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International and Community Nutrition Commons

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Full-Text Articles in International and Community Nutrition

Buy Better: How Food Policy Councils Leverage Procurement To Improve Food Worker Conditions, Frank Sarfo, Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern, Jonnell A. Robinson Nov 2025

Buy Better: How Food Policy Councils Leverage Procurement To Improve Food Worker Conditions, Frank Sarfo, Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern, Jonnell A. Robinson

The Lender Center for Social Justice

Food system workers; farm laborers, grocery clerks, restaurant staff, and food processors are the backbone of our everyday meals, yet their voices are largely missing from the councils that shape local food policy. Despite being essential to food security and community health, these workers face low wages, poorworking conditions, and limited protections. Food Policy Councils (FPCs), which aim to advance equity and sustainability in food systems, rarely prioritize labor issues. The study, drawing on national survey data and interviews with over 25 FPC leaders, finds that structural constraints, internal conflicts, limited capacity, and weak connections with labor organizations prevent meaningful …


Refugee Health And Nutrition, Miriam Mutambudzi, Naomi Shanguhyia Oct 2025

Refugee Health And Nutrition, Miriam Mutambudzi, Naomi Shanguhyia

The Lender Center for Social Justice

Refugees resettled in Syracuse, New York, face persistent challenges to maintaining healthy, culturally appropriate diets, barriers that extend far beyond food availability. This policy brief explores the complex intersection of nutrition, culture, and health equity among refugee families. Through community-engaged research with sub-Saharan African refugee households, findings reveal that food insecurity remains widespread, with families struggling to access familiar ingredients and affordable, nutritious options. Despite these constraints, refugee families demonstrate remarkable resilience and commitment to preserving traditional diets and promoting health within their households. However, limited cultural competence in food assistance programs and exposure of youth to unhealthy dietary norms …


Beyond The Plate: Equity-Focused Solutions To Childhood Nutrition And Family Well-Being, Lynn Brann, Rachel Razza, Xiafei Wang, Kristen Davis Oct 2025

Beyond The Plate: Equity-Focused Solutions To Childhood Nutrition And Family Well-Being, Lynn Brann, Rachel Razza, Xiafei Wang, Kristen Davis

The Lender Center for Social Justice

Food insecurity continues to affect millions of U.S. families, with nearly one in ten households with children struggling to consistently access nutritious food. This policy brief explores equity-focused solutions to childhood nutrition and family well-being, drawing on insights from parents of young children in low-income, culturally diverse households in Syracuse, New York. Through a participatory action research approach, parents shared their experiences, challenges, and hopes for improving their children’s eating habits and preserving cultural food traditions. The findings reveal that while parents are committed to providing healthy meals, systemic barriers such as financial constraints, limited access to culturally relevant foods, …


Why Are Food System Workers Excluded From Local Food Policy Councils?, Frank Sarfo, Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern, Jonnell A. Robinson Aug 2025

Why Are Food System Workers Excluded From Local Food Policy Councils?, Frank Sarfo, Laura-Anne Minkoff-Zern, Jonnell A. Robinson

The Lender Center for Social Justice

This brief summarizes findings from our study that used national survey data of FPCs as well as focus groups and interviews with over 25 FPC representatives and leaders to examine the challenges and barriers that have limited FPCs’ engagement with labor issues. We also identify key obstacles to labor advocacy and offer practical recommendations for integrating labor equity into local food policy efforts.