Food Studies Commons^™

Nourishing Births: A Program Evaluation Proposal For Community-Based Nutrition Education, Food Access, And Garden Engagement Among Black Birthing People, Naa Deedei-Vera Hammond

Master's Projects and Capstones

Black birthing people in the United States continue to experience unequal maternal health outcomes, shaped in part by racism and barriers to nutritious food, culturally relevant health education, and supportive community spaces. While prenatal nutrition education and food assistance programs can provide important resources, information alone cannot address the challenges many people face when trying to access healthy and affordable food during pregnancy. The Nourishing Births Initiative is a proposed community-based maternal health program designed to respond to these needs by bringing together prenatal nutrition education, help connecting to food resources, community gardening, and peer support for Black birthing people …

From Kitchen To Canon: Women And Culinary Recognition Executive Summary, Eulanda A. Sanders, Andra Harris

ICHRIE Research Reports

Despite women comprising a majority of the U.S. restaurant workforce, they remain significantly underrepresented in culinary leadership and elite recognition. Using an exploratory, descriptive design that draws on secondary data from the ACS, NRA, U.S. Census Bureau, and the James Beard Foundation, this study maps gender disparities across the culinary career pipeline. Women represent approximately 54% of the restaurant workforce but only 24.8% of chefs and head cooks, with a substantial gender wage gap persisting across the occupation (NRA, 2026; U.S. Census Bureau, 2024). Of 402 James Beard Award winners analyzed, 71.6% were male and 28.1% female. Disparities intensify at …

When Work Is Not Enough: Food Insecurity Among Employed Latinos Receiving Snap In Massachusetts And The Burden Carried By Latina Women, Phillip Granberry, Rafael M. Pérez Medina, Florita Coto Tristán

Gastón Institute Publications

Across Massachusetts, many SNAP recipients are workers, caregivers, parents, elders, people with disabilities, and families navigating low wages, unstable work schedules, high housing costs, and limited access to wealth building opportunities. Many of these workers held jobs that were labeled “essential” during the COVID-19 pandemic: food service, caregiving, cleaning, healthcare support, retail, transportation, construction, and other service sector jobs. Yet the public recognition of their essential labor has not been translated into adequate wages, benefits, or economic security.

A Comparison Of Regional Food Systems And Food Security In Rural Mississippi And Italy, Reinhard M. Knerr, Athan M. Gregory, Anne Cafer

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

In the Mississippi (MS) Delta, more than 40% of residents are food-insecure despite predominantly agricultural land use. We hypothesized that limited social networks and non-navigable food market systems constrain MS producers, limit market viability, and hinder regional food sovereignty. This ethnography compared rural Italian and Mississippian food systems through semi-structured interviews of food producers, processors, and marketers. We described differences in social networks between groups that led to differential capacities to share capital and to overcome producer and labor constraints. We also described key differences in governmental and Extension support of local food systems. Finally, we provided suggestions for addressing …

Public Acceptance Of Meat-Reduction Policies Across Cultures: Comparing Singapore And Switzerland, Bianca Wassmann, Shu Tian Ng, Mark Chong, Angela K. Y. Leung, Michael Siegrist

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Purpose – As meat-reduction policies are discussed across the globe, many are met with public resistance. Cultural values may help explain this pushback, yet their role in shaping support for food policy remains poorly understood. This study is the first to apply cultural cognition theory to food policy by examining how cultural worldviews shape the acceptance of meat-reduction interventions in Singapore and Switzerland—two economically developed countries with contrasting cultural profiles. Design/methodology/approach – In an online survey, participants (Singapore: n = 357; Switzerland: n = 495) rated their acceptance of 11 meat-reduction interventions (e.g. taxes, subsidies, labelling). We then analysed to …

The “One Big Beautiful Bill” Will Deepen The Farm Crisis, Not Solve It, Rebecca Schewe, Rick Welsh

Center for Policy Research

The One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) promises billions in new farm subsidies, but most of that money won’t go to the farmers who need it most. This brief describes how the OBBB’s changes to agricultural subsidy programs will disproportionately benefit large farms and non-farming investors, accelerating farm loss and consolidation across the United States. The authors argue that without reforms, the OBBB will inflate land values, raise barriers for new and small farmers, and further fuel absentee farmland investment. The authors also identify four reforms policymakers should enact to prevent these devastating consequences, including tightening payment limits and closing loopholes, …

Brief #3: Collaborative Aggregation & Marketing Of Local Farm Food: Customer Perspectives On Participation Barriers, Evan England, Rachel Filippone, Hannah Stokes-Ramos, Cindy (Luyue) Zheng, Olivia Burton, Analena Bruce

Food Practice Research

No abstract provided.

Understanding Perceptions Of A Peruvian Local Market Program: A Reflexive Thematic Analysis, Rosmery Ramos-Sandoval Dr., Jano Ramos-Diaz

The Qualitative Report

Despite growing global interest in short food supply chains (SFSCs), little is known about how consumers in developing countries perceive these models, especially through digital platforms like social media. This study investigates how Twitter users represent and perceive SFSCs in the context of the Peruvian government´s “De la Chacra a la Olla” program. The study analyzed 1,167 tweets from Peruvian Twitter users referencing the hashtag #DeLaChacraALaOlla between 2014 and 2020, using reflexive thematic analysis within an exploratory case study framework to examine consumer perceptions of SFSCs. The analysis revealed three key themes in consumer perceptions of SFSCs on Twitter: direct …

Below The Rows, Beyond The Roots: An Art Exhibition Depicting Agriculture Across The Globe, Maggie Enoch

Honors Theses and Capstones

In Below the Rows, Beyond the Roots, artist Maggie Enoch creates multimedia works inspired by her exposure to diverse agricultural systems and perspectives while studying geography and sustainable agriculture/food systems around the world. By integrating complex histories with the contemporary realities of farming, Maggie paints vivid pictures of the power of food in this five-piece exhibition.

Brief #1: Collaborative Aggregation & Marketing Of Local Farm Food: A Qualitative Analysis Of Farmers' Collaboration Strategies, Evan England, Rachel Filippone, Hannah Stokes-Ramos, Cindy (Luyue) Zheng, Olivia Burton, Analena Bruce

Food Practice Research

This report presents research findings from a comparative case study of four Collaborative Aggregation and Marketing Models: Local Harvest, a cooperative non-profit, farmer-owned, and certified organic CSA, Three River Farmers Alliance, an online food hub and regional distributor, Vernon Family Farm Store, an on-farm, year-round store that aggregates from local farms, and Fresh Start Farms, a food hub, farmers’ market, and CSA operated by the nonprofit Organization for Refugee and Immigrant Success.

Dorchester Food Co-Op: Member Survey: Examining Food Insecurity And Grocery Shopping Frequency, Amrith Fernandes Prabhu, Weichun Yan, Beimnet Kebede, Hina Khurshid, Susan R. Crandall

Center for Social Policy Publications

This report presents selected highlights of the membership survey findings for the Dorchester Food Cooperative’s (the Co-op) first year. The Co-op is a community-owned grocery store that aims to increase access to healthy food, provide opportunities for employment, and reinvest in the local economy. To assess progress towards increasing food access during the Co-op’s first year of operation, the member survey examined access to high quality and nutritious food and member perceptions of their shopping experience.

The Diasporic Cookbook As Chronotope. [Review Of The Book Kitchens Of Hope: Immigrants Share Stories Of Resilience And Recipes From Home, By I. S. Svitak, C. J. Eaton, And I. S. Dean (Eds)], Marcella Prokop

English Faculty Publications

[Introduction] Edited by Linda S. Svitak and Christin Jaye Eaton, with Lee Svitak Dean, and published by the University of Minnesota Press, Kitchens of Hope: Immigrants Share Stories of Resilience and Recipes from Home (2025) fits neatly into the popular genre network of cookbooks that blend essay with recipe, mixing memoir with meals perfected over generations. But this book doesn't simply share the legacy of Liberian rice bread or summer beat soup. It explores the migration of these dishes and their cooks, contextualizing stories of displacement and development. Because of the breadth of this book, Mikhail Bakhtin might describe this …

Lunch Shaming And The Right To Privacy, Ira P. Robbins

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

Lunch shaming is the practice of penalizing students who cannot afford to pay for their meals, resulting in them being denied food, served alternative meals, or publicly identified. The origins of lunch shaming can be traced to the financial pressures faced by school districts that struggle to balance tight budgets with the mandate to provide free or reduced-price meals to eligible students. Despite legislative efforts and advocacy campaigns aimed at mitigating the problems associated with lunch shaming, the practice persists, exacerbated by rising food costs and the expiration of pandemic-era food programs.

Many law journal and other articles have correctly …

Morals Without Movement: Veganism, Contentious Politics, And The Lifestyle Politics Constraint, Luke M. Carfaro

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis examines whether veganism constitutes a social movement through Social Movement Theory frameworks, emphasizing Sidney Tarrow's Power in Movement. Through analysis of veganism's empirical properties (collective challenge, common purpose, collective identity, and sustained interaction) and key procedural mechanisms (framing, mobilizing structures, and repertoires of contention), this thesis determines that veganism fails to meet the empirical criteria of a social movement and is more accurately classified as a lifestyle movement—a movement in which political participation is expressed through private consumption rather than sustained collective contention. Using the Make America Healthy Again movement as a counterexample, this thesis comparatively illustrates …

Brief #2: Collaborative Aggregation & Marketing Of Local Farm Food: A Qualitative Analysis Of Customer Relations Strategies, Evan England, Rachel Filippone, Hannah Stokes-Ramos, Cindy (Luyue) Zheng, Olivia Burton, Analena B. Bruce

Food Practice Research

No abstract provided.

Cultivating Diversity In Sustainable Food Systems: Black Farming And Lived Experience In Rural Southern Ontario, Kadeem Jerofy Morgan-Adamson Mr.

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This research examines the lived experiences of Black food growers in rural Southern Ontario to understand how their perspectives challenge dominant narratives of rurality and inform broader discussions on food sovereignty in Canada. Grounded in postcolonial theory, the study highlights how historical dispossession and persistent inequities shape the access of Black communities to land and resources. Using a mixed-methods approach that includes surveys, semi-structured interviews, and reflexive journaling within a community-based research framework, the study documents the barriers Black food growers face. These include limited land access, insufficient funding, inadequate training pathways, and experiences of racial isolation in rural contexts. …

Sociedade Sob Risco: Monetarização, Beleza E A Economia Íntima Do Dom Entre Os Rikbaktsa Da Amazônia Brasileira, Adriana Athila

Tipití: Journal of the Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America

Na virada do século XXI, salários, programas e políticas previdenciárias com aporte renda, voltados ao bem-estar social, começam a atingir povos indígenas brasileiros. Os poucos estudos etnográficos acerca da monetarização concordam sobre possíveis efeitos (deletérios) do dinheiro nas economias alimentares indígenas e relações entre parentes, sem enfatizá-los analiticamente, discussão central neste artigo. Minha análise parte do ano de 2000, quando o dinheiro timidamente adentrava a vida dos Rikbaktsa (Marco-Jê) do sudoeste amazônico, chegando à circulação contemporânea de quantias consideráveis no cotidiano de suas aldeias. A metodologia etnográfica se soma a um survey para estimar a dispersão do dinheiro, em contraste …

Community-Based Food Program Limits In Reducing Older Adult Food Insecurity, Madonna Harrington Meyer, Colleen M. Heflin

Population Health Research Brief Series

Older adults who are grappling with food insecurity may enhance their food supply through community-based programs that provide free and subsidized food. This complicated system, categorized by group meal programs, home-delivered meals, and food provided to be eaten off-site, is complex, expensive, and may be difficult for older adults to use. Based on the book, Food for Thought: Understanding Older Adults Food Insecurity, this brief describes three key limits of community-based food programs for older adults. First, the quantity and quality of community-based food programs vary markedly by where one lives. Second, the food may be of poor nutritional …

The Limits Of Snap In Addressing Older Adult Food Insecurity, Colleen M. Heflin, Madonna Harrington Meyer

Population Health Research Brief Series

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is designed to address the economic roots of food insecurity. However, SNAP participation rates among older adults substantially lag behind those of other age groups. Based on the book, Food for Thought: Understanding Older Adults Food Insecurity, this brief describes how SNAP is not well designed for older adults in three respects: (1) the high levels of administrative burden associated with eligibility, certification, and benefit-determination processes, (2) the low value of SNAP benefits compared with the high costs associated with redeeming them, and (3) the high levels of state variation in SNAP policies …

Nonfinancial Factors Shape Food Insecurity Among U.S. Older Adults, Madonna Harrington Meyer, Colleen M. Heflin

Population Health Research Brief Series

Nonfinancial factors such as poor physical and mental health, lack of access to healthy food, and transportation challenges make it more difficult for older adults to obtain, prepare, and consume healthy food. Based on the book, Food for Thought: Understanding Older Adults Food Insecurity, this brief summarizes how nonfinancial factors function as both causes and consequences of food insecurity in old age.

No. 45: Internal Migration, Climate Adaptation, And Food System Resilience In Namibia, Lawrence N. Kazembe, Ndeyapo Nickanor

Migration and Food Security (MiFOOD) Network

As one of sub-Saharan Africa’s most arid countries, Namibia serves as a crucial example for studying the interactions between climate vulnerability, migration, and food systems. This study investigates how internal migration flows to Windhoek and northern towns (Oshakati, Ongwediva, Ondangwa) transform urban food networks while creating new patterns of risk and adaptation. Through household surveys, policy analysis, and stakeholder interviews, we uncover a paradox: despite escaping rural climate stressors, migrants often encounter new vulnerabilities such as precarious employment, inadequate housing, and unstable food access. However, they develop sophisticated adaptive strategies that span urban-rural divides: maintaining rural agricultural production through family …

Budget Tradeoffs Shape Food Insecurity Among U.S. Older Adults, Madonna Harrington Meyer, Colleen M. Heflin

Population Health Research Brief Series

For low-income older adults, it may be difficult to meet basic needs on a fixed monthly income. Stretching resources can be difficult, especially if unexpected expenses arise, leading many older adults to face difficult budget tradeoffs. Based on the book, Food for Thought: Understanding Older Adults Food Insecurity, this brief summarizes how budget tradeoffs between food and other essential expenses—housing, utilities, medical care, transportation, and personal and cleaning supplies—shape food insecurity among older adults.

Policy Recommendations To Reduce Old Age Food Insecurity In The United States, Colleen M. Heflin, Madonna Harrington Meyer

Center for Policy Research

In 2023, 7.4 million adults ages 60 and over in the United States were food insecure. As the number of older people at risk of food insecurity in the U.S. continues to rise, effective policy responses are critical. The current policy responses to old age food insecurity are complex, costly, and not nearly effective enough.

Based on the book, Food for Thought: Understanding Older Adults Food Insecurity, this brief summarizes five policy recommendations to improve food insecurity among U.S. older adults. The authors recommend measuring food security in multidimensional ways, treating food insecurity as a health issue, adopting SNAP …

How Is Food Insecurity Measured In The United States And What Share Of Older Adults Are Food Insecure?, Colleen M. Heflin, Madonna Harrington Meyer

Population Health Research Brief Series

The U.S. Department of Agriculture measures food insecurity based on whether households had problems affording food during the last twelve months. Based on the current definition, in 2023 9.2% of households with adults ages 60 and older were food insecure. But there are many problems with the existing definition for accurately capturing food insecurity among older adults.

Based on the book, Food for Thought: Understanding Older Adults Food Insecurity, this brief summarizes those limitations, noting that existing measures do not account for barriers that are common among older adults, such as mobility, physical distance, and transportation barriers.

Students' Purchase Intention Of Street Food In Front Of De La Salle University - Dasmariñas Cavite, Patricia Jana J. Abeabe, Shanin S. Albios, Brent Louis C. Aure, Jimford U. Tabuyo

ICHRIE Research Reports

This study examined the factors that influence students' buying intentions for street food. A quantitative descriptive research design was employed to assess students' purchasing intentions toward street food in front of De La Salle University - Dasmariñas Gate 1. The study utilized convenience sampling, with 371 respondents consisting of undergraduate, masters, and doctoral students. Data were collected through an online survey using a Four-Point Likert Scale questionnaire. Statistical tools are weighted mean and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) T-test. The findings revealed that perceived food quality and convenience significantly influenced students' buying intentions, while perceived food value also played a crucial …

Mapping Food Justice: Urban Farms And The Examination Of Equitable Food Access, Aaron Avila, Mark Ayiah, Jake Stavely, Marc T. Sager, Maximilian K. Sherard, Anthony J. Petrosino

SMU Journal of Undergraduate Research

In this project, we worked alongside members from an urban farm in South Dallas to learn about issues related to food justice, urban farming, and food deserts. Using participatory design research methods, we created data visualizations showing how society can reduce inequities relating to food access produced in historically underserved neighborhoods. The research goals guiding this study are: a) to identify food deserts and urban farms in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan region (DFW) and b) to determine which urban farms service the needs of these food deserts. To identify food deserts, we took two steps: First, we used open-access data …

Authenticity And Sustainability Of Malay Heritage Food In Kuala Lumpur, Nurzawani Shahrin

Student Works (2020-2029)

Studies on heritage food have gained widespread attention, driven by concerns about its sustainability within the community and its viability as a commodity for economic development. While often associated with tourism, heritage food is fundamentally rooted in local nutritional culture, reflecting the uniqueness of tradition amidst global food variations, particularly in urban settings. This study examines the development, commodification, and consumption of Malay heritage food in Kuala Lumpur using a mixed-methods approach that integrates systematic literature research, observation, interviews, and surveys with key stakeholders, including business actors, experts, practitioners, and consumers. Findings reveal that the development of Malay heritage food …

No. 44: Tracking Translocality: Food Remittance Narratives In The Africa-Gulf Migration Corridor, Bernard Owusu, Jonathan Crush

Migration and Food Security (MiFOOD) Network

This paper explores the overlooked practice of food-related remittances in the Ghana-Qatar migration corridor, emphasizing their social, emotional, and cultural significance within translocal households. While cash remittances are widely studied, food remitting remains under-researched despite its critical role in sustaining family ties and addressing food insecurity. Drawing on a mixed-methods study involving household surveys in Ghana and interviews with migrants in Qatar, the paper employs a tripartite conceptual framework incorporating gifting, caregiving, and moral economy to analyze migrant remittance narratives. The paper shows that remitting practices are shaped by cultural norms, kinship obligations, and emotional care, often at significant personal …

An Examination Of The Lived Experiences Of Community College Students Of Color Who Utilize On-Campus Food Pantries, Maria Luisa Marte

Theses, Dissertations and Culminating Projects

In this dissertation, I present the findings of a descriptive phenomenological study I conducted focused on examining the experiences of community college students of color who utilize on-campus food pantries, aiming to understand how these resources impact their well-being. Through in-depth interviews, two central themes emerged. The first theme, Introduction to the On-Campus Food Pantry, highlights the accessibility of the service, with participants emphasizing the simplicity and efficiency of the registration process as a key factor in their initial engagement. The second theme, Experiences Using the Pantry, reveals that students found the pantry environment to be welcoming and non-stigmatizing, fostering …

No. 43: Migration, Food Insecurity And Angolan Migrants In Namibia, Lawrence N. Kazembe, Ndeyapo Nickanor, Godfrey Tawodzera

Migration and Food Security (MiFOOD) Network

This study examines the food security challenges faced by Angolan migrants in Namibia, focusing on the interplay between migration, livelihoods, and food insecurity. Drawing on survey data from households in Northern towns and the capital city of Namibia, the research reveals high levels of food insecurity among Angolan migrants, characterized by limited dietary diversity and a reliance on coping strategies such as consuming less preferred foods and reducing meal portions. The findings highlight the marginalization of migrants, who primarily work in the informal sector with low incomes, exacerbating their vulnerability. The COVID-19 pandemic further worsened food insecurity by disrupting livelihoods …