Local food systems and health interventions: an exploratory study of farmers perspectives on food prescription programs in the Mississippi delta

Abstract

ABSTRACT According to the most recent food insecurity statistics published by the USDA Economic Research Service approximately 10.5% of US households face low or very low food security. However, not all geographic regions of the US share the same risks regarding food insecurity, especially considering that communities and individuals in the rural south are more likely to live in contexts of poverty. In fact, statistics from the USDA find that the state of Mississippi is the most food insecure state in the US, with about 15.3% of households facing low or very low food insecurity. Over the last decade or so, a potential solution to the issue of food insecurity has been increasingly tested in pilot programs around the US in the growing food-as-medicine, or food prescription programs. These programs a food prescription typically describes vouchers for free or discounted produce provided by healthcare professionals to address a patient’s diet-affected health conditions. To scale up the initial pilot food prescription programs, the critical roles and viewpoints of local farmers need to be better understood. The research presented here sought to understand the perspective of the local farmer in the Mississippi Delta on the scaling up and the sustainability of such food prescription programs. Ultimately, the inclusion of the farmer, especially the economic integration of marginalised and minority farmers, in the discussion, planning, and implementation of these programs, it is found, brings in more than a food security perspective, and places the issue in the realm of food justice.