Food Security Commons^™

The Public Utility Regulation Of Dollar General, Olivia R. Sokos

West Virginia Law Review

As food insecurity persists across the country, few solutions have been proposed to address the lack of access to healthy food in rural regions. This Note explores whether public utilities regulation is a theoretical avenue for addressing rural food deserts. The contribution of this Note is to encourage the recognition of healthy food as a critical public good through a modern public utility lens and build solutions to inadequate food access in rural regions by considering the qualities unique to rural populations. One solution proposed herein is to apply a modern public utility framework to dollar stores, ensuring reliable and …

Reentry Reinvented: The Dayton, Ohio Foodbanks Approach, Carina Yleana Vlaun

Posters - 2025

As of 2024, there are currently 621 incarcerated people per 100,000 people in the general population of Ohio. Due to collateral consequence, many returning citizens have found it difficult to reenter society effectively. The lack of support in safe housing, food assistance, transportation, family support, and much more has increased the percentage of recidivism. Over the years, the Foodbank Inc. of Dayton, Ohio (the Foodbank) has adapted to providing support for people who are leaving the incarceration system to help returning citizens reenter society.

Shaping Effective Food Action Groups: Participant Perspectives On Structure And Stakeholder Involvement In Regional And Remote Western Australia, Stephanie L. Godrich, Sarah Goodwin, Jess Doe, Melissa Stoneham, Amanda Devine

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Issue Addressed: Food systems strongly influence food security outcomes. Food Action Groups (often termed Food Policy Councils/Coalitions/Networks internationally) offer a co-ordinated and collaborative approach to local food system issues. Their organisational structure and stakeholder membership significantly impact their focus and impact. Therefore, it is imperative to understanding community member and food system stakeholders' perspectives on how regional and remote Australian Food Action Groups should be structured to maximise their impact on local food systems, and identify the most appropriate stakeholders to facilitate and drive their action. Methods: A qualitative study using focus groups, was conducted in regional and remote townships …

The Role Of Affordable Housing In Enhancing Tenants' Economic Stability In Connecticut: A Focus On Income, Employment, And Housing Stability, Osaid Zubi

Dissertations

This study examined the role of affordable housing in promoting economic stability among low- and moderate-income households in Connecticut. Focusing on income security, employment opportunities, and housing retention, this research highlighted the significance of affordable housing as a means to alleviate financial strain, support job retention, and foster community resilience. Utilizing a phenomenological approach, the study gathered insights from tenants, policymakers, and developers through conducting interviews and a focus group. Connecticut was chosen as the study site due to its high cost of living and affordable housing shortage, exacerbated by its proximity to New York City. Findings underscore the economic …

An Efficient Yield Prediction Model Using Synthetic Inference From L-Systems, Chris C. Napier, David M. Cook, Leisa J. Armstrong

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The ability to predict and estimate the harvest production is of vital significance to the food security and financial value of global agriculture. The use of synthetic inference in determining crop yield estimations cannot be underestimated. L-systems uses high-level estimation dependent upon inference techniques through sources ranging from real to synthetic data. This paper combines intelligent and highly visual features to infer crop characteristics. It provides a method of assembling superior synthetic datasets that reduce the reliance upon time-consuming fully trained neural networks. It demonstrates a mature approach to using synthetic inference that provides cost-effective reliable crop yield estimations. This …

Addressing Local Food Insecurity Through A Problem-Based Learning Classroom, Kaley Mumma, Aimable Mugabo

National Collaborative for Research on Food, Energy, and Water Education (NC-FEW)

Through the frame of Problem-Based Learning (PBL), a curriculum is proposed to engage students in addressing local food insecurity. Students collaboratively define the problem, explore underlying issues, establish goals, design solutions, and implement their chosen solution to address food insecurity within their community. The importance of community engagement and utilizing local resources are highlighted in advising the implementation of this program.

Urban Planning For Regional Food Equity, Miriam Caroline Sullivan

City and Regional Planning

47 million people, including 14 million children, face food insecurity in the United States of America annually. Defined by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as: when people don’t have enough to eat and don’t know where their next meal will come from. Food insecurity is a systemic issue caused by systems greater than any individual failure. Poverty and unemployment, lack of affordable housing, chronic public health issues, racism and discrimination all play a role in the state of American food security (Feeding America, n.d.). A tenet of this research and project development is the right of all people, …

Lowell Hardin: Mentor Extraordinaire, Larry L. Murdock, Thomas W. Hertel, Gebisa Ejeta

Purdue University Press Books

Lowell Stewart Hardin (1917–2015), an Indiana farm boy who became an enormously influential international agriculturalist, made the world a better place for the poor and the hungry on this earth. For seventeen years he led the Ford Foundation’s agricultural development efforts, contributing to the Green Revolution. He helped to found and guide international agriculture research centers in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. He inspired others to get involved and opened doors for them. He taught by example, gave others credit, and always stepped back, avoiding the limelight himself. In this volume, twenty-two people who knew him well share stories of …

Evaluation Of A Global Capacity Development Project To Educate, Empower And Advance Sustainable Food Production, Felicia J. Tuggle, Olubusola W. Afolayan Msw, Mollie Smith M.Aq., David J. Cline Phd, Onesimus Kiadii Bs

Journal of Social Work in the Global Community

This article presents evaluation findings from the Integrated Aquaculture for Food Production, Education, Empowerment, and Development (iFEED) project, a global capacity development project designed to educate, empower, and advance sustainable food production in Monrovia, Liberia. To develop K–12 teachers’ capacity to integrate STEM education into math and science curriculum for the purpose of preparing a future aquaculture workforce in Liberia, the iFEED project provided educational materials, teacher training, and technical support to 25 teachers in the greater Monrovia Consolidated School District (MCSS). Evaluation findings indicate positive outcomes in increasing instructional capabilities among participating math and science teachers and accelerating action …

Perceived Healthfulness Of The Environment Of Communities With Low Income: Focus Groups And Interviews With Extension Nutrition Educators, Elder Garcia Varela, Jamie Zeldman, Jade Mcnamara, Jesse S. Morrell, Lisa Franzen-Castle, Melissa D. Olfert, Tandalayo Kidd, Kendra Kattelmann, Geoffrey Greene, Karla P. Shelnutt

Journal of Extension

This study explored Extension nutrition educators’ (NEs) perceptions of community members’ challenges and opportunities for achieving a healthy lifestyle. NEs represented various communities with low income across nine states. NEs across locations identified similar barriers (i.e., lack of access and availability of healthy and affordable foods; access to transportation; and financial insecurity) and opportunities (i.e., trustworthy and free nutrition education resources and programs; and access to food banks, food pantries, and health care professionals) that prevented or facilitated a healthful lifestyle. Future research should explore key community stakeholder and community member perceptions to guide the development of community-driven interventions.

Promoting Equity: Embracing Food Justice In The Transformation Of The Food Systems For Bipoc Communities, Frank Yeboah Adusei

Journal of Extension

The food justice movement addresses systemic food inequities impacting BIPOC communities, rooted in civil rights and environmental justice movements. It advocates for fair access to culturally relevant food, combating food deserts, and promoting food sovereignty. Recognizing intersectionality, it emphasizes collaboration to dismantle systemic barriers. This study aims to understand BIPOC communities' challenges and effective strategies, stressing the importance of collaborative efforts for lasting systemic change. Extension professionals face challenges but can contribute through equity-focused strategies, community engagement, and partnerships, advancing food justice and fostering inclusive food systems.

Modeling Wild Rice Bed Health: A Dual Metric Approach For Bed Strength And Invasive Impact, Seth Sisneros-Martinez

Journal of Earth and Life Science

Wild rice (mannoomin; Zizania palustris) is an aquatic grain that grows in slow-moving rivers and shallow bays throughout northern Minnesota. In Headquarters Bay on Leech Lake, wild rice has served as a cultural staple for Indigenous communities for centuries. However, its population has declined in recent years due to multiple environmental issues. One potential contributor is Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum; EWM), an invasive species that forms dense mats capable of outcompeting native aquatic vegetation, including wild rice. EWM was first recorded on the southern shoreline of Leech Lake in 2005 and has since become widespread. This study …

Crop Insurance And Weather Risk: Decision Tools And The Effects Of Rising Temperatures In Kentucky, Enil Serrano

Theses and Dissertations--Agricultural Economics

This thesis investigates how rising temperatures and climate variability affect crop insurance decisions and premium rates for corn and soybean farmers in Kentucky. It introduces a new decision-support tool, the "Crop Insurance Decision Maker" (CIDM), which helps producers evaluate the financial trade-offs of various crop insurance products under different risk preferences. The first chapter details the tool’s development, function, and potential to improve farmer understanding of insurance options. The second chapter quantifies how +1°C and +2°C warming scenarios impact yield risk and crop insurance premium rates using 73 years of corn yield data, 51 years for soybean yield, and weather …

Adaptation For Whom? Understanding The Impacts Of Dyke Policies On Small-Scale Farmers In Ca Mau Province Of Vietnam, Nguyen Minh Quang, Nguyen Van Minh, Nguyen Vo Chau Ngan, Martha B. Lerski

Publications and Research

Low-lying deltas worldwide are extremely vulnerable to sea-level rise. As the risks of climate-induced flooding become increasingly clear, the thirst for infrastructure-driven adaptation increases. This highlights a patent need to understand the impacts of engineering adaptation solutions, especially those targeting built structures such as dykes and sluices, on farmers from a bottom-up, farmer-centred perspective. The study addresses this call by examining cases where dyke policies, while successful in some dimensions, have undermined small-scale farmer livelihoods in Ca Mau ― Vietnam’s southernmost rural province. It identifies areas in need of attention and adds empirical data related to this group of farmers. …

The Dirt Underneath My Fingernails: The American Pastoral And 21st-Century Food System Reform, Annabella Isaacson

Scripps Senior Theses

The following is an amalgamation of my experiences personally and vested interests academically, and is meant to be read as just that. As a thesis that combines Environmental Analysis and Writing & Rhetoric degrees, this project challenges traditional academic forms by integrating creative nonfiction and poetry with academic writing and analysis. This thesis attempts to fuse the academic and personal essay into one cohesive piece. The inconclusive nature of the narratives and explorations that follow are intended to represent my process in grappling with the histories and significance of American pastoral literature through the ways in which this genre has …

Integrating Indigenous Values And Community Strengths To Achieve Indigenous Food Sovereignty And Community Well-Being In The Ka’A’Gee Tu First Nation, Northwest Territories, Jennifer K. Temmer

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Northern Indigenous communities face disproportionate impacts from interconnected challenges related to climate change, food security, health, and cultural preservation, that threaten traditional food systems and practices. While there is a growing recognition of the importance of community-driven solutions, existing frameworks fail to integrate Indigenous values and local priorities effectively. This research addresses this gap by exploring how the Ka’a’gee Tu First Nation (KTFN) is responding to these crises through climate change adaptation efforts focused on food system sustainability as a pathway to self-sufficiency and community well-being. To contribute to these efforts, this dissertation uses Participatory Action Research to facilitate community-driven …

The Association Between Food Benefit Online Ordering And Redemptions: Evidence From The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program For Women, Infants, And Children, Junzhou Zhang, Chuanyi Tang, Kayoung Park, Qi Zhang

Marketing Faculty Publications

Objective:

To examine how the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) online food benefit ordering could influence WIC benefit redemptions.

Design:

A cross-sectional study. We compare the average redemption rates between online ordering early adopters and non-adopters among WIC customers before and after implementing WIC online ordering. A propensity score-weighted difference-in-difference model was used to estimate the coefficients.

Setting:

The Oklahoma WIC programme and a grocery store chain in Oklahoma.

Participants:

12743 Oklahoma WIC households that had redeemed their food benefits at the grocery store chain in 2020.

Results:

WIC online ordering significantly positively affected redemption …

An Economic And Production Analysis Of Seaweed Farms In California And The Pacific Northwest, Brian Donovan

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

Since the early 2010s, the seaweed aquaculture industry has steadily expanded in the United States, with states like Alaska, Maine, Hawaii, and Connecticut leading the way in the development of this emerging sector. However, information gaps remain concerning certain aspects of the domestic seaweed aquaculture industry. The purpose of this study was to examine the status of the seaweed aquaculture industry along the West Coast of the United States; specifically in the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Seaweed farmers in these states were invited to voluntarily complete surveys asking important production, economic, and commercial questions regarding their operations. Data …

Comprehensive Assessment Instruments For Place-Based Sustainable Agriculture: A Scoping Review, Rebecca Voisin, Stephanie Godrich, David Blake, Ros Sambell, Saranne Herrington, Janine Joyce, Pierre Horwitz, Amanda Devine

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

A rapid transformation to sustainable agricultural production systems is necessary, requiring on-farm monitoring and measurements of key agricultural sustainability indicators. While many assessment methods for agricultural sustainability incorporate a three-pillar model of sustainability: environment, economic, and social, a step beyond this is required to support both human and planetary health. This review takes the position that a more nuanced, yet broader framing of agricultural sustainability is warranted, and identifies the measurement of additional pillars including health and nutrition, production, and responsible governance, plus overlooked aspects including Indigenous cultures. A peer-reviewed and grey literature search was conducted identifying articles (n = …

Willingness To Pay For Blue-Green Space And Koala Habitat Protection Following A Covid-19 Versus Bushfire Experimental Prime, Zoe Leviston, Rubijayne Cohen, Stephanie Gorman, Zoe Becvarik, Aparna Lal

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Community-supported investment in blue-green space and fauna habitat protection is important, yet the drivers of willingness to pay (WTP) are poorly understood. Moreover, research on WTP for environmental services rarely considers the role of context in determining which services donors prefer. We address these gaps with a novel experimental approach (N = 360), randomly assigning participants to a condition priming either Covid19, the Australian 2019-2020 bushfires, or to one of two control conditions. We measured subsequent WTP for blue-green space and koala habitat, finding mostly non-significant effects for experimental condition on WTP, preparedness to donate, or the importance placed on …