Food Security Commons^™

Un-Packing The Pantry: Evaluating And Addressing Nutritional Gaps In Full Circle Food Pantry Service, Gweneth J. Keith-Powell

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Arkansas has the highest food insecurity rate in the U.S., and college students are disproportionately food insecure. Food insecure populations tend to have worse nutrition and face poorer health outcomes, exacerbating the economic disparities they already face. The purpose of this study was to analyze specific food pantry usage trends, healthy diet access barriers, and processed food consumption drivers of Full Circle Food Pantry clients at the University of Arkansas as they related to food insecurity and nutrition disparities, as well as design a targeted project to improve nutation in an underserved client demographic. Findings supported existing literature regarding lower …

Why Food In The United States May (Still) Never Be Safe: A Look Back At My Over Thirty Years Thinking About Food And The Law, Denis Stearns

Journal of Food Law & Policy

This article can serve a function as a concluding section—a kind of coda—for issues addressed in greater depth by the author (Denis Stearns) before.

This article also allows Sterns to return to a central question that prompted his thought-journey in the first place: Why does the food in this country continue to be so unsafe, despite all of the laws, all of the enforcement efforts, all of the food safety advocacy, and all of the lawsuits filed to recover damages on behalf of people injured and killed year after year. What follows, then, are additional and updated conclusions that thirty …

Understanding University-Level Food Recovery Programs’ Approaches To Minimizing Food Waste While Combating Food Insecurity In The United States, Ella F. Flesher

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences Undergraduate Honors Theses

Food is wasted every day at each level of the food system from production to consumption. This surplus has significant negative impacts on the environment after food is sent to the landfill and allowed to rot. However, some surplus food can be repurposed and diverted from the landfill. This study served as an initial investigation to explore multiple food waste diversion programs and analyze their structure, best practices, and methods to divert leftover food. This study specifically aimed to compare and contrast food recovery programs by interviewing participants from three food recovery programs from different university institutions. With the key …

Negotiating Food Security, Maria Cudowska

Journal of Food Law & Policy

In the United States and worldwide, nutrition and food emerge as both high-profile public policy targets and as fundamental aspects of the right to self-determination. This Article examines how national security impacts food security in the United States. It explores conflicts and synergies between municipal, state, and federal law developments related to the right to food and investigates recent developments in how those commitments have been negotiated. The challenge and nebulous justiciability of the right to food can be in part attributed to existing global and national systems, which include supply chains, welfare programs, and foreign investment in the U.S. …

Empowering Ugandan Women Smallholder Farmers: Documenting Her Mighty Hands Agriculture Extension Nonprofit, Anna Mathis

Agricultural Education, Communications and Technology Undergraduate Honors Theses

Women smallholder farmers in East Africa, including Uganda, provide the majority of agriculture labor. However, women are significantly less productive than men due to extreme barriers such as their lack of decision-making rights, inability to solely own land, and familial responsibilities. The purpose of this project was to create a full integrated communications and fundraising campaign for Her Mighty Hands, an agriculture extension nonprofit whose mission is to connect Ugandan women subsistence farmers to technology and knowledge which empower them to advance their agricultural business; enabling them to improve the quality of life for themselves, their families, and communities. Photos …

Spatial Targeting Of Irrigation Development And Water Resource Management To Mitigate Vector-Borne Disease, April Frake, Brad Peter, Grivin Chipula, Joseph Messina

Geosciences Faculty Publications and Presentations

Scaling irrigated agriculture is a global strategy to mitigate food insecurity concerns. While expanding irrigated agriculture is critical to meeting food production demands, it is important to consider how these land use and land cover changes (LULCC) may alter the water resources of landscapes and impact the spatiotemporal epidemiology of disease. Here, a generalizable method is presented to inform irrigation development decision-making aimed at increasing crop production through irrigation while simultaneously mitigating malaria risk to surrounding communities. Changes to the spatiotemporal patterns of malaria vector (Anopheles gambiae s.s.) suitability, driven by irrigated agricultural expansion, are presented for Malawi's rainy and …

Understanding The Impact Of Food Insecurity Among First Generation College Students On The University Of Arkansas Campus, Madison Price

Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to: 1) better understand food insecurity among first generation college students and how it might differ from that of other college students, and 2) gather opinions from students that may serve as solutions to alleviate food insecurity. This study was conducted with a mixed-methods survey that included both open-ended and close-ended questions. This study had six detailed parts, including research design, population sampling, instrumentation, data collection, data analysis, and finally, the results. All of these unique phases allowed for first generation students’ voices to be heard and to help meet their needs on the …

The Dark Side Of The Balloon: Restrictions On Foreign Investment In U.S. Farmland, Sarah Everhart

Journal of Food Law & Policy

This Article argues that if legislators truly want to strengthen our food system, they should shift their focus from preventing foreign investment in farmland to supporting domestic investment in farmland. According to the National Young Farmer Survey, finding affordable land to buy is the top challenge for young farmers. This Article begins with examining the history of restricting foreign ownership of U.S. farmland. This Article also explores the current landscape of foreign investment in U.S. farmland and the perceived threat associated with this investment. The Article also examines the current renewed interest in preventing foreign landholding and what has happened …

Developing An Efficient Regulatory Framework For Safe Street Food In Bangladesh: Lessons From Comparative Analyses With India, Thailand, And New York City, Usa., Abu Noman Mohammad Atahar Ali

Journal of Food Law & Policy

Globally, approximately 2.5 billion individuals consume street food1 daily. Street food is affordable, convenient, and sometimes nutritious, offering diverse and appealing food choices. A World Health Organization (WHO) report in 1996 ascertained that 74% of countries recognized the substantial contribution of street foods to their urban food supply The following parts of the article look into street food's impact on public health and its implications for the lives of people in Bangladesh. Subsequently, it will examine previous initiatives and current endeavors to ensure street food safety and hygiene. Following this literature review, the study will conduct a detailed examination of …

The Purepecha And Food Sovereignty, Andrea Abarca

International and Global Studies Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis will focus on the food sovereignty of the Purepecha of Michoacan. I will explore their culture and how their relationship with food shapes them. I will look into the effects of neoliberalism, and how it puts the food sovereignty of the Purepecha in danger. With this, I will compare the resistance to this issue with another indigenous community and see how these uprisings bring hope to restoring their sovereignty.

Implementing A Dairy Industry In Mauritius, Lainey Deitrick

Economics Undergraduate Honors Theses

Over the Summer, I interned at the University of Mauritius and the Ministry of Agro Industry and Food Security from May 18th to July 15th, 2022, researching issues with Mauritius’s food security and helping to create solutions to their economic problems. My project covered all Mauritius’s agricultural imports, but it had an emphasis on their dairy industry. While in Mauritius, I conducted research on food security among Mauritians, and a feasibility study on if residents would be open to drinking more fresh milk, which is a market the country is exploring to replace sugar cane. My data analysis will be …

Surveys Assessing Food Security And Willingness To Buy Dairy Products In Mauritius Conducted Summer 2022, Abigail Burch

Economics Undergraduate Honors Theses

In the summer of 2022, I worked on a team of University of Arkansas and University of Mauritius students to administer surveys regarding the consumption of dairy milk and the impact of COVID-19 on food security in the island nation of Mauritius. This project was created by both universities in conjunction with the Mauritian Ministry of Agro Industry and Food Security.

Special Issue: Hunger, Nutrition, And Health, Susan Rice

Journal of Food Law & Policy

Everyday millions of Americans face barriers to accessing food, housing, and other supports–––making the impossible decision of whether to put food on the table or cover other essential needs. Food insecurity and diet-related diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes, affect people of all ages and in all communities. It was for this reason that the Biden-Harris Administration hosted the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in September 2022. As the President said at the Conference, “No child should go to bed hungry. No parent should die of a disease that can be prevented.” It will require all …

Va’S Work To Ensure Veterans’ Food Security, Christine Going

Journal of Food Law & Policy

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is uniquely positioned as the nation’s largest integrated health care system, serving 9 million enrolled Veterans each year, to successfully embrace the power of an interdisciplinary team designed to meet the needs of Veterans challenged by food insecurity. In collaboration with the whole of government approach to ending hunger, VA is addressing food and nutrition security. The Food Security Office within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) was established and has representation from nutrition, social work, and nursing focusing on the causes of food insecurity among Veterans. VA’s Food Security Office and the Nutrition and …

Healthy School Meals For All: The Role Of Food Law And Policy, Thomas J. Vilsack

Journal of Food Law & Policy

The first Conference held more than 50 years ago by President Nixon in 1969 had significant impacts on our Department and the prevalence of food insecurity in our country. Most notably, the Conference sparked significant expansions to Food Stamps, now known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), from 2 million in 1968 to 11 million by 1971. The Conference also increased the reach of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), which served 2.9 million low-income children at the time of the Conference and expanded to serving nearly 8 million low-income children by 1971. Permanent authorization of the School Breakfast …

Putting The Dietary Guidelines For Americans Into Action Through The National Strategy On Hunger, Nutrition, And Health, Rachel Fischer, Katrina L. Piercy, Janet M. De Jesus, Paul Reed, Rachel L. Levine

Journal of Food Law & Policy

The United States is facing a crisis of widespread food insecurity and exceedingly high rates of diet-related diseases like diabetes, obesity, and hypertension. To address this challenge and set a course for improved nutrition and food access nationwide, the Biden-Harris Administration hosted the first White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health in over 50 years on September 28, 2022. In the National Strategy, released in conjunction with the Conference, the Administration identified a set of actions that the federal government will take to help achieve its goal of ending hunger and increasing healthy eating and physical activity by 2030, …

Climate Change, Food Security, And The Myth Of Unlimited Abundance, Susan A. Schneider

Journal of Food Law & Policy

The Biden-Harris White House can be commended for convening the historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health highlighting the critical connections between access to healthy food and sustaining a healthy population. This article explores the impact of climate change and seeks to fill a critical gap in the national discussion. It argues that dramatic changes are needed in the way we think about domestic food security and that meaningful change will be required to assure an adequate supply of healthy food, as envisioned by the White House Conference. It explores the impact of the changes to the climate …

Leveraging Housing Programs: Ensuring That Food Access Investments Do Not Displace People, Heather Latino

Journal of Food Law & Policy

In September 2022, the Biden-Harris Administration convened a White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health (“conference”). Among the specific strategies outlined by the Administration is a directive that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”) “increase access to neighborhood markets, grocery stores, farmers’ markets, urban gardens, food incubators, and/or the conversion of vacant buildings into food hubs. . . .” While some may celebrate the Administration’s commitment to investing in low-income and underserved communities, others fear that these forms of intervention and reinvestment may worsen current disparities. Incentives for renovating or constructing local grocery stores have been criticized …

Place Still Matters: Social Vulnerabilities, Place-Level Disadvantage, And Food Insecurity During Covid-19, Kevin M. Fitzpatrick, Casey Harris, Don Willis, Amber Obermaier, Grant Drawve

Sociology and Criminology Faculty Publications and Presentations

COVID-19 variants continue to create public health danger impacting mortality and morbidity across the United States. The spillover effects of COVID-19 on the economy and social institutions pose a significant threat to broader wellbeing, including the food security of millions across the country. We aim to explore whether the context of place matters above and beyond individual and social vulnerabilities for food insecurity. To do so, we employ a multi-level framework using data from a survey of over 10,000 U.S. adults from March 2020 with American Community Survey (ACS) and John Hopkins COVID Dashboard county-level data. We find nearly two …

Evolution Of Bacillus Thuringiensis Maize Yields In South Africa, Courtney Fay Cooper

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The economic and environmental benefits of genetically modified (GM) maize in South Africa have been well documented in previous literature. However, concerns about the longevity of these benefits, have been raised following reports of Busseola fusca developing resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) maize in South Africa in 2006. This study uses empirical data to estimate the potential impact of insect resistance on yields and estimates the economic and food availability impacts of genetic deterioration of Bt maize. Using data from South African National Maize Cultivar trials from 1989-2018, yield gains from Bt are observed to peak for Bt maize in …

Modeling The Impact And Accelerating The Process Of Transitioning To A Sustainable Healthy Diet Through Decision Support Systems, Prince Agyemang

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Food production and consumption are essential in human existence, yet they are implicated in the high occurrences of preventable chronic diseases and environmental degradation. Although healthy food may not necessarily be sustainable and vice versa, there is an opportunity to make our food both healthy and sustainable. Attempts have been made to conceptualize how sustainable healthy food may be produced and consumed; however, available data suggest a rise in the prevalence of health-related and negative environmental consequences of our food supply. Thus, the transition from conceptual frameworks to implementing these concepts has not always been effective. This paper explores the …

Implementing Food Pantry Nutrition Policies: Perspectives From The Field, Jessica Vincent

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The charitable food system includes food pantries and are often used by individuals and households who are food insecure (Kuhns & Norotny, 2021; Seligman & Berkowitz, 2019; Sangye, 2013). Adults with any level of food insecurity have a 43% to 53% greater risk of developing a chronic disease than those who are food secure. Those who are food secure have a 37% risk of developing a chronic disease (Gregory & Coleman-Jenson, 2017). For this reason, efforts are being made from state and federal levels to focus on nutrition security, rather than only food security, by increasing the percentage of nutrient …

A Spatiotemporal Analysis Of Food Pantry Accessibility In Washington County, Arkansas, Coleman Warren

Industrial Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Food pantries are an essential resource for impoverished and food insecure communities. Washington County, Arkansas has a food insecurity rate of 14.3% as compared to the national average of 10.9% (Feeding America, 2019). The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank has a robust pantry network in Washington County to support families and individuals who struggle with food insecurity.

We conducted a spatiotemporal analysis of food pantry accessibility in Washington County, Arkansas to evaluate the effectiveness of the food pantry network in Washington County at supporting communities with the most need. This analysis was conducted using the Two-Step Floating Catchment Area (2SFCA) method …

A Social Media Strategy Plan For The Jane B. Gearhart Full Circle Food Pantry, Sara Katelyn Holm

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Jane B. Gearhart (JBG) Full Circle Food Pantry is a student-led program that provides food assistance for members of the University of Arkansas community. This thesis project includes a social media strategy plan that aims to increase the overall awareness of the pantry and its multifaceted services to decrease food insecurity levels at the University of Arkansas. This plan intends to create behavioral changes that expand usage of the pantry and social media engagement among UA students. Grounded in data-driven insights, this plan is designed from (i) literature on food pantry marketing techniques; (ii) a review of the pantry's …

The Work Of La Via Campesina Regarding The Intersection Of Land Occupation And Food Sovereignty, Josephine Drydale

International and Global Studies Undergraduate Honors Theses

La Via Campesina (LVC), a global movement that supports small and local farmers and their communities, is one of the world’s largest food and agricultural rights movements and advocates for agricultural rights in terms of land, ecology, human rights, and more. LVC is known for its establishment of food sovereignty, defined as the right to control one’s production and consumption of food. This new concept placed them on the map, accompanied by their aggressive editorial and advocacy work against ideals they view as neoliberal and food policies that benefit large food moguls while disenfranchising the small farmer. The concept of …

The Environmental And Nutritional Dilemma Of Beef Production And Consumption, Hannah A. Swilling, Stefano De Rosmini, Brooke Lovan

Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Honors Theses

Based on previous studies, it has been stated that beef production and consumption in the United States is detrimental to the environment. However, in depth studies analyzing the change of beef production and consumption, the environmental impacts, the external costs, the lifestyle implications as well as the nutritional, the social and the cultural aspects of beef have not been conducted. The goal of this study is to analyze the multiple aspects of the dilemma over beef production and consumption. This was done through an analysis of beef production and consumption data over the past 60 years to determine how it …

Present Limitations And Future Projections: Food Insecurity, Housing Insecurity And Optimism Among College Students, Amber Obermaier

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Within the last decade, research has identified wide-ranging disparities in access to basic needs among university students. These differences, such as a lack of adequate food and housing during university, provide a negative environmental experience with potential to limit one’s optimism or hope for the future. This research explores how basic needs insecurity and social vulnerabilities among college students are related to subjective assessments of their prospects for the future. The present study utilizes survey data from a random sample of college students (n=300) enrolled at an urban university in the Midwest region of the United States of America. Logistic …

The Right To Food Comes To America, Wendy Heipt

Journal of Food Law & Policy

The people of Maine recently exercised an opportunity no citizen of this country has ever had before: the ability to vote on whether to enshrine a right to food in their state constitution. This Essay provides an overview of Maine’s experience with food rights in order to explain how the state came to occupy this unique position.

Dollar Stores And Supermarket Survivability In Non-Metropolitan Us Communities, Cami Farmer

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

With the growing popularity of dollar stores, concerns have surfaced over the potential relationship between dollar stores and the closures of grocery stores. Healthy food accessibility for consumers, particularly those in rural areas, has additionally become of great interest. This thesis aims to investigate the potential relationship of dollar store presence and grocery store closures. Data used included County Business Patterns, Rural Urban Continuum Codes, American Community Survey, and authorized SNAP retailer data. The spatial distance between grocery stores and the number of dollar stores at various radii were calculated. Following the computation of the number of dollar stores surrounding …

Impact Of Covid-19 On The Severe Acute Malnutrition Admissions Among Children Under 5 Years Of Age Seeking Nutrition Services In Afghanistan, Sahar Sayedy

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of the study was to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the number of admissions of severe acute malnutrition among children under 5 years of age seeking nutrition services in Afghanistan especially in the provinces where the prevalence of COVID-19 was high, for the period of February – September 2020. The study used comparison and analysis of secondary datasets of the Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition – a national program for detection and management of moderate and severe acute malnutrition in the country.

This study analyzed the association between COVID-19 cases and severe acute malnutrition (SAM) admissions of …