Responding to Food-Insecure Households in Localizing Food Economies: The Role of Community Food System Assessments

• In Event: 212 - Section on Inequality, Poverty and Mobility Roundtables (one-hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable: Table 05. Food and Inequality

Abstract

As communities across the United States increasingly seek to localize their food economies, this movement has been critiqued for its frequent exclusion of food insecure households, who arguably need it most. In this study, we sought to better understand the specific needs, perceptions, and preferences of food insecure families in a rural Appalachian community that is experiencing rapid growth in its local foods sector at the same time as it is experiencing high levels of food insecurity and related health problems, such as obesity. Farmers’ markets, community supported agriculture (CSAs), and community gardens have been cited as effective measures for addressing these problems, but to be effective they required a deep understanding of the food-insecure households they aim to serve. In this study, we surveyed 259 households in a rural Kentucky community as part of a larger community food assessment. Food-secure (FS) and food-insecure (FI) populations were identified on the basis of their responses, and bivariate analysis was performed between food security status and other measures. The results indicate significantly different (P<.05) perceptions between FS and FI households regarding the role of convenience, location, and price in determining their food choices. Despite these differences, both groups placed equally high importance on nutrition and local produce, and FI households were also significantly more interested than FS households in activities such as cooking clubs and work exchange for free local food. These findings have implications for the development of programs and policies to combat food insecurity.

Authors

• Andrea Woodward, Berea College

• Hilary Dolstad, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention