Abstract
The Mississippi Delta represents one of the greatest concentrations of rural persistent poverty in the United States. High unemployment, high food insecurity, higher rates of obesity and diabetes, and low access to healthy, affordable food characterize much of the 18 counties in the region. In the face of this, The Good Food Revolution, a community-based program to address food related health and thereby employment, developed in response to significant need in three small communities in North Bolivar County, Mississippi, bringing together community members, public and private sector organizations, researchers and students. This paper examines the process of community-engaged scholarship from the theoretical lens on building community capacity and resiliency developed by Chaskin. Increasing community capacity for all participants in the Good Food Revolution project through community-engaged scholarship has built resilient communities that are engaging more communities.
Highlights
The Mississippi Delta is one of the poorest places in the United States
When driving through the Mississippi Delta one is immediately struck by the visible lack of vegetable production, the lack of grocery stores, and the sparse availability of any fresh, healthy food
This study examines food insecurity in North Bolivar County in the neighboring towns of Shelby, Winstonville, and Mound Bayou and how Delta Fresh Food Initiative (DFFI), through community based participatory research, addresses the problem of low healthy food access in the region
Summary
The Mississippi Delta is one of the poorest places in the United States. High unemployment, low educational attainment, and deep, embedded persistent poverty characterize the area. Today it is where rice, soybean, and corn production thrive: rich agricultural production that focuses on commodity export out of the region (Snipes et al 2005; Johnson 2008). When driving through the Mississippi Delta one is immediately struck by the visible lack of vegetable production, the lack of grocery stores, and the sparse availability of any fresh, healthy food. Of 82 counties in the state, 63 (77 percent) are classified as food deserts, areas that have limited access to healthy and affordable food. The Delta Fresh Food Initiative (DFFI) formed in North Bolivar County Mississippi, a Mississippi. This study examines food insecurity in North Bolivar County in the neighboring towns of Shelby, Winstonville, and Mound Bayou and how DFFI, through community based participatory research, addresses the problem of low healthy food access in the region
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