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Mui Y, Adam A, Santo R, Bassarab K, Wolfson JA, Palmer A. Characterizing Food Policy Councils' Network Partnerships and COVID-19 Responses. Nutrients 2024; 16:915. [PMID: 38612949 PMCID: PMC11013245 DOI: 10.3390/nu16070915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic pushed millions of Americans into food insecurity. Food policy councils (FPCs) across the country played a vital role in organizing coordinated food responses across multiple sectors. We used a social network analysis (SNA) approach to investigate: (1) the network of partnering organizations and agencies within FPCs; (2) how the characteristics of FPCs' network partnerships (i.e., degree, coreness, and density) related to programmatic, policy, and advocacy actions in response to the pandemic; and (3) how FPCs' use of a racial or social equity framework shifted their network partnerships and responses. Local government agencies and food supply chain actors were core in FPCs' network partnerships, while public utilities, correctional facilities, social justice groups, and others were non-core partners. Network density was more likely to be associated with any action by FPCs, and it was especially pronounced for advocacy actions taken by FPCs; trends were similar among FPCs that reported using a racial or social equity framework. The findings begin to uncover core actors in FPCs' partnerships and opportunities to establish new partnerships, particularly with social justice groups. The results also suggest that network density (interconnectedness) may be more important than other network characteristics when responding to food-related needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeeli Mui
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; (A.A.); (J.A.W.)
| | - Atif Adam
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; (A.A.); (J.A.W.)
| | - Raychel Santo
- Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; (R.S.); (K.B.); (A.P.)
| | - Karen Bassarab
- Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; (R.S.); (K.B.); (A.P.)
| | - Julia A. Wolfson
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; (A.A.); (J.A.W.)
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Anne Palmer
- Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future, Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; (R.S.); (K.B.); (A.P.)
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Thomson JL, Landry AS, Walls TI, McMillen R. Mississippi Small Farm Product Amounts, Seasonality, and Proximity to K-12 Public Schools. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:3572. [PMID: 36834265 PMCID: PMC9964619 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20043572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The study's purpose was to determine small farm product amounts and seasonality and examine spatial relationships between small farms and K-12 public schools in Mississippi. Online survey participation invitations were sent via email to farmers and school food service directors from October 2021 to January 2022. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics and proximities between farms (n = 29) and schools (n = 122) determined using spatial analysis. Median yearly amounts for both fresh fruits and vegetables ranged from 1-50 to 201-500 pounds while other product amounts ranged from 1-50 to >1000 pounds. Fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, and other product seasonality ranged from 1 to 6 months, 1 to 12 months, and 3 to 12 months, respectively. In total, 8 out of 12 fresh fruits, 24 out of 25 fresh vegetables, and all other products were harvested during the academic school year. Fifty percent of the schools were within a 20-mile radius of at least one small farm, while 98% were within a 50-mile radius. While many product amounts were small (1-50 pounds), most were harvested during the school year and in close proximity to at least one school. Contracting directly with farmers may be more attractive to school food authorities given current supply chain disruptions and decreasing product availability for school meal programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L. Thomson
- US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Stoneville, MS 38776, USA
| | - Alicia S. Landry
- Department of Nutrition and Family Sciences, University of Central Arkansas, Conway, AR 72035, USA
| | - Tameka I. Walls
- US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Stoneville, MS 38776, USA
| | - Randall McMillen
- Geosystems Research Institute, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS 39759, USA
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Slagel N, Thompson JJ, Lee JS. Produce Prescriptions and Nutrition Education Improve Experiences and Perceptions of Farm Direct Settings in Adults With Low Income. JOURNAL OF NUTRITION EDUCATION AND BEHAVIOR 2022; 54:1011-1023. [PMID: 36357040 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneb.2022.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Revised: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine Fruit and Vegetable Prescription (FVRx) Program participants' and nonparticipants' experiences and perceptions of farm direct (FD) settings. DESIGN Multiple-case study of adults with low income from 3 study groups: (1) FVRx intervention (produce prescription, nutrition education [NE], financial literacy education, health screening), (2) NE only, and (3) control (standard health care). Participant interviews with each group at baseline and 6 months. SETTING Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) eligible adults from 3 Georgia counties. PARTICIPANTS A total of 46 adults with ≥ 1 diet-related condition. PHENOMENA OF INTEREST Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program participant and nonparticipant experiences and perceptions of FD settings. ANALYSIS Constant comparative methods and thematic analysis of qualitative interview data across groups. FINDINGS Two main themes emerged: (1) baseline FD setting experiences and perceptions and (2) divergent experiences and perceptions with FD settings postintervention. Participants across each group employed price-conscious food purchasing practices because of limited food budgets, limiting local food access. Combining produce prescription, NE, and farmers' market access enhanced FVRx participant associations with FD settings to reinforce motivation for accessing and purchasing fruits and vegetables beyond program participation. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Programs reduce multiple barriers to participating in FD settings compared with NE or standard health care alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Slagel
- Department of Kinesiology, Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO.
| | | | - Jung Sun Lee
- Department of Foods and Nutrition, University of Georgia, Athens, GA
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Queenan K, Cuevas S, Mabhaudhi T, Chimonyo M, Shankar B, Slotow R, Häsler B. A food systems approach and qualitative system dynamics model to reveal policy issues within the commercial broiler chicken system in South Africa. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0270756. [PMID: 35767595 PMCID: PMC9242500 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0270756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Global broiler production and consumption levels continue to rise. South Africa's broiler system is dominated by commercial production and formal retail trade, with competition from cheap imports. Local broiler policies have narrow, production-driven, short-term aims for industry growth and national food security. However, these have unintended consequences that undermine the system's future sustainability. Using a food systems approach, this study developed a qualitative system dynamics model of the South African commercial broiler system and used it to engage stakeholders in policy discussions within the boundaries of health, nutrition, and environmental sustainability. A problem statement and key system elements were drawn from a previously published qualitative study and were validated by 15 stakeholders via an online questionnaire. From this, a seed model was developed, expanded into a larger model, and shared in a modular format with stakeholders in virtual meetings, on an individual or institutional basis, for feedback and validation, and for discussion of areas for policy consideration. Refinements were incorporated into the modules, policy considerations were summarised, and crosscutting issues were identified. The model demonstrated the system's complexity, interlinkages, feedbacks, reinforcing and balancing loops, and behaviour archetypes. The modular presentation format created a suitable platform for stakeholder engagement. Current policies focus on local commercial production, formal markets, and affordability without cognisance of the broader system represented by the model. Inequality pervades throughout the system. Commercial producers, linked to large supermarkets and fast-food chains, dominate the system, presenting barriers to entry. Affordability is unintentionally traded off against non-communicable disease risks through brining of most frozen products, and ultra-processing of fast-food items. Foodborne disease control is critical, given the proportion of vulnerable individuals, and greater coherence of food safety policy is urgently needed. The environmental footprint of broilers, whilst less than that of ruminants, deserves closer scrutiny based on its dependence on intensive cereal production for feed. This study's food systems approach provides a system-wide perspective and a foundation for policymakers to develop more integrated and transformative policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Queenan
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Veterinary Epidemiology, Economics and Public Health (VEEPH) Research, Royal Veterinary College, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
| | - Soledad Cuevas
- Centre for Development, Environment and Policy, SOAS, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi
- Centre for Transformative Agricultural and Food Systems, School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
- International Water Management Institute (IWMI-GH), Southern Africa Office, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Michael Chimonyo
- School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
| | - Bhavani Shankar
- Institute for Sustainable Food, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Rob Slotow
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Barbara Häsler
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences, Veterinary Epidemiology, Economics and Public Health (VEEPH) Research, Royal Veterinary College, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
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Gastronomic Heritage of Făgăraș Land: A Worthwhile Sustainable Resource. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14031199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The present study highlights the value of gastronomy and culinary practices in Făgăraș County as a dimension of the Intangible Cultural Heritage that can contribute to the sustainable development of the area. The field research carried out within an interdisciplinary project of the Transilvania University of Brașov pointed out the importance of the different “ciorbe” (sour soups) in the local gastronomy of Făgăraș County. Our groundwork found some traditional local soups and soup recipes. Starting from these results, the study stresses the opportunity to exploit this heritage resource through social entrepreneurship. To uphold this perspective, our study highlights that soups and sour soups are prepared with local ingredients, that women in the area are experienced and have the willingness to cook together. The tourist specificity of the area favors the creation of a local network between entrepreneurs from all over the country. The main contribution of the study derives from the fact that it presents arguments that show the generosity of gastronomy and culinary practices as a heritage resource, illustrating that a popular culinary product can grow and become a local brand.
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Nissan H, Simmons W, Downs SM. Building climate-sensitive nutrition programmes. Bull World Health Organ 2022; 100:70-77. [PMID: 35017759 PMCID: PMC8722625 DOI: 10.2471/blt.21.285589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Revised: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The food system and climate are closely interconnected. Although most research has focused on the need to adopt a plant-based diet to help mitigate climate change, there is also an urgent need to examine the effects of climate change on food systems to adapt to climate change. A systems approach can help identify the pathways through which climate influences food systems, thereby ensuring that programmes combating malnutrition take climate into account. Although little is known about how climate considerations are currently incorporated into nutrition programming, climate information services have the potential to help target the delivery of interventions for at-risk populations and reduce climate-related disruption during their implementation. To ensure climate services provide timely information relevant to nutrition programmes, it is important to fill gaps in our knowledge about the influence of climate variability on food supply chains. A proposed roadmap for developing climate-sensitive nutrition programmes recommends: (i) research aimed at achieving a better understanding of the pathways through which climate influences diet and nutrition, including any time lags; (ii) the identification of entry points for climate information into the decision-making process for nutrition programme delivery; and (iii) capacity-building and training programmes to better equip public health practitioners with the knowledge, confidence and motivation to incorporate climate resilience into nutrition programmes. With sustained investment in capacity-building, data collection and analysis, climate information services can be developed to provide the data, analyses and forecasts needed to ensure nutrition programmes target their interventions where and when they are most needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Nissan
- Grantham Institute for Climate Change and the Environment, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, England
| | - Will Simmons
- Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, United States of America (USA)
| | - Shauna M Downs
- Department of Urban-Global Public Health, Rutgers School of Public Health, One Riverfront Plaza, Suite 1020, Newark, New Jersey, NJ 07102, USA
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Rasul G. A Framework for Addressing the Twin Challenges of COVID-19 and Climate Change for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security in South Asia. FRONTIERS IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fsufs.2021.679037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change has begun to ravage agriculture and threaten food security in many parts of the world. The novel coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has further disrupted agricultural activities and supply chains and has become a serious threat for public health. Like in many developing countries, South Asian farmers are now facing the double challenge of addressing the impacts of a changing climate and managing the disruptions caused by COVID-19. Despite growing concern, there is limited understanding of how climate change, public health, and COVID-19 interact, and of the possible pathways to achieving a climate-friendly recovery from COVID-19 to achieve food and nutrition security. In view of this, this paper explores the multifaceted challenges that farmers are now facing in South Asia due to climate change and the disruption caused by COVID-19 from the agricultural and food security lens. The analysis reveals that the complex interactions of COVID-19 and climate change have impacted all dimensions of food security. These interlinkages demand an integrated approach in dealing with food, public health, and climate change to harness synergies and minimize trade-offs between food production, public health, and climate mitigation. I present a framework to address the immediate challenge of COVID-19 and the longer-term challenge of anthropogenic climate change. Key elements of the framework include the strengthening health sector response capacities, strengthening of local and regional food systems, making agriculture resilient to pandemics, adopting flexible and smart approaches—including the implementation of climate-smart agricultural interventions on different scales, promotion of appropriate research and innovation, and the integration of short-term support to address the challenges of COVID-19 to build long-term productivity, and resilience of food systems by investing on natural capital. This framework would enable policy makers to choose the appropriate policy responses at different scales, to address these twin challenges of COVID-19 and climate change.
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Hartle JC, Cole S, Trepman P, Chrisinger BW, Gardner CD. Interdisciplinary food-related academic programs: A 2015 snapshot of the United States landscape. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD SYSTEMS, AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT 2017; 7:35-50. [PMID: 30740260 PMCID: PMC6366844 DOI: 10.5304/jafscd.2017.074.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Interdisciplinary food-related research and study is a growing field in academia. Each year, more universities add departments, courses, majors, and minors focused on studying food and society and the complexities of growing, processing, distributing, accessing, and consuming food. In this commentary, we present our exploratory findings about interdisciplinary food-related academic programs, including food studies and food systems programs in the United States. This cross-sectional research developed a snapshot of the 2015 land-scape of interdisciplinary food-related academic programs, provided a preliminary examination of their educational offerings, and will inform future research opportunities. In this formative study, we found 82 interdisciplinary food-related under-graduate programs focused on food. Nineteen program majors, minors, or concentrations had a core disciplinary focus on sustainable agriculture. "Food studies" and "food systems" were the primary focus of 15 undergraduate programs. We found 58 interdisciplinary food-related graduate programs and extracted information on their course offerings. Organizing courses into nine course categories, 78 percent of the programs offered courses in two to five categories, and 22 percent offered courses in six to eight categories. Few courses integrated material from multiple disciplines into a single course, suggesting that these interdisciplinary programs stemmed from traditional academic silos. Based on this preliminary work, we propose to further investigate the interdisciplinary nature of food-related academic programs, map their growth trajectory, and solicit feedback from faculty and administrators about their challenges in establishing and maintaining these programs. In future research, we are also interested in exploring job options for graduates of food-related academic programs to inform recruitment strategies and courses of study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer C. Hartle
- Stanford Prevention Research Center, School of Medicine, Stanford University
- Stanford Prevention Research Center, School of Medicine, Stanford University
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Adams MS, Adams RB, Wessman CA, Demmig-Adams B. Nutritional Cues Tie Living Organisms to Their Environment and Its Sustainability. Front Nutr 2016; 3:28. [PMID: 27570764 PMCID: PMC4981599 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2016.00028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2016] [Accepted: 07/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
We connect modern, intensive agriculture's role in environmental degradation to its role in producing nutritionally unbalanced foods, and delineate specific approaches to reduce agriculture's environmental impact, while producing healthful foods. We call attention to recently discovered genetic programs used by all living organisms to respond to their environment, and present a model of how these programs change body composition and function (of humans and their crop plants and livestock alike) in response to environmental cues. We propose that production of nutritionally balanced crops and livestock requires careful consideration of how these plants and animals are grown; the composition of plant food is modulated by growing conditions, body composition of livestock reflects their feed; composition and function of human body and brain are strongly affected by how food plants and animals are produced. We selected four nutritional features not only involved in (i) governing human health by modulating these genetic programs, but (ii) also affected by agricultural practices. These nutritional features are fat composition (especially saturated fat and the ratio of polyunsaturated omega-6 oils to omega-3 oils), carbohydrate composition (especially the proportion of carbohydrates with a high glycemic index, such as sugars and quick-burning starches) and the level of antioxidant micronutrients. We not only outline threats to human health presented by the current environment, but also potential gains in quality-of-life in a future environment designed to optimize human wellness using insights into the gene-programing effect of diet- and other lifestyle-related factors. These gains could extend beyond optimal human physical and mental health to gains in workforce productivity. The same changes in agricultural practices required to achieve these gains in human health are also needed to support environmental health and sustainable food production. The resulting vision of optimal human health and environmental health, supported by sustainable practices, is intended as an inspiring image of what sustainability has to offer to individuals and society. Our goal is to provide a transparent overview and illustrations intelligible not only to non-experts in each of the other respective areas involved but also to policy makers and the public.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie S. Adams
- Department of Anthropology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Robert B. Adams
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Carol A. Wessman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Barbara Demmig-Adams
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA
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Cáncer y consumo de carne: más allá de los estilos de vida individuales. GACETA SANITARIA 2016; 30:318. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gaceta.2016.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2016] [Accepted: 03/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Emmerson M, Morales M, Oñate J, Batáry P, Berendse F, Liira J, Aavik T, Guerrero I, Bommarco R, Eggers S, Pärt T, Tscharntke T, Weisser W, Clement L, Bengtsson J. How Agricultural Intensification Affects Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. ADV ECOL RES 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.aecr.2016.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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