Food Studies Commons^™

Legal, Policy, And Environmental Scholars Discuss Global Food Systems At Indiana Law Symposium, James Owsley Boyd

Keep Up With the Latest News from the Law School (blog)

The Indiana University Maurer School of Law and its Indiana Journal of Global Legal Studies are hosting scholars from around the country Friday and Saturday (Jan. 19-20) for an interdisciplinary discussion on one of the world’s most prevalent problems—food insecurity.

Data from the World Bank estimate more than 780 million people around the world suffered from chronic hunger in 2022. As climate change affects agricultural production and water accessibility, the problem could worsen in coming years.

“A Fragile Framework: How Global Food Systems Intersect with the International Legal Order, the Environment, and the World’s Populations” will bring together legal, policy, …

Climate Change And Critical Agrarian Studies, Ian Scoones, Saturnino M. Borras Jr., Amita Baviskar, Marc Edelman, Nancy Peluso, Wendy Wolford

Publications and Research

Climate change is perhaps the greatest threat to humanity today and plays out as a cruel engine of myriad forms of injustice, violence and destruction. The effects of climate change from human-made emissions of greenhouse gases are devastating and accelerating; yet are uncertain and uneven both in terms of geography and socio-economic impacts. Emerging from the dynamics of capitalism since the industrial revolution — as well as industrialisation under state-led socialism — the consequences of climate change are especially profound for the countryside and its inhabitants. The book interrogates the narratives and strategies that frame climate change and examines the …

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Snap) Eligibility And Access In Nevada, 2018-2020, Lana Kojoian, Annie Vong, Zachary Billot, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Health

This fact sheet examines data from the American Community Survey and Nevada administrative records exploring Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility and access rates for Nevada counties. The original report includes data on SNAP eligibility and access for 23 states from 2018 to 2020.

Home Food Production Before, During And Since Start Of The Covid-19 Pandemic In Northern New England, Ashleigh Angle, Ashley C. Mccarthy, Meredith T. Niles

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

This brief details the results from three separate surveys of Northern New Englanders in Maine and Vermont in summer 2020, spring 2021, and spring 2022. A survey was conducted in summer of 2020 to understand the initial and continued impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on food security, diet, and health outcomes. Two additional surveys were conducted using the same methods in spring 2021 and 2022 to continue to assess changes during the pandemic. All surveys were representative of the state populations on race and ethnicity and the data presented in this brief were weighted to be representative of income in …

Sembrando Una Cultura De Soberanía Alimentaria: La Reserva Pambiliño Y La Reserva De Biósfera Del Chocó Andino De Pichincha, Sophie Tanner

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Por tres semanas, investigué la soberanía alimentaria y sus implicaciones en relaciones entre personas, pueblos, el gobierno, la sociedad, y el mundo no humano en la Reserva Pambiliño, el pueblo de Mashpi, y la Reserva de Biósfera del Chocó Andino de Pichincha en Ecuador. Trabajé manualmente en la finca; entrevisté a trabajadores de la Reserva Pambiliño y miembros de la Fundación Imaymana; y realicé la observación participante en una variedad de actividades en Mashpi y el Chocó Andino. Allí, redes de ayuda mutua conectan comunidades, fincas, y reservas que trabajan en la agroforestería, la conservación, la restauración de bosques primarios, …

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 …

Dirt Cheap Nutrition, Rain Delucia

Bucknell Farm

The aim of this project is to reach a range of people who are suffering from food insecurity. Food insecurity is a spectrum; people have varying access to not only food, but to related resources such as cooking equipment and knowledge. Food insecurity is a broad term since there are varying reasons as to why people cannot access food such as transportation, money, and access. In most cases food insecurity is a symptom of a much bigger issue known as poverty. The typical person struggling with food insecurity suffers from both mental and physical complications such as decline in academic …

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 …

Refining The Nutrition Environment Measures Survey (Nems) For Healthy Community Stores: Adaptations To Capture Alternative Food Retailers And Align With Dietary Guidelines, Alex B. Hill, Ravneet Kuar, Samantha M. Sundermeir, Christina Kasprzak, Megan Winkler, Sara John, Rachael D. Dombrowski, Bree Bode, Joel Gittelsohn

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Research Publications

Inadequate consumption of healthy food is an ongoing public health issue in the United States. Food availability measures of supply versus consumption of healthy foods are disconnected in many studies. There is a need for an objective assessment of the food environment in order to assess how the food supply aligns with the Healthy Eating Index (HEI). Data were collected as part of the Healthy Community Stores Case Study Project, including a refined Nutrition Environment Measures Survey for Healthy Community Stores (NEMS-HCS) and an updated Healthy Food Availability Index that aligns with the Healthy Eating Index (HFAHEI). This paper will …

A Commentary On The Healthy Community Stores Case Study Project: Implications For Retailers, Policy, And Future Research, Samantha M. Sundermeir, Megan R. Winkler, Sara John, Uriyoán Colón-Ramos, Ravneet Kuar, Ashley Hickson, Rachael D. Dombrowski, Alex B. Hill, Bree Bode, Julia Deangelo, Joel Gittelsohn

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Research Publications

In the United States, low-income, underserved rural and urban settings experience poor access to healthy, affordable food. Introducing new food outlets in these locations has shown mixed results for improving healthy food consumption. The Healthy Community Stores Case Study Project (HCSCSP) explored an alternative strategy: supporting mission-driven, locally owned, healthy community food stores to improve healthy food access. The HCSCSP used a multiple case study approach, and conducted a cross-case analysis of seven urban healthy food stores across the United States. The main purpose of this commentary paper is to summarize the main practice strategies for stores as well as …

Balancing Mission And Margins: What Makes Healthy Community Food Stores Successful, Sara John, Megan R. Winkler, Ravneet Kuar, Julia Deangelo, Alex B. Hill, Samantha M. Sundermeir, Uriyoán Colón-Ramos, Lucia A. Leone, Rachael D. Dombrowski, Emma C. Lewis, Joel Gittelsohn

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Research Publications

Mission-driven, independently-owned community food stores have been identified as a potential solution to improve access to healthy foods, yet to date there is limited information on what factors contribute to these stores’ success and failure. Using a multiple case study approach, this study examined what makes a healthy community food store successful and identified strategies for success in seven community stores in urban areas across the United States. We used Stake’s multiple case study analysis approach to identify the following key aims that contributed to community store success across all cases: (1) making healthy food available, (2) offering healthy foods …

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, …

Forms Of Community Engagement In Neighborhood Food Retail: Healthy Community Stores Case Study Project, Ravneet Kuar, Megan R. Winkler, Sara John, Julia Deangelo, Rachael D. Dombrowski, Ashley Hickson, Samantha M. Sundermeir, Christina Kasprzak, Bree Bode, Alex B. Hill, Emma C. Lewis, Uriyoán Colón-Ramos, Jake Munch, Lillian L. Witting, Angela Odoms-Young, Joel Gittelsohn, Lucia A. Leone

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Research Publications

Community engagement is well established as a key to improving public health. Prior food environment research has largely studied community engagement as an intervention component, leaving much unknown about how food retailers may already engage in this work. The purpose of this study was to explore the community engagement activities employed by neighborhood food retailers located in lower-income communities with explicit health missions to understand the ways stores involve and work with their communities. A multiple case study methodology was utilized among seven retailers in urban U.S. settings, which collected multiple sources of data at each retailer, including in-depth interviews, …

Assessing The Influence Of Food Insecurity And Retail Environments As A Proxy For Structural Racism On The Covid-19 Pandemic In An Urban Setting, Rachael D. Dombrowski, Alex B. Hill, Bree Bode, Kathrybn A. G Knoff, Hadis Dastgerdizad, Noel Kulik, James Mallare, Kibibi Blount-Dorn, Winona Bynum

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Research Publications

A collaborative partnership launched the Great Grocer Project (GGP) in March 2021 in Detroit, Michigan where health inequities, including deaths due to COVID-19, have historically been politically determined and informed by socially entrenched norms. Institutional and structural racism has contributed to a lack of diversity in store ownership among Detroit grocers and limited access to high-quality, affordable healthy foods as well as disparate food insecurity among Detroit residents. The GGP seeks to promote Detroit’s healthy grocers to improve community health and economic vitality through research, programs, and policies that have the potential to advance health equity. A cross-sectional design was …

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 …

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

Senior Hunger In The Mountain West, 2019, Ally M. Beckwith, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Health

This fact sheet highlights data on senior hunger in the Mountain West region in 2019 as originally reported in Feeding America’s The State of Senior Hunger annual series. This report focuses on the extent of food insecurity among seniors in the United States. Seniors are defined as those who are 60 years of age or older.

Increasing Healthy Food Access For Low-Income Communities: Protocol Of The Healthy Community Stores Case Study Project, Joel Gittelsohn, Christina M. Kasprzak, Alex B. Hill, Samantha M. Sundermeir, Melissa N. Laska, Rachael D. Dombrowski, Julia Deangelo, Angela Odoms-Young, Lucia A. Leone

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Research Publications

Improving healthy food access in low-income communities continues to be a public health challenge. One strategy for improving healthy food access has been to introduce community food stores, with the mission of increasing healthy food access; however, no study has explored the experiences of different initiatives and models in opening and sustaining healthy food stores. This study used a case study approach to understand the experiences of healthy food stores in low-income communities. The purpose of this paper is to describe the methodology used and protocol followed. A case study approach was used to describe seven healthy food stores across …

Detroit Food Metrics Report 2020 (With 2021 Update), Alex B. Hill, Amy Kuras

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Research Publications

This report provides a snapshot of data and information on Detroit’s food system as well as trends over time. The report includes a broad range of programs and initiatives that local organizations, the Detroit Food Policy Council, and the City of Detroit are undertaking to address food insecurity, increase healthy food access and awareness, and support a more sustainable and just food system.

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 …

Testing The Effects Of Two Field-To-Fork Programs On The Nutritional Outcomes Of Elementary School Students From Diverse And Lower-Income Communities, Kimberly R. Hartson, Kristi M. King, Carol O'Neal, Aishia Brown, Toluwanimi Olajuyigbe, Shakeyrah Elmore, Angelique Perez

Faculty Scholarship

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to evaluate the effects of two farm-to-school programs, specifically the Field-to-Fork Multi-visit Program (N  =  264) and the Field-to-Fork After-school Club (N  =  56), on nutritional outcomes of elementary school students (third to fifth grade) from urban, diverse, and lower-income communities. Data were collected via self-report surveys measuring: (a) knowledge of recommendations for daily fruit and vegetable intake; (b) fruit and vegetable consumption; (c) knowledge of cooking a healthy recipe using vegetables; and (d) desire for farm fresh foods at school. Statistical analyses included McNemar’s and Wilcoxon signed rank tests. The …

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 …

Food Insecurity In Detroit: Exploring The Relationship Between Patient-Reported Food Insecurity And Proximity To Healthful Grocery Stores, Sara Santarossa, Alex B. Hill, Alexandra R. Sitarik, Mackenzie Taylor, Susan Hawkins, Katherine Scher, Aaron Sohaski, Mohammed Baseer, Rachael Dombrowski, Alexander Plum, Christine Lm Joseph

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Research Publications

Objective:
The objective of the current study was to determine if patients of a large health care system in Detroit who self-identify as food insecure live further away from healthy grocery stores compared with food secure patients. Second, we explored whether food insecurity and distance to healthy grocery stores are related to ecological measures of vehicle availability in the area of residence.

Design:
A secondary data analysis that uses baseline data from a pilot intervention/feasibility study.

Setting:
Detroit, Michigan, USA.

Participants:
Patients of Henry Ford Health System were screened for food insecurity to determine eligibility for a pilot intervention/feasibility study …

Urban Forests And Their Potential To Combat Food Insecurity: Analyzing Foods From Street Trees In New York City, Ny, Kristen Cooney

Environment and Sustainability Summer Fellows

There is growing recognition that urban forests have the potential to combat food insecurity via their edible parts, namely fruits, berries, and nuts. Many tree species commonly planted in urban spaces have edible parts that may fulfill the nutritional needs of city residents that are food insecure, but no one has analyzed the value of city street trees to understand this potential. I analyzed New York City’s street trees by each species and their edible parts to measure this potential.

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 …

“Treat Everybody Right”: Examining Foodways To Improve Food Access, Alex B. Hill

Urban Studies and Planning Faculty Research Publications

Detroit is regularly assumed to be a “food desert” despite contradicting evidence. With fruits and vegetables available at each of Detroit’s 70 independent, full-line grocery stores, there remains a lack of understanding among media and academics of residents’ perception and preferences for food access. A baseline study was initiated during the summer of 2014 to understand residents’ own perceptions of food access and to assess the socio-cultural foodways utilized by residents. A total of 207 Detroit residents participated in focus groups and interviews to discuss food provisioning. Residents identified a wide range of food access points, from home gardens and …