurity among college and university students has increased in the past decade. The COVID-19 pandemic has presented unique public health challenges, including increased food insecurity. In a cross-sectional survey of students at a private university in the midwestern U.S. (N=253) we examined how student food security status changed during the pandemic and what relation-ships exist between changes in food security and various aspects of student identities. Twenty-nine percent of responding students indicated that they became less food secure during the pandemic, and the overall reported food insecurity rate increased by 130.77%. Change in respondent food security status during the …

Food Resilience Toolkit, Neishaly Serrano-Cortés, Claire Whitehouse, David Conner, Robinson Rodríguez-Pérez Phd, Naomi M. Cunningham, Travis Reynolds Ph.D., Kerry Daigle, Valery Desravins, Jane Kolodinsky

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

This toolkit is intended to help community leaders and technical support professionals assess and build food system resilience in their regions. The toolkit is available in English and Spanish and in written and video format. In the introduction, we explore the concept of resilience and the Community Capitals framework and suggest possible indicators of food system resilience. In Chapter 2, we outline four tools for assessing community advantages and challenges and developing plans to address them. These tools are: asset mapping, focus groups, nominal groups, and strategic planning. While many research techniques can be deployed for resilience building, we have …

Three Essays On Health And Environmental Economics: Applications Of Spatial Econometrics And Spatial Analysis, Mohammed Syedul Islam

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Spatial interaction and the locational structure between observations play key roles in the field of econometrics for both cross-sectional and panel data analysis. Compared to a non-spatial econometric model, a spatial model relaxes the assumption of independency in observations. This research applies spatial and non-spatial econometrics in three different fields of applied economics: (1) drinking water and air quality violations impacts on lung and bronchus cancer incidence in the contiguous United States (U.S.); (2) spillover effects of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) on COVID-19 cases across the contiguous U.S. counties; and (3) urbanization impacts on carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions in …

Evaluation Of Wic Online Ordering During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Evidence From An Oklahoma Grocery Store Chain, Qi Zhang, Junzhou Zhang, Kayoung Park, Chuanyi Tang

Community & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic is worsening the disparities in food access in the United States. As consumers have been increasingly using grocery online ordering services to limit their exposure to the COVID-19 virus, participants of federal nutrition assistance programs lack the online benefit redemption option. With the support of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), retailers are pilot-testing online food benefit ordering in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). By combining the Oklahoma WIC administrative data, the online ordering data from a grocery store chain in Oklahoma, and the COVID-19 data in Oklahoma, this study examines …

Implications Of Cyberbiosecurity In Advanced Agriculture, Simone Stephen, Keitavius Alexander, Lucas Potter, Xavier-Lewis Palmer

Electrical & Computer Engineering Faculty Publications

The world is currently undergoing a rapid digital transformation sometimes referred to as the fourth industrial revolution. During this transformation, it is increasingly clear that many scientific fields are not prepared for this change. One specific area is agriculture. As the sector which creates global food supply, this critical infrastructure requires detailed assessment and research via newly developed technologies (Millett et al, 2019; Peccoud et al, 2018) . Despite its fundamental significance to modern civilization, many aspects of industrial agriculture have not yet adapted to the digital world. This is evident in the many vulnerabilities currently present within agricultural systems, …

Recuperar El Sistema Alimentario: Aprendiendo De Las Respuestas Comunitarias A Los Impactos Del Covid-19, Tania Schusler

School of Environmental Sustainability: Faculty Publications and Other Works

En esta investigación, exploré cómo las organizaciones sin ánimo de lucro que responden a las perturbaciones causadas por el COVID-19 en el sistema alimentario de la región de Chicago están abriendo caminos para reorganizar el sistema alimentario hacia la equidad racial y la resiliencia a perturbaciones.

Reclaiming The Food System: Learning From Community Responses To The Impacts Of Covid-19, Tania Schusler

School of Environmental Sustainability: Faculty Publications and Other Works

The dominant food system is racially and economically unjust, environmentally unsustainable, and vulnerable to shocks, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This research explored how non-profit organizations in the Chicago region who responded to increased food insecurity and other pandemic impacts are opening pathways to re-organize the food system towards racial equity and resilience to future shocks. Workshops held in 2022 brought together 26 individuals from 20 non-profit organizations in the Chicago region with majority people of color across their leadership, staff, and board. This report summarizes participants’ descriptions of how their organizations pivoted in response to the pandemic’s impacts and …

The Impacts Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On The Food Security Of Mississippians, Hannah Noel Irwin

Theses and Dissertations

Mississippi leads the United States in food insecurity, with 15.3% of Mississippians experiencing food insecurity in a given year. To determine the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the food insecurity of Mississippians, a survey containing the USDA Household Food Security Questionnaire was distributed to adult Mississippi residents. By employing the USDA Household Food Security Scale and the Foster-Greer-Thorbecke Methodology, this study finds that the food insecurity rate, food insecurity gap, and squared food insecurity gap have worsened in Mississippi since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, this study finds that households which were food insecure prior to March …

The Adaptation Of Export-Scale Urban Farmers Amid The Covid-19 Pandemic In Bandung Metropolitan, Kinanti Indah Safitri, Oekan Soekotjo Abdoellah, Budhi Gunawan, Parikesit -, Yusep Suparman, Akhmad Zainal Mubarak, Margareth Pardede

The Qualitative Report

These days, urban agriculture is more than a hobby. It has expanded into a local commercial business, even to an export scale. However, urban farmers who have commercialized their products must adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic situation, which has impacted many aspects of global life. This research used a mixed-method approach. We collected quantitative data from 107 respondents on the household commercialization index, income level, and education level of export-scale-urban farmers in the Bandung metropolitan area, West Java, Indonesia. We also used qualitative data to determine how farmers were adapting to difficult situations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This information …

A 2022 Assessment Of Food Security And Health Outcomes During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Ashley C. Mccarthy, Farryl Bertmann, Emily H. Belarmino, Sam Bliss, Jennifer Laurent, Jonathan Malacarne, Scott Merrill, Rachel E. Schattman, Kathryn Yerxa, Meredith T. Niles

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

We conducted a Northern New England survey to understand the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on food security, food access, home food production, health behaviors, and health outcomes. The surveys were conducted in the spring of 2022 (April-May) with a total of 1,013 adults (598 in Maine and 415 in Vermont) responding to the survey. Key findings include:1. The prevalence of food insecurity remains similarly high to early points in the pandemic, likely driven by inflation and food prices, and long-term impacts from the pandemic. 2. The majority (62%) indicated the recent rise in food prices affected their food purchasing, …

Food Insecurity And Health-Related Concerns Among Elementary Schoolteachers During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Fangyu Li, Nivedhitha Parthasarathy, Feng Zhang, Ru-Jye Chuang, Mallika Mathur, Mike Pomeroy, Jacqueline Noyola, Christine M Markham, Shreela V Sharma

Student and Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION: US school systems underwent major upheaval, including closures, implementation of virtual and/or hybrid learning, and stringent infection mitigation protocols, during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to examine the association between food insecurity and perceived health, perceived stress, and social determinants of health concerns among elementary schoolteachers serving predominantly low-income children during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS: Brighter Bites, a nonprofit organization that weekly distributes fresh fruits and vegetables and nutrition education materials to more than 300 schools serving racial and ethnic minority populations with low income, conducts annual surveys of participating teachers to help determine subsequent …

Covid-19 And Outdoor Recreation In Maine And New Hampshire: Analysis Of Trends Using Passive Visitation Data, Andrea Knapp

Honors College

The COVID-19 pandemic has motivated alterations to the way people approach and practice outdoor recreation. Access to outdoor areas has changed rapidly in response to measures like travel bans, closures, and health and safety guidelines. Recreation managers have had to act quickly to keep up with these visitor use fluctuations in order to protect resources from use degradation. I explored how pandemic effects have changed visitation behaviors and trends in outdoor recreation in Acadia National Park and the White Mountain National Forest. Acadia National Park is a well-known and highly trafficked outdoor recreation area with over 3 million visits annually …

El Impacto De La Pandemia En La Formación De Los Hábitos De Alimentación En Niñes Pequeñes En La Villa 21-24 En Barracas, Buenos Aires / The Impact Of The Pandemic In The Creation Of Nutritional Habits In Young Children In Villa 21-24 In Barracas, Buenos Aires, Hannah Seewald

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Durante la Pandemia COVID-19 en Argentina, la inflación aumentó, y el desempleo aumentó especialmente entre los trabajadores informales, lo que dejó a muchos de ellos dependientes de los comedores comunitarios y de la ayuda nutricional para alimentar a sus familias. La violencia doméstica y la pobreza aumentaron aún más. Problemas estructurales como la falta de agua potable y los cortes de luz, situaciones que suelen enfrentar los habitantes de la Villa 21-24, Barracas, Buenos Aires, continuaron. Las escuelas se cerraron y la instrucción presencial se suspendió, en ese contexto los grupos comunitarios trabajaron para alcanzar los suministros adecuados de alimentos. …

Food Supply Impacts And Solutions Associated With The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Regional Australian Case Study, Stephanie Louise Godrich, Flavio Macau, Katherine Kent, Johnny Lo, Amanda Devine

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study aimed to explore how food supply chains were impacted by COVID-19 and identify how the region could be better prepared for future crises. An online survey was completed by 107 consumers. In-depth interviews were conducted with 27 food supply stakeholders working in food production, distribution, retail, hospitality, institutions (i.e., childcare), logistics/freight and local government. Pre-COVID-19, farmer-direct distribution options and hospitality businesses comprised a substantial proportion of local food producer businesses. During the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers favoured local food supply options, farmers collaborated, and produce usually destined for export was redirected into local markets. Critical food supply actions included …

A Mixed-Methods Study To Determine The Impact Of Covid-19 On Food Security, Food Access And Supply In Regional Australia For Consumers And Food Supply Stakeholders, Stephanie Louise Godrich, Johnny Lo, Katherine Kent, Flavio Macau, Amanda Devine

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the Australian food supply through changed consumer purchasing patterns, and potentially, household food security. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of COVID-19 on the prevalence of food insecurity and food supply issues, and perspectives of food supply stakeholders in regional Australia. Methods: A mixed-methods consumer survey and in-depth interviews with food supply stakeholders were conducted in regional Australia, more specifically South West Western Australia between May and July 2020, immediately after the 1st wave of the pandemic. Results: The prevalence of food insecurity was 21% among consumers, and significantly more …

The Hunger Report Part Ii: Targeting Specific Needs In The Wake Of Covid-19, Dalvin Sidhu, Tania Nagpaul, Weng Lin Ng, Thilanga Dilum Wewalaarachchi

Lien Centre for Social Innovation: Research

The Hunger Report Part II: Targeting Specific Needs in the Wake of COVID-19 is the first intervention study of its kind in Singapore, delving into how the food situation of previously identified food-insecure households has changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through surveys, this report reveals the impact COVID-19 has had on a small sample of food-insecure families in Singapore. The authors also administer a Needs Toolkit to understand the unique needs and preferences of each food-insecure household. They then explore the impact of autonomy in food support through an intervention element in the study

Seeds Of Resilience: Learning From Covid-19 To Strengthen Seed Systems In Vermont, Ali Brooks, Carina V. Isbell, Daniel Tobin Ph.D., Travis Reynolds Ph.D., Eric Bishop Von Wettberg Ph.D., David Conner Ph.D., Evie Wolfe

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

Seeds are central to crop-based production systems, yet in the United States seeds have been largely overlooked in both research and local and regional food systems initiatives. This report seeks to address the gap in seed-related research by assessing current strengths and vulnerabilities of Vermont’s seed systems. In particular, the findings presented in this report illuminate how seed systems can maintain function in the face of external shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and how we can apply the lessons learned toward building resilience for an uncertain future due to factors such as climate change. Despite the turmoil caused by …

An Examination Of Capacity Building For Sanitary And Phytosanitary Measures For Women In Sub-Saharan Africa: Empowerment Theory At The Individual, Organizational, And Community Levels, Lisa De Leon

Theses and Dissertations

Knowledge and application gaps exist for women farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa who are key agricultural players for economic growth and food security. This study examined capacity development for Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures and empowerment of women farmers considering Rappaport (1984) and Zimmerman’s (1995, 2000) lenses of empowerment theory. The central research question was, how does capacity development for sanitary and phytosanitary measures empower women at the individual, organizational, and community levels in Sub-Saharan Africa? The study employed an embedded mixed methods design collecting data via an electronic survey from 23 Sub-Saharan women farmers; 22 from Ghana and one from …

Distillers' Grains: Past, Present, And Future Economic Analyses, Daniel E. Gertner

Department of Agricultural Economics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This thesis is comprised of four chapters, each of which discusses or conducts economic research related to the distillers’ grains market. The first three chapters are meant to be standalone papers. Chapter four provides potential paths forward in distillers’ grains research based on the findings of the first three chapters and concludes the thesis.

The first chapter conducts a comprehensive literature review that categorizes and summarizes economic research on distillers’ grains products. This section shows how the physical market has moved beyond the current academic understanding of market products and structure. Existing research finds that traditional distillers’ grains products positively …

Covid-19 Affects Coping Strategies And Food Access For Maine Adults, Tara Whiton, Kathryn Yerxa, Rachel E. Schattman

Food Science and Human Nutrition Faculty Scholarship

Food-coping strategies (FCS) are often measured as direct indicators of food insecurity, as they allow for an assessment of the vulnerability and sustainability of attempts to maintain a sufficient food supply by limited-resource individuals. They are often easier to assess than other household indicators of sufficiency, including income and food consumption. Because vulnerability is considered, food-security policies and programs that account for FCS can broaden their efforts from addressing current constraints to food consumption, to include actions that also address future threats to food security. Households may employ any one or a combination of the four types of coping strategies, …

Food Security And Assistance Programs In Vermont Before And During Covid-19, Madeleine Burke, Ashley C. Mccarthy, Emily H. Belarmino, Farryl Bertmann, Meredith T. Niles

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

Here we surveyed a cohort of Vermonters at three time points over the first year of the pandemic. The surveys were conducted in March/ April 2020, June 2020, and March/April 2021. The demographics of the 441 Vermonters who responded to all three surveys are comparable to average Vermont demographics on income, but the respondents were more likely to have a college degree and to identify as female. This brief explores how the use of food assistance programs varied within this population and changed over the course of the pandemic. Key findings include: 1. The number of Vermonters using food assistance …

Shopping, Eating, And Dietary Behaviors Of Maine Adults As A Result Of Covid-19: A Focus On Older Adults, Rachel E. Schattman, Kathryn Yerxa

Food Science and Human Nutrition Faculty Scholarship

Through a survey conducted in 2020, we investigated changes in eating, shopping, and dietary behaviors of Maine adults by age group before COVID-19 (prior to March 2020) and during COVID-19 (August/September 2020). This investigation was part of a larger investigation to assess food security, access, and food systems during COVID-19.6 The survey was conducted in Maine between August and September 2020 and illustrates responses from a sample of 618 Maine adults aged 18 years and older. Findings include:

• Respondents who were 55 years and older were less likely to reduce fruit, vegetable and seafood consumption during COVID-19.

• Respondents in all …

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Food Insecurity And Use Of Food-Assistance Programs And Food Pantries Of Maine Adults As A Result Of Covid-19, Rachel E. Schattman, Kathryn Yerxa

Food Science and Human Nutrition Faculty Scholarship

We investigated the food-security status and use of food assistance programs and food pantries of Maine adults before COVID-19 (prior to March 2020) and during COVID-19 (August to September 2020). Data were collected through an online survey administered to 618 Maine adults aged 18 years and older between August and September 2020. The survey was part of a larger study to assess food security, access, and food systems during COVID-19. We found that COVID-19 has increased the incidence of food security for survey respondents of all ages, but younger respondents (18 to 34 years) were the most likely age group …

Food Security Impacts Of The Covid-19 Pandemic: Following A Group Of Vermonters During The First Year, Ashley C. Mccarthy, Farryl Bertmann, Emily H. Belarmino, Meredith T. Niles

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

We surveyed a cohort of Vermonters three times during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic to understand the impacts of the pandemic on food security and food access. The surveys were conducted in March/April 2020, June 2020, and March/April 2021. A total of 441 Vermonters responded to all three surveys. This brief shares changes in their experiences between March 2020 and March 2021. Key findings include: 1. Food insecurity rates increased during the pandemic and remained above pre-pandemic levels a year after the start of the pandemic. 2. 31.6% of respondents experienced food insecurity at some point in the …

Anchoring Communities Throughout Covid-19: Results From The 2020 Healthy Food In Health Care Survey In New England., Naomi M. Cunningham, David Conner, Lauren Kaskey, Hannah Leighton, Peter Allison

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

Health Care Without Harm has been surveying their network of facilities since 2009. In 2020 the effort was expanded to include the full population health care facilities throughout New England. This new iteration of the Healthy Food in Health Care Survey focused on hospitals' foodservice operations response to COVID-19 and contributions as anchor institutions in their communities. To supplement the survey results, three in-depth case studies demonstrate various experiences throughout the pandemic and highlight the motivations and ways these facilities successfully navigated the incredible strain put on the health care system while still being an essential community resource. The finding …

Experiences And Coping Strategies During The Covid-19 Pandemic Among Fishers And Farmers In The Island Province Of Guimaras, Philippines, Gay Margarett A. Gange, Louie Marie T. Eluriaga, Alice Joan G. Ferrer

Journal of Economics, Management and Agricultural Development

This study describes the experiences and coping strategies related with the COVID-19 threat and the community quarantine policy by the fishers and farmers in the island province of Guimaras. Both food producers faced marketrelated problems such as low demand, low prices of catch and produce, and logistical problems. While the in-kind support (e.g., food provisions) received and adaptive measures (e.g., continued with fishing or adjusted harvest schedule; use of social media or delivery services in marketing) allowed them to get by during the pandemic, there is a need to develop more resilient farming and fishing households. Short-term support can be …

Wrack Lines Volume 21, Number 1, Born Out Of Crises: Responses, Research And Reflections On A Better Future, Lynn Bonner, Robert J. Klee, Robert Pomeroy, Judy A. Benson

Wrack Lines

Articles in this issue explore various actions taken in response to different crises: lessons about the environment from the COVID-19 pandemic; how seafood sellers in the CT and Southeast Asia responded to the challenges of the pandemic; how the challenges of rising seas and developed coasts are being dealt with through managed retreat, buyouts and other actions in NC and CT; and research on the long-term effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on dolphins led by CTSG Director Sylvain De Guise.