Food Security Assessment Research Articles

P65 The Role of Older Adults in 2- and 3-Generation Households: Implications for Diet Quality and Household Food Security

<h3>Background</h3> Food insecurity rates have declined overall (pre-COVID), but have increased significantly among older adults in the past decade. The majority of older adults in the U.S. also have suboptimal diet quality. An older adult's household role may influence their diet quality and the household's food security status, especially in mixed-generation households, but this hypothesis has yet to be tested. <h3>Objective</h3> To explore the relationships between an older adult's household role, the household's food security status, and the older adult's diet quality in mixed-generation households. <h3>Study Design, Settings, Participants</h3> A cross-sectional analysis of a nationally-representative sample of U.S. households with at least 1 older adult (age 60+ years) from the 2011-2016 NHANES was conducted (n = 8,136). Households were categorized as: older adult as head of household and child caregiver (ie, child(ren) present, but no adults 18-59 years; HHC); head of household, but not a caregiver (HHNC); and neither head of household nor caregiver (ie, reference person < 60 years; NHNC). The U.S. Household Food Security Survey and Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015) from a single dietary recall were used to assess food security status and diet quality, respectively. <h3>Measurable Outcome/Analysis</h3> Weighted chi-square and ANOVA tests were used to compare food security status and HEI-2015 scores across household categories, respectively. <h3>Results</h3> HHNC households were significantly more likely to be fully food secure (84% FFS; <i>P</i> < 0.001) than HHC households (67% FFS) and NHNC households (68% FFS). Older adults as HHNC had significantly higher HEI-2015 scores (mean: 53.7, <i>P</i> < 0.001) than HHC older adults (50.2) and NHNC older adults (51.5). <h3>Conclusion</h3> Findings suggest that caregiving demands may have a negative influence on food security and diet quality of older adults in mixed generation households. While such relationships have potential bearing on nutrition programming and policy, further research is needed to understand the underlying household dynamics, including more advanced analyses to account for potential covariates (eg, the number and age of children and roles of other household members).

Food security problems for developing countries in the conditions of COVID-19: case of Georgia

Introduction. Food security has not been a concern of any particular state and is a global problem for already a long time. It, as an economic category in the scientific literature, is considered from the position of ensuring the security of the global world problem, regions, individual countries, population groups and individual people. It is a multifaceted issue, closely linked to other security issues, and has a great impact on the national safety situation, which in turn is an economic, social and political category. COVID-19 has created a large-scale economic crisis. The pandemic has had a major impact on food security and the field of nutrition. The crisis has affected food systems and threatened public access to food, raising the issue of food self-sufficiency in countries.Aim and tasks. In order to assess food security, the paper examines the self-sufficiency coefficients of basic agro-food products in Georgia under the conditions of the World Pandemic, and evaluates its components: local production, import, export. In addition, local production trends have been analyzed, Results. Thus a study of the current state of the agro-food sector shows that the problem of providing the population with food is becoming more acute. The pace of development of the agro-food sector lags significantly behind the growth rates of other sectors of the economy. The current economic growth has not yet created the conditions for sustainable economic development: The level of supply of essential agro-food products is quite low, the number of jobs has not increased substantially, the level of income is low, poverty rates are still high and the food deficit is filled mainly with imported products.Conclusions. This study showed that the issue of the food security is still unresolved for Georgia. Despite the state support activities, the agro-food sector still needs assistance. We have developed recommendations, the consideration of which will significantly contribute to food supply of the markets and food supply to the population. Keywords: agro-food products, local production, food independence, self-sufficiency coefficients.

Food security assessment in rural areas: evidence from Iran

BackgroundFood security is considered a pivotal factor for the sustainable development of communities and focus on this issue in rural areas. More specifically, it is of paramount importance in developing countries. Accordingly, this descriptive-analytical study aimed to evaluate the status of food security in rural areas of Iran. The main originality of the present study is to assess the strategic future-oriented vision for food security in addition to the evaluation of the current status of the studied area.MethodologyData were collected using the standard questionnaire of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and a researcher-made close-ended questionnaire. The validity and reliability of the research instrument were confirmed by a panel of specialists and Cronbach’s alpha coefficients, respectively. In addition, data analysis was performed using SPSS24 (to analyze the descriptive statistics) and Fuzzy Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Situation (FTOPSIS).ResultsAccording to the results, 80% of the villagers suffered from food insecurity (25% in low food insecurity situation, 42% in moderate food insecurity situation, and 13% in severe food insecurity situation). Evaluation of the factors affecting food insecurity demonstrated that economic (standardized weight of 0.566), stability (standardized weight of 0.559), and availability (standardized weight of 0.558) were the most important components affecting food insecurity. Moreover, in a systemic approach, the growth of migration from rural to urban areas, pressure on water and soil resources, and the occurrence of environmental hazards are of the most significant consequences of food insecurity. In addition, due to the excessive use of underground water for cucurbits, which is the dominant cultivation pattern in this region, the groundwater level has dropped sharply in some villages farther from the city which can be alarming for exacerbating food insecurity in the near future.ConclusionSince the low-income level of villagers, lack of job diversity, and lack of access to adequate food are the main reasons for food insecurity, in this respect, it is suggested that more attention be paid to the development of occupations and job diversity in these regions by decision-makers and policy-makers.

FOOD SECURITY DOCTRINE: FROM SETTING A PURPOSE TO A METHOD TO EVALUATE ITS ACHIEVEMENT

The new Food Security Doctrine of the Russian Federation, adopted in 2020, is a strategic planning document. The article contains a review of the strategic goal of ensuring food security, as well as a comparison of its formulations from the new Doctrine and from the one originally adopted in 2010. The doctrine needs further improvement to adjust the methodology for assessing food security. The doctrine contains two imperatives, without which the achievement of the strategic goal of ensuring food security is not possible. The first imperative is that every citizen of Russia must have access to food. The second imperative clarifies the first in the sense that every citizen of Russia has the right to access to food in volumes not lower than the rational norms of food consumption. The methodology for assessing food security should be based on assessing the achievement of the goal of ensuring it, taking into account all the imperatives contained in the text of the Doctrine. An adjusted system of indicators for assessing food security and self-sufficiency, ensuring the physical and economic accessibility of food was proposed.

Examining fruit and vegetable intake in low-income older adults using the Veggie Meter®.

Older adults report low fruit and vegetable (FV) intake. The lack of objective, field-based assessments of FV intake is a limitation when assessing the effectiveness of interventions. To examine if self-reported FV intake was correlated with Veggie Meter® scores among low-income older adults. The Veggie Meter® is a portable tool that uses pressure-mediated reflection spectroscopy to estimate skin carotenoid measurements. A cross-sectional assessment of FV intake, food security, and Veggie Meter® score in low-income older adults was conducted. Bivariate analyses quantified the association between FV intake and Veggie Meter® score. Participants (n = 154) were mostly female (69.3%), non-white (66.2%) and at risk for food insecurity (65.6%). Mean Veggie Meter® score was 172.3 ± 77.2 and had a small significant positive correlation with FV intake (r= 0.192, p = 0.018). The Veggie Meter® may objectively indicate FV intake. Research to validate the Veggie Meter® in older, diverse populations is needed.

Dryland Food Security in Ethiopia: Current Status, Opportunities, and a Roadmap for the Future

Given the impact of COVID-19 and the desert locust plague, the Ethiopian food security issue has once again received widespread attention. Its food crisis requires comprehensive and systematic research to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of zero hunger. This review discusses the current situation and the causes of food security in Ethiopia. We focus on the challenges in the food security assessment field. The article lists seven typical causes of food insecurity and three roots of food security in Ethiopia. Long-term food security assessment and a comprehensive understanding and manageability for food security causes are considered as the main existing research challenges. Climate-resilient management, water management, and long-term ecosystem network monitoring and data mining are suggested as potential roadmap for future research.

Food Insecurity Among Farmers in Rural Sri Lanka and the Perceived Impacts of COVID-19

ObjectivesLittle is known about how the COVID-19 pandemic (C19) has affected food security and farmers’ livelihoods in Sri Lanka. In this study, we assessed food security, perceived impacts of C19 and coping mechanisms to deal with these impacts.MethodsAs part of a baseline survey for an evaluation of the World Food Programme's Nutrition-Sensitive Food Assistance for Assets Program in Sri Lanka, we conducted ∼1300 quantitative household phone surveys across five districts between December 2020 and February 2021. Food insecurity was assessed using the 8-item Food Insecurity Experience Scale and categorized as moderate or severe using the Rasch model. Perceived impacts of C19 and the coping mechanisms used to deal with these shocks were assessed via questionnaire. Additionally, we explored how these experiences varied by wealth quintile, highest attained education level in the household, and district.ResultsDespite having had a relatively low burden of C19 cases in Sri Lanka compared to other countries, 85% of respondents in our sample reported being affected in some way by C19 or its associated control measures. Reported impacts include those on income (77% overall, 89% in lowest quintile, 62% in highest quintile) and agriculture activities (76% overall, 65% in lowest quintile, 87% in highest quintile), among others. Normal crop cultivation and harvesting was adversely impacted due to being advised to stay home (42%), being unable to purchase inputs (33%) and poor demand in the market (56%). In response to COVID shocks, about 30% of respondents in the lowest two wealth quintiles reported selling their livestock and about 20% of respondents across all wealth quintiles reported selling other assets. Half of the households interviewed were either moderately (36%) or severely (14%) food insecure. The proportion of households experiencing food insecurity varied by wealth quintile (mod: 55%-21%; sev: 27%-5%) and district (mod: 46%-29%; sev: 21%-10%).ConclusionsHigh levels of food insecurity and disruptions across domains such as income, asset ownership, and agriculture could have short- and long-term effects on people's health, nutrition and well-being. Control measures enacted in Sri Lanka should consider the potentially devastating effects on smallholder farmers and introduce measures to mitigate these issues in those most affected.Funding SourcesA4NH and WFP

Methodology of formation and integrated assessment of food security in the region

Methodology of formation and integrated assessment of food security in the region

Food Security and Dietary Intake in Pregnant Women from Urban Low Income Group

In the 1970s poverty leading to low dietary intake prior to and during pregnancy was the major factor responsible for maternal under-nutrition and low birth weight. Over the last four decades there has been reduction in poverty and household food insecurity; concurrently there has been a steep decline in physical activity and some decline in energy intake. As a result of all these changes currently both under-nutrition and over-nutrition are major public health problems in women. A study was undertaken to assess food security status of the family and dietary intake of pregnant women from urban low income families using 24 hour dietary recall. Dietary intakes of pregnant women were compared with intakes of Non-Pregnant Non-Lactating women (NPNL) from the same family. Dietary intakes of both NPNL and pregnant women were compared with Estimated Average Requirement (EAR). Computation of energy intake/CU/day from the diet survey showed that these families were food secure. Both in NPNL and in pregnant women, intakes of cereal and roots and tubers were adequate; pulse, leafy vegetables and other vegetables and milk consumption was below EAR; fat consumption was above EAR. Mean energy intake was higher than EAR in NPNL women. There was a small increase in energy intake during pregnancy and intakes met EAR in pregnant women. Dietary intake of iron was below EAR in pregnant women. In urban sedentary women from food secure families, a small but sustained higher than EAR energy intake over years appears to contribute to progressive increase in over-nutrition with increasing age.

Assessment of Food and Nutritional Security of the Rural Women in Telangana State

Assessment of Food and Nutritional Security of the Rural Women in Telangana State

Влияние импортозамещения на состояние экономической доступности продовольствия в РФ

The article considers the issue of the essence of import substitution as a priority direction in the field of increasing food security, and also assesses the level of economic affordability of food for the population in the Russian Federation. Possible ways to improve the system for assessing food security indicators are considered. Possible ways to improve the living standards of the population in the Russian Federation are proposed to ensure the economic availability of food.

Cropland Extraction Using Water Mask and Phenological Features based on Landsat-8 Imagery

Accurate cropland information is crucial for food security assessment. At present, Landsat-8 remote sensing imagery and Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud platform provide favorable conditions for mapping cropland. Despite the improved mapping conditions, the existence of mixed pixels is still one of the main difficulties in the cropland extraction. Especially in paddy fields, the influence of water bodies on farmland extraction should not be ignored. Also, the lack of time series data with temporal-spatial resolution impedes the accurate cultivated land mapping. Aiming at these problems, we proposed an effective method to extract cropland precisely based on the Landsat-8 imagery and GEE platform. First, we created cloud-free images and masked out water based on Landsat-8 images. Second, we constructed the normalized difference vegetation index time series data with 30-m resolution from Landsat-8 and MODIS images to obtain accurate phenological information. Third, other cropland features such as texture features, tasseled cap transformation features, terrain features and spectral features were acquired. Finally, we applied the Random Forest algorithm and obtained the cropland for 2015 in Qinzhou. The results show that terrain characteristics and phenological characteristics have the greatest influence on cropland extraction. Based on water mask, the overall accuracy of cropland improved by 6.9%. Overall, the product has high accuracy with the mean overall accuracy (OA) of 97.9%. Compared with MCD12Q1 and GFSAD30 cropland products, it is 6.2% and 24.3% higher in OA respectively. In brief, our method is helpful for the cropland extraction.

The impacts of COVID-19 on GDP, food prices, and food security

COVID-19 has led to a wealth of research examining possible impacts; however, potential impacts to food security have received much less attention. We use a computable general equilibrium model to simulate the potential impacts of COVID-19 using observed changes from 2020 (September) in unemployment, trade, oil prices, and production to inform our model. Estimated GDP and food price changes are then used as inputs into the International Food Security Assessment (IFSA) model which estimates changes in food consumption, and food gaps in developing countries. Results indicate that the COVID-19 lockdowns lead to a decrease in global GDP of 7.2 per cent, and a decrease in grain prices of 9 per cent. These changes lead to an increase in the number of food-insecure people in 2020 of 211 million (a 27.8 per cent increase). We also perform a sensitivity analysis, providing a lower and upper bound of potential impacts from COVID-19.

Food security: state Financial support Measures for sustainable Development of Agriculture in Russian Regions

In the context of global economic instability, the problem of ensuring food security and sustainable development of agriculture at the international, national and regional levels becomes urgent. Existing methods for assessing the state of food security and sustainable development of agriculture, as a rule, have two main drawbacks: first, they are often static, and second, they include a scattered list of indicators that are difficult to systematically interpret in the analysis. Therefore, theaimof the study is to develop an adequate methodology for assessing the food security of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation. The construction of a thematic index is carried out in three stages: 1) a system of indicators is formed; 2) the values of indicators are normalized; and 3) sub-indices are calculated. The analysis of domestic and foreign literature on food security provided themethodological basisof the study. The system of indicators was clarified, which were combined into three groups (numerical indicators of the sphere of production, distribution, consumption, and food). The authors extended the retrospective assessment of food security at the meso-level by ranking and clustering Russian regions using hierarchical analysis and a new data filtering algorithm. The hierarchical procedure is based on a system of mathematical filtering of data, which is fundamentally different from existing methods for analyzing hierarchies. The authors replaced the fuzzy “what if” logic with a clear subordination of ranked indicators (subindices). The group of leaders was selected considering the accepted priority of indicators, the rest of the regions were united into a new subgroup, among which leaders and outsiders were singled out. At each new stage, new groups are ranked after excluding leaders and outsiders, they are in the “center of the circular convolution of data”, the procedure for stopping the procedure is the presence of two groups. This is a fundamental feature, scientific novelty, and value of the mathematical apparatus for multidimensional ranking of Russian regions in terms of food security. The authorsconcludedthat in modern Russia the problem of food security has not yet been resolved due to the insufficient use of general economic and special levers to increase the stability of the food system. The results of the study can be applied in the process of updating the state policy in the field of ensuring the sustainability of food systems at the macroand meso-level of management.

Safety nets as a means of tackling chronic food insecurity in rural southern Ethiopia: what is constraining programme contributions?

ABSTRACT Agriculture is the predominant livelihood in rural Ethiopia, where chronic food insecurity is prevalent. In 2005, Ethiopia launched the Productive Safety Net Program, aiming to improve rural livelihoods and food security. This study focuses on the primarily modality of the programme: food and/or cash in exchange for labour. We analyse how the supports have contributed to the stated objectives, assessing food security status using two measurement tools (Household Food Insecurity Access Scale, Coping Strategies Index). We find that the programme has not reached its potential due to unpredictable and delayed payments, exposing households to unconventional debt arrangements, often exacerbating vulnerability.

ASSESSMENT OF FOOD SECURITY STATUS OF REFUGEES IN TURKEY USING FAO’S FOOD INSECURITY EXPERIENCE SCALE

Purpose of the study: This study aims to assess the food security status among Syrian and Iraqi refugees in Samsun, Turkey. In addition, to examine the association between refugees’ profiles and food security status. Methodology: We surveyed 252 households through face-to-face and semi-structured questionnaires; these tools were used in data collection between 2019-2020. FAO’s scale, descriptive analysis, and Chi-square test were conducted to achieve the objectives of this study. Main Findings: The findings indicated that the majority of refugees households, 60% experienced food insecurity. The results indicated that 30% of Syrian and 47% of Iraqi refugees were food security. Food security was significantly influenced by several socio-demographic (7 variables) and economic variables (9 variables). Applications of this study: This paper provides implications for policymakers and refugees. The current study recommends applying specific programs that could alleviate food insecurity among refugees. The policymakers should improve the economic status of refugees' households, especially the most vulnerable. Likewise, the policies in this field should be built by understanding the factors influencing food security. Novelty/Originality of this study: The current study is considered one of the pioneering and important studies in the food security field for refugees in Turkey. No studies have been conducted to assess food security for refugees. It seems to be important to review and re-evaluate the Turkish policies associated with refugees in Turkey.

HIV Infections and Food Insecurity Among Pregnant Women from Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

There are few studies on the occurrence of food insecurity (FI) in pregnant women living with HIV/AIDS (PrWLWHA). Our objective was to estimate the prevalence of food insecurity among PrWLWHA and to analyse the association between HIV and FI. For this we searched eight databases. We used the prevalence and prevalence ratio (PR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) as the summary measurements for the meta-analysis. We identified 300 studies, 13 of which were eligible. The prevalence of FI was 64%, ranging between 26% (mild), 33% (moderate) and 27% (severe). People living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) had a 23% greater chance of facing FI (PR = 1.23, 95% CI 1.16–1.38) compared to those not living with HIV. The results revealed a high prevalence and positive association with FI among PLWHA, which suggests the need for food security assessments in HIV/AIDS clinical care.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10461-021-03280-2.

Prevalence of Food Insecurity Among Pregnant Women: A Canadian Study in a Large Urban Setting.

Nutritional and financial needs increase during pregnancy, making pregnant women particularly vulnerable to food insecurity. Our objective was to document the prevalence of food insecurity among pregnant women receiving prenatal care in an urban centre in Canada and to identify factors associated with food insecurity. This cross-sectional study recruited pregnant women receiving prenatal care at one of two Toronto hospitals: Site 1 and Site 2 (serving a more disadvantaged population) between October 1, 2018 and October 1, 2019. Demographic information was collected, and the U.S. Household Food Security Survey Module was used to assess food security. Comparisons were made using χ2 tests, two-tailed t tests, or Mann-Whitney tests for categorical and continuous variables, as appropriate. Binary logistic regression and multivariate analyses were performed to assess associations with food insecurity and differences between hospitals sites. We recruited 626 participants (316 at Site 1 and 310 at Site 2). Prevalence of food insecurity was 12.8% among all participants with Site 2 having nearly 5 times the prevalence of Site 1 (66/310 [21.3%] vs. 14/316 [4.4%]; P = 0.001). Several factors were associated with food insecurity, with non-White ethnicity (OR 2.04; 95% CI 0.98-4.25, P = 0.055] and lower household income (OR 37.53; 95% CI 14.04-100, P < 0.001 when less than CAD $23000/y) being the most robust. This Canadian study documented the prevalence of and factors associated with food insecurity in pregnancy. Targeted interventions to help low-income women and programs geared towards non-White women may be beneficial in addressing food insecurity among pregnant women.

Estimation of flood-damaged cropland area using a convolutional neural network

Flood damage to croplands poses a significant threat to global food security. Effective disaster management to cope with future climate change, especially extreme precipitation, requires a robust framework to estimate such damage. For this study, we develop a model based on a convolutional neural network to estimate the area (in acres) of cropland damaged by flooding at the county level. Then we demonstrate the model’s performance for the period 2008–2019 over corn and soybean fields in the midwestern United States, which suffer frequent damage from recurrent flooding. We fed the network with remote sensing images and weather fields and divide the growing season into two windows, the early season (May–June) and the late season (July–November) for better performance. The results show mean relative error within 25% and relative root mean square error within 35%–75% in majority of the counties for most years. Finally, we show that the model forced with meteorological variables alone can provide acceptable accuracy, which indicates it can be applied to forecasting crop damage area in the upcoming season or the studying of future climate impact on crop productivity. In principle, the model can also be applied to food security assessment at the global scale using available records.

Addressing community needs through a participatory food security assessment

ABSTRACT Despite substantial evidence describing the overall causes of U.S. food insecurity, in-depth explorations of single communities remain important, to understand geographic variation and identify locally responsive solutions. In one affluent Pennsylvania county, we conducted a mixed-methods community food security assessment, with pantry member surveys, in-depth interviews with pantry coordinators and stakeholders, and community-wide focus groups. Pantry members visited frequently and desired healthier foods, with households with children at highest risk. Food insecurity occurred within broader hardships, including local cost-of-living, inadequate transportation, and documentation fears. Holistic approaches at both individual and policy levels could address immediate needs and foster sustainable community change.