Face Food Insecurity Research Articles

Mitigating Food Insecurity During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Replicable Food Delivery Service Using Public-Private Partnerships.

Stay Home, Stay Healthy (SHSH), a replicable food-delivery service, increased access to healthful food for vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 pandemic. It used community partnerships to identify families facing food insecurity and public-private partnerships to source and deliver food. We report on SHSH, its impact to-date, and lessons learned.

Long-term consequences of food insecurity among Ebola virus disease-affected households after the 2013-2016 epidemic in rural communities of Kono District, Sierra Leone: A qualitative study.

The 2013-2016 Ebola virus disease (EVD) epidemic caused food insecurity during and immediately following local outbreaks in Sierra Leone, but longer-term effects are less well described, particularly among households with no EVD survivors. We conducted a qualitative sub-study in July 2018 in Kono District, Sierra Leone to understand the impact of food insecurity on EVD-affected households. Using data from a community-based cohort, we compiled a list of all households, within the sampled communities in Kono District, that had at least one EVD case during the epidemic. We used purposive sampling to recruit 30 households, inclusive of 10 households with no EVD survivors, to participate in the study. The research team conducted open-ended, semi-structured interviews with the head of each household. All 30 interviews were transcribed, translated, and analyzed using comparative content analysis consistent with a grounded theory approach. Most household members were facing persistent food insecurity as direct or indirect consequences of the EVD epidemic, regardless of whether they did or did not live with EVD survivors. Three major themes emerged as drivers and/or mitigators of EVD-related food insecurity. Financial instability and physical health complications were drivers of food insecurity in the population, whereas support provided by NGOs or governmental agencies was observed as a mitigator and driver of food insecurity after its removal. Among the EVD-households reporting long-term support through jobs and educational opportunities, there was sustained mitigation of food insecurity. EVD-affected households with and without survivors continue to face food insecurity three years after the EVD epidemic. Provision of support was a mitigator of food insecurity in the short term, but its removal was a driver of food insecurity in the longer term, suggesting the need for longer-term transitional support in affected households.

Understanding Sustenance of Small Farm Holders: A Study of Income Inequality among Farm Households in Indian Punjab

The sustenance of marginal and small farm households is a pertinent question given that their number is on the rise in South-Asia. The study aims to assess their present socio-economic profile and the challenges faced in order to draw a roadmap of development for these underprivileged households. The study pertains to Indian Punjab and data from the Situation Assessment Survey of the 70th Round of NSSO are used. The concepts of economic surplus, occupational diversity, farm productivity and vertical and horizontal inequalities are used to achieve the objectives. This study reveals that marginal farm households faced food insecurity as they failed to meet consumption expenditure from the income earned. In fact, small farm households are left with an annual economic surplus of Rs 8890 per capita only, after meeting consumption needs. Income is unevenly distributed among farm households with a Gini coefficient of 0.48. The majority of the marginal and small farm households fall in lower-income quintiles and are occupationally more diversified than their larger counterparts. Horizontal inequalities are lower between the farm-size categories (0.14) than within farm-size categories (0.27). The Gini coefficient within each farm-size category is the highest among marginal farm households (0.50), followed by small farm households (0.45), highlighting their economic stress and tug-of-war survival. Further, the farm households belonging to socially lower castes falls only in the marginal farm-size category and represent the lowest income. Development must be sustainable and inclusive, hence, policies to develop marginal farmers’ centric farming systems and high value crops such as potato, cotton, sugarcane and oilseeds, providing high yielding livestock breeds, value addition through farmer-producer organizations, non-farm employment through MGNREGA, provision of institutional credit at subsidised rate of interest and quality health and education facilities in the public sector are recommended to uplift the affected households.

What is hunger?

When we talk of how many people go to bed hungry, what exactly do we mean? According to the 2022 Global Report on Food Crises [1], 180m people across 40 countries face food insecurity, which will ultimately be associated with malnutrition, hunger, and famine. The type of malnutrition referred to here is that where the body does not get enough energy or nutrients to sustain it. There are cases where over-nutrition manifests in overweight and obesity.

The effects of COVID-19 on food insecurity, financial vulnerability and housing insecurity among women and girls living with or at risk of HIV in Nigeria

Aim : Women and girls living with or at high risk of acquiring HIV (WGL&RHIV) in Africa are economically vulnerable. This study aims to advance understanding of the economic impact of COVID-19 on WGL&RHIV and to identify the factors associated with this insecurity. Methods: Data were collected from a cross-sectional survey conducted among a convenience sample of WGL&RHIV in Nigeria between May and September 2021. Logistic regressions enabled the study of the role of HIV status, mental health and macrosocial characteristics (people with disability, transgender women, sex workers, persons engaged in transactional sex, substance users, and people on the move) on economic vulnerability, measured by food, financial and housing insecurity, since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The model accounted for the possible interactions between the macrosocial characteristics and controlled for confounders. Results: There were 3 313 (76.1%) of 4 355 respondents facing food insecurity, 3 664 (83.6%) of 4 385 with financial vulnerability and 1 282 (36.2%) of 3 544 with housing insecurity. Being a member of the key and vulnerable groups was strongly associated with food insecurity, financial vulnerability and housing insecurity, regardless of HIV serostatus. For example, WGL&RHIV engaging in transactional sex were more than four times more likely (aOR 4.42; 95% CI 2.57–7.59) to face housing insecurity and more than twice more likely to face food insecurity (aOR 2.47, 95% CI 1.35–4.52) and financial vulnerability (aOR 2.87, 95% CI 1.39–5.93). This economic vulnerability may reduce their negotiating power for safer sex or the use of HIV prevention methods, exposing them to increased risks of HIV infection. Poor mental health was also associated with the three forms of economic vulnerability. Conclusions: As the long-term impact of the COVID-19 crisis on African economies unfolds, HIV programmes at the country level must include economic vulnerability and mental unwellness mitigation activities for WGL&RHIV.

Studying hard while hungry and broke: Striving for academic well-being while navigating food insecurity

Food insecurity on college campuses dispropor­tionately impacts underrepresented students and can contribute to detrimental outcomes. Further­more, new research with a broader scope includes universitywide populations such as faculty and staff who may also face food insecurity. The reasons behind higher-education food insecurity are com­plex and based in historic academic structures that create gender and race disparities. Focusing on increasing the numbers of women and minorities entering the graduate school pipeline has resulted in a more equitable distribution of master and doc­toral level degrees. However, lower wages, higher workloads, and perceptions of inferior academic performance continue in the current day. These factors contribute to only 26% of women achiev­ing full professorship and only one-third receiving external federal research funding. This reflection provides autoethnographical accounts of three female faculty members who experienced hunger during their undergraduate and graduate careers, and intermittently struggle with purchasing nutri­tious foods as working professionals. They also discuss their interactions with and observations of their students who also face challenges in securing meals on a regular basis. Three undergraduate female students who are actively involved in cam­pus food projects share their insights from a per­sonal and peer perspective. Grassroot initiatives including an onsite food pantry, a village garden, external funding, and ongoing research attempt to fill gaps. In addition to short-term fixes, it is im­portant to continue conversations with university administration and community leaders to create policies and programs to address campus food insecurity.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic response impacted small-scale fish farmers in Bhutan?

The COVID-19 pandemic and related policy responses have exacerbated global food and nutrition insecurity by disrupting supply chains and destroying livelihoods. Previous studies show that the impact has been particularly severe for poor populations with limited livelihood options, who already faced food insecurity before the pandemic struck. This paper describes how COVID-19-related policy responses have impacted low-income, subsistence-oriented fish farmers in Bhutan. Based on nationally representative data collected between November 2020 and January 2021, the paper documents the responses of 353 Bhutanese fish farmers to the altered operating conditions and market disruptions caused by COVID-19. Results indicate that these farmers' access to inputs such as fish seed have suffered substantial disruptions. However, on the output side of the supply chain, some farmers have made significant gains in terms of increased demand and higher fish prices in informal markets. Furthermore, the food security of most farmers has suffered minimal impact. Overall, Bhutanese fish farmers have proved to be robust to COVID-19-induced adverse outcomes relative to commercial aquaculture producers elsewhere. Small-scale, subsistence-oriented production of fish along with other crops has benefitted the Bhutanese fish farmers by shielding them from the negative economic outcomes associated with market shocks and by directly preserving their food security. Nevertheless, the fish farmers require critical support to access essential inputs and upscale or maintain production infrastructure, so that they can continue fish production during the COVID-19 pandemic and become more robust in the long run.

Wellness on Wheels: Integrating Childhood Obesity Prevention Strategies in an Outdoor Nutrition Education Program in a Community Facing Food Insecurity and High Rates of Childhood Obesity

Upon completion, participant will be able to describe the steps for a school-based MyPlate nutrition education program that includes recipe demonstration, food access, and promotion of child-family home meal preparation.

The association between dietary diversity, social assistance, and coping strategy with household food security during COVID-19 in Tulungagung District, East Java

Background : Food insecurity is still prevalent in Indonesia and COVID-19 impacts led to severe and widespread increases in food insecurity, affecting vulnerable households with impacts expected to continue into 2022 and possibly beyond.
 Objective : This study aimed to determine the association between dietary diversity, social assistance, and coping strategies with food security during COVID-19 in Tulungagung, East Java.
 Methods : This cross-sectional study was conducted in Tulungagung District, East Java with interviewed using telephone from May to July 2021. Multistage random sampling was conducted to 187 parents (mother or father). The study used structured questionnaire for socio demographic background, Household Food Insecure Assess Scale (HFIAS), dietary diversity scale, coping strategy index instruments to collect the data.
 Results : This study found the prevalence of food insecurity in Tulungagung were 56.1%. There was association between income (p=0.021, OR= 2.388(1.123-5.079)), dietary diversity (p=0.007, OR=3.400(1.440-8.200)), number of coping strategies (p=<0.001, OR=10.020(5.055-9.861)), and coping strategies food compromisation (p=<0.00, OR=13.337(5.835-3.485)) with food security.
 Conclusions : Most households have faced food insecurity because of lower income during the pandemic, have low dietary diversity, and tend to use coping strategy to survive. By this finding, it is important for government to give priority and focus on vulnerable household in social assistance for the long term and more focused to build up human capital among households through skill and training to ensure the resilience of food security.

Ultra-processed food: a global problem requiring a global solution

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a specialised agency of the UN, leads international efforts to eradicate hunger, improve nutrition, and achieve food security for all, through strategies such as World Food Day. According to the 2022 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report, as of 2021, 2·3 billion people worldwide faced food insecurity, without access or availability to healthy, nutritious food. Barriers including climate change, international tensions, and rising prices prevent the achievement of the FAO goal of global food security.

Simulating Potential Associated Socio-Economic Determinants With Sustainable Food Security (A Macro-Micro Spatial Quantitative Model).

Improving sustainable food security status, nowadays, is an important challenge globally, especially in developing countries. The policy goal should be equity—everyone has the same opportunity to be food secure—rather than equality—everyone gets the same subsidy. Since the culture and socioeconomic status within a country vary from region to region, collapsing all areas into a unique region may introduce errors and inaccurate results, as most studies carried out. This study assesses the geographical pattern of association between food security and socioeconomic factors in urban areas in Iran using a nationally and regionally representative household consumption-expenditure survey from 2010 to 2018. The logistic regression model and big data are used to achieve this goal. The results show that a substantial number of households face food insecurity in urban areas in Iran. Also, different geographic regions have various salient factors that affect food insecurity. Aggregation tests confirmed that researchers should estimate separate models for different provinces, states, and districts to assess and monitor the food security status of a country instead of estimating a unique model for the whole of the country. Geographical disparities should be considered as an important issue before suggesting any catch-all policies for a country. The geo-locational factor of households is a key determinant of the association between socioeconomic factors and food security in urban areas in Iran. In sum, the practical suggestions for improving Iranian households' food security in urban areas are as follows: (1) Developing job opportunities for the head of household. (2) Enhancing the potential for self-employment. (3) Facilitating the study of children within households including providing inexpensive uniforms, books, and materials, especially for poor households. (4) Supporting young couples in terms of accessing to financial resources and providing inexpensive essential equipment of home for them; and (5) Introduction of the importance of dietary diversity and different foods which can be cooked by using these food ingredients within a household. Comparative case studies using similar methodologies can test if our results are generalizable.

P085 Understanding Oklahoma State University Students’ Awareness of Campus Food Security Resources

<h3>Background</h3> Food insecurity is a prevalent issue in college campuses across the country. The Hunger on Campus study found that 48% of college students face food insecurity. Studies conducted in 2018 and 2020 found approximately 42% of Oklahoma State University-Stillwater students were food insecure. Sophomores, juniors, seniors, and minority students were at the highest risk, yet were not using campus or community food security resources. <h3>Objective</h3> Identify factors contributing to limited use of campus food security resources. <h3>Study Design, Setting, Participants</h3> The qualitative study was conducted in October 2021 on the OSU Stillwater campus. Sophomores, juniors, and senior-level students were recruited using a randomized email list and through ethnically diverse campus organizations. The interview questions were developed based on findings of the previous studies by researchers and campus life administration familiar with the study. Six interviews were conducted either in-person or virtually. Participants were incentivized with a $10 University Dining gift card. <h3>Measurable Outcome/Analysis</h3> Interviews were recorded and transcribed. Two researchers independently analyzed the data for each interview and identified themes across interviews, then met to discuss and resolve differences. The data and themes were reviewed by a third researcher to minimize bias. For each overarching theme summary statements were written and quotes were extracted. <h3>Results</h3> Saturation of information was received after conducting 6 interviews. The majority (71%) of respondents represented minority racial/ethnic groups. The primary factor limiting student usage of resources was a lack of awareness and perceived stigma for needing food assistance. The recommended strategy for increasing awareness was to distribute information on campus via social media followed by A-Frames. <h3>Conclusions</h3> Campus food security resources are underutilized due to students' lack of awareness and perceived stigma. The findings can be used by student governments and campus life leaders in promoting food resources. The long-term implication is increased awareness of food security resources at OSU-Stillwater. <h3>Funding</h3> None

CLIMATE-SMART AGRICULTURE. UTOPIA OR REALITY?

Current estimates predict a world population growth of 9.6 billion by the year 2050, many of whom will live in countries already facing food insecurity. To feed this population, agricultural production will have to increase by approximately 50%, a difficult situation due to the effects of climate change. In order to achieve food production goals without putting the environment at risk, FAO, since 2009, has supported member countries in their initiatives to implement Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) that takes into account local and national specificities and priorities, to sustainably increase productivity and resilience, strengthen food security and mitigate damage from greenhouse gases (GHG). This literature review seeks to contribute to discussions on the recognition of the CSA concept, its applicability in agricultural systems and review advantages or disadvantages to face global climate change. In Brazil, there is growing concern, due to the country's high vulnerability and low development capacity to face environmental impacts. However, despite the attractiveness of the concept, specific criteria to guide the approaches and technologies to be used have not yet been defined.

Addressing Community Food Security Through Gardening: A Review

As many residents struggle with access to fresh produce (fruits and vegetables) and continue to face food insecurity issues, community gardens can be used as a strategy in alleviating these challenges and helping families reduce pandemic-related economic losses by supplementing their diets with nutritious foods. Community gardens are a great way to increase food security, improve public health and reduce crime rates. With a variety of setups, locations, and goals, they can play an important role in making healthy, ethical, and sustainable food available to all people. Having abundant fresh produce readily available in the community reduces grocery bills for families and provides food options when they are low on groceries. Saving money and reducing food insecurity are two benefits. This was crucial during the pandemic when many people experienced financial losses due to unemployment, and it is still crucial given the rising price of food today. This paper, through a rigorous literature review, examines the contributions, and the positive impacts of community and home gardens towards addressing food insecurity and the overall well-being of household members and determines the type of gardening people practice, and common crops grown.

Public School Food Supply Chain during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of the City of Vitória (Brazil)

Background: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Brazilian public schools closed in 2020. This lockdown stopped the provision of school meals to public school students, most of whom belonged to low-income families facing food insecurity. To guarantee the students’ food security during this period, food items previously provided through school meals were converted into food kits and delivered to the students’ families. Methods: This case study analyzes the logistical impacts of this change in the school food supply chain concerning the legislation, procurement, assembly, and distribution of food kits in the city of Vitória, Brazil. We interviewed suppliers and workers of the Municipal Secretariat of Education and distributed a survey to professionals and beneficiaries. Results: One of the findings was that federal procurement regulations for the acquisition of food for public schools led to difficult choices for school officials during this period. These regulations determined that at least 30% of the budget must be used in local purchases from smallholder family farmers. However, almost all products generated by family farming in the region of Vitória are perishable and require distribution and consumption on the same day, which represents a challenge for the logistic process of assembling and distributing food kits. The solution was the selection of eggs as the primary protein item in the kits. Conclusions: The lessons learned through this study suggest potential actions that would make this supply chain more resilient in future emergencies.

Retrospective Predictions of Rice and Other Crop Production in Madagascar Using Soil Moisture and an NDVI-Based Calendar from 2010–2017

Malagasy subsistence farmers, who comprise 70% of the nearly 26 million people in Madagascar, often face food insecurity because of unreliable food production systems and adverse crop conditions. The 2020–2021 drought in Madagascar, in particular, is associated with an exceptional food crisis, yet we are unaware of peer-reviewed studies that quantitatively link variations in weather and climate to agricultural outcomes for staple crops in Madagascar. In this study, we use historical data to empirically assess the relationship between soil moisture and food production. Specifically, we focus on major staple crops that form the foundation of Malagasy food systems and nutrition, including rice, which accounts for 46% of the average Malagasy caloric intake, as well as cassava, maize, and sweet potato. Available data associated with survey-based crop statistics constrain our analysis to 2010–2017 across four clusters of Malagasy districts. Strong correlations are observed between remotely sensed soil moisture and rice production, ranging between 0.67 to 0.95 depending on the cluster and choice of crop calendar. Predictions are shown to be statistically significant at the 90% confidence level using bootstrapping techniques, as well as through an out-of-sample prediction framework. Soil moisture also shows skill in predicting cassava, maize, and sweet potato production, but only when the months most vulnerable to water stress are isolated. Additional analyses using more survey data, as well as potentially more-refined crop maps and calendars, will be useful for validating and improving soil-moisture-based predictions of yield.

Enablers and barriers of harnessing food waste to address food insecurity: a scoping review.

Despite producing sufficient food for the global population, the growing prevalence of food insecurity in developed countries is cause for concern. The millions of metric tons of food wasted each year could be used instead to drastically lower rates of food insecurity and address food sustainability. In this scoping review, we aimed to identify barriers to and enablers of harnessing food waste across food sectors, including food retail, households, and food rescue organizations, to address food insecurity in a developed country, Australia. The findings demonstrate that research on and responsibility for harnessing food waste for food insecurity has predominantly fallen on ill-equipped food rescue organizations. Three primary policy advancements paramount to harnessing food waste to address food insecurity include (1) improving partnerships and subsidies to minimize transportation costs for redistributing imperfect or surplus food from farmers and retailers to those who with food insecurity; (2) enhancing existing partnerships and subsidies to stably involve more nutrition experts in food rescue organizations to improve the quality of foods being redistributed to those facing food insecurity; and (3) initiating interventions and campaigns that combine the following 5 characteristics: free to the participants; address food literacy; use multiple mass-media tools; are age tailored; and frame messages within personal values.

Food Security Interventions among Refugees around the Globe: A Scoping Review.

There are 26 million refugees globally, with as many as 80% facing food insecurity irrespective of location. Food insecurity results in malnutrition beginning at an early age and disproportionately affects certain groups such as women. Food security is a complex issue and must consider gender, policies, social and cultural contexts that refugees face. Our aim is to assess what is known about food security interventions in refugees and identify existing gaps in knowledge. This scoping review followed the guidelines set out in the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews. We included all articles that discussed food security interventions in refugees published between 2010 and 2020. A total of 57 articles were eligible for this study with most interventions providing cash, vouchers, or food transfers; urban agriculture, gardening, animal husbandry, or foraging; nutrition education; and infant and young child feeding. Urban agriculture and nutrition education were more prevalent in destination countries. While urban agriculture was a focus of the FAO and cash/voucher interventions were implemented by the WFP, the level of collaboration between UN agencies was unclear. Food security was directly measured in 39% of studies, half of which used the UN’s Food Consumption Score, and the remainder using a variety of methods. As substantiated in the literature, gender considerations are vital to the success of food security interventions, and although studies include this in the planning process, few see gender considerations through to implementation. Including host communities in food security interventions improves the refugee–host relationship. Collaboration should be encouraged among aid organizations. To assess intervention efficacy, food security should be measured with a consistent tool. With the number of refugees in the world continuing to rise, further efforts are required to transition from acute aid to sustainability through livelihood strategies.

Food insecurity on the college campus

It is often said that one’s college years are “the best years of your life.” For a growing number of students facing food insecurity, these years may be anything but. These two very different books provide useful counterpoints on campus food inse­curity, a growing phenomenon only made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic. Henry’s volume uses an ethnographic approach of interviewing over 90 students who use the food pantry at her university, the University of North Texas, Denton. Broton and Cady focus on essays and case studies of what a number of institutions are doing to address the issue of campus food insecurity. Together they provide both a balanced treatment of the subject and some remarkably interesting insights and strategies that other college communities can utilize. . . .

Food access, mobility, and transportation: a survey and key informant interviews of users of non-profit food hubs in the City of Vancouver before and during the COVID-19 crisis

BackgroundIn the City of Vancouver, Canada, non-profit food hubs such as food banks, neighbourhood houses, community centres, and soup kitchens serve communities that face food insecurity. Food that is available yet inaccessible cannot ensure urban food security. This study seeks to highlight food access challenges, especially in terms of mobility and transportation, faced by users of non-profit food hubs in the City of Vancouver before and during the COVID-19 crisis.MethodsThis study involved an online survey (n = 84) and semi-structured follow-up key informant interviews (n = 10) with individuals at least 19 years old who accessed food at a non-profit food hub located in the City of Vancouver more than once before and during the COVID-19 crisis.Results88.5% of survey respondents found food obtained from non-profit food hubs to be either very or somewhat important to their household’s overall diet. In their journey to access food at non-profit food hubs in the City of Vancouver, many survey respondents face barriers such as transportation distance/time, transportation inconveniences/reliability/accessibility, transportation costs, line-ups at non-profit food hubs, and schedules of non-profit food hubs. Comments from interview participants corroborate these barriers.ConclusionsDrawing from the findings, this study recommends that non-profit food hubs maintain a food delivery option and that the local transportation authority provides convenient and reliable paratransit service. Furthermore, this study recommends that the provincial government considers subsidizing transit passes for low-income households, that the provincial and/or federal governments consider bolstering existing government assistance programs, and that the federal government considers implementing a universal basic income. This study emphasizes how the current two-tier food system perpetuates stigma and harms the well-being of marginalized populations in the City of Vancouver in their journey to obtain food.