Food Costs Research Articles

Reduced red and processed meat consumption is associated with lower diet costs in US households: a national analysis of protein substitutions.

To examine the association between red and processed meat consumption and total food expenditures in US households and explore whether households could reduce food costs by substituting these meats with other protein sources such as poultry, seafood, eggs and plant proteins. Cross-sectional study using data from the National Household Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey (FoodAPS). Using adult male equivalents (AME) for standardisation, we categorised red and processed meat purchases into quintiles. We used generalised linear models to explore the association between red or processed meat consumption and food expenditures and the cost effect of substituting meat with other proteins. United States. Data from 4739 households with valid acquisition information from FoodAPS, a stratified multistage probability sample of US households. Higher red and processed meat consumption were both significantly associated with higher total weekly food expenditures, particularly among households with low income. Substituting red or processed meat with poultry, eggs or plant proteins did not significantly affect overall food expenditures, whereas replacing meat with seafood, especially varieties high in n-3 fatty acids, led to increased costs. Reducing red and processed meat consumption could offer savings for households, particularly those with low income. Although substitutions with seafood high in n-3 could increase expenses, alternative protein sources like poultry and plant proteins may serve as cost-neutral replacements. Public health strategies should emphasise dietary shifts' economic, health and environmental benefits and aim to make nutritious yet affordable protein sources more accessible.

Climate change mitigation policies in agriculture: An overview of sociopolitical barriers

AbstractThe realization of the economic and technical potential of climate mitigation policies in agriculture is influenced by how sociopolitical issues are considered in policy development and implementation. Based on a narrative review of the literature, this article provides an overview of common sociopolitical barriers facing supply‐side and demand‐side mitigation measures in agriculture. Understanding these sociopolitical issues can provide opportunities for the full realization of mitigation policy potentials. They are presented under four themes: local context, adoption capacity, and distributional impacts; food security, costs, and choices in food consumption; political considerations related to electoral weight and lobbying; and international aspects regarding emissions metrics, trade, and big agriculture. Designing complementary policies and second‐best options, incorporating local knowledge in policy design, recognizing women's voice and role in sustainable agriculture, planning for job transitions, engaging stakeholders through multiscalar platforms, and appropriately framing and communicating policies in a digestible manner are some considerations to address these sociopolitical barriers.This article is categorized under: Climate Economics > Economics and Climate Change Climate and Development > Social Justice and the Politics of Development Climate Economics > Economics of Mitigation

Geminiviruses and Food Security: A Molecular Genetics Perspective for Sustainable Agriculture in Africa

The African continent is vulnerable to food insecurity. Increased food costs, job losses, and climate change force Africans to chronic hunger. Biotechnology can be used to mitigate this by using techniques such as CRISPR/Cas9 systems, TALENs, and ZFNs. Biotechnology can utilize geminiviruses to deliver the necessary reagents for precise genome alteration. Additionally, plants infected with geminiviruses can withstand harsher weather conditions such as drought. Therefore, this article discusses geminivirus replication and its use as beneficial plant DNA viruses. It focuses explicitly on genome editing to increase plant resistance by manipulating plants’ salicylic acid and jasmonic acid pathways.

Comparative Analysis of Food and Nutrition Security in Pakistan: Implications for Sustainable Development Policies

Food and nutrition security is a critical issue for Pakistan, with over half of the population living in deprivation. Poor nutrition is one of the primary reasons for morbidity and mortality, particularly among children and women. This research compared food and nutrition security in Pakistan by examining three key dimensions: food quantity, quality and economic accessibility using Household Integrated Economic Survey 2015 to 2016 and 2018 to 2019. A study found that dietary intake had decreased by 2% in rural areas and 0.8% in urban areas between 2015 to 2016 and 2018 to 2019. Additionally, 2.1% of households had increased food insecurity during this period, with a greater impact in rural areas. The second most pressing problem of food insecurity is diet quality. Protein deficiency has been observed across the country. A large portion of the population in Sindh, KP, and Balochistan are deprived in micronutrients intake such as calcium, iron, zinc, and vitamins B1, B2, B3, C, and A. The cost of food has also risen due to inflation between 2015 to 2016 and 2018 to 2019, meaning that households have less access to nutritious food. The governments of Sindh, KP, and Balochistan need to do more to combat food insecurity and ensure that rural areas have enough healthy food for low and medium-socioeconomic households. Provincial-level efforts play a crucial role in mitigating the catastrophic loss of life and achieving sustainable development goals, especially the goal of zero hunger.

Using Less Processed Food to Mimic a Standard American Diet Does Not Improve Nutrient Value and May Result in a Shorter Shelf Life at a Higher Financial Cost

BackgroundThe “clean eating” trend suggests that consuming fewer processed foods is important for healthy diets. Yet, a diet of mostly ultra-processed foods (UPFs) can meet recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Whether a diet comprised mostly of simple ingredient foods can provide a low-quality diet remains unexplored. ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to compare the diet quality, shelf stability, and cost of 2 similar nutrient-poor menus, one containing primarily UPFs and the other containing less-processed foods (LPW), as defined by the Nova classification system. MethodsA “Western” menu using LPW was developed to match the meals and recipes of a menu that contained more-processed foods (MPW). Processing level was determined using the Nova classification system. Final menus were assessed for nutrient quality and Healthy Eating Index (HEI) score. Shelf stability of foods/ingredients on both menus was determined from food storage guidance manuals. The condition of each food item when purchased (room temperature, frozen, refrigerated) was used to estimate the number of days until expiration. Food costs were determined from prices at grocery chains in Fall 2023. ResultsThe LPW had similar nutrient density and diet quality scores to the MPW (HEI scores of 44 and 43, respectively). The LPW included 20% energy (kcal) from UPFs, whereas the MPW included 67% energy from UPFs. Relative percentages of shelf-stable, frozen, and refrigerated foods were similar. Using the Kaplan-Meier survival analysis method, median time to expiration of the LPW menu items was 35 d compared with 120 d for the MPW items. The “per person” cost reflecting only the amount of the food used in the menu was $15.91/d for the LPW and $9.85/d for the MPW. ConclusionsLess-processed menus can have comparable diet quality with more-processed menus although being more costly and less shelf stable.

Impact of Cancer Care Financial Assistance Program on client financial toxicity and emotional distress.

204 Background: The financial impact of cancer can include high out-of-pocket costs, compensatory trade-offs (e.g., postponing treatment), and emotional distress. Cancer Care developed its Financial Assistance (FA) Program to assist with cancer-related costs and reduce client financial and emotional burden. We examined the impact of Cancer Care ’s FA Program on financial toxicity and emotional distress in clients undergoing cancer treatment. Methods: 731 patients enrolled in Cancer Care ’s FA Program (1/23-12/23) completed an evaluation survey. Clients were primarily women (71%); mean age=58 ( SD =13); 47% were non-Hispanic White, 33% non-Hispanic Black, 12% Hispanic. 84% were not employed; median household income $20K; 98% insured. Most frequent diagnoses: breast (26%), multiple myeloma (8%), and colon (5%) cancers; mean years since diagnosis=3 ( SD =6). All were on treatment (85% chemo; 38% radiation; 13% hormone; 11% immunotherapy). We used descriptive and multivariable regression analyses to examine the impact of FA and the correlates of reduced financial stress (yes/no) and emotional distress (not at all–extremely), controlling for socio-demographics. Results: The median grant award was $300 (max: $3000). FA was most often used for transportation (48%), household costs (43%), food (40%), and medical costs (30%). Only 38% of clients were aware of non-insurance financial resources during treatment. Financial compensatory trade-offs included delaying treatment (19%), choosing a less expensive treatment (7%), and stopping treatment (5%). Regarding financial toxicity, 61% reported that FA reduced their financial stress. In logistic regression, factors associated with greater likelihood of reduced financial stress after FA were larger grant amounts ( OR =1.05; p =.04), using FA for transportation ( OR =1.59; p =.00) or medical costs ( OR =1.44; p =.04), and unemployment ( OR =1.69; p =.02). Regarding emotional distress, 67% were distressed/extremely distressed before FA, vs. 25% after FA ( t =-21.72; p =.00). In linear regression, using FA for medical costs was associated with lower distress ( B =-.29; p =.00), and stopping treatment due to finances was associated with higher distress ( B =.52; p =.00), controlling for baseline distress. Using FA for other needs was not significantly associated with reduced financial/emotional distress. 50% said FA met their needs well/very well; 78% were satisfied/very satisfied with the program. Conclusions: Our results show the impact of Cancer Care ’s FA Program on reducing client financial toxicity and emotional distress, known factors in treatment adherence, quality of life, and survival. Notably, use of FA for medical and transportation costs, and grant amount, were significantly associated with improved client outcomes. Clients using funds for other basic needs may have multiple stressors requiring comprehensive multilevel support beyond FA alone.

Modelling impacts of a salt and sugar tax on hypothetical intra-category food substitutions, BMI and environmental footprints in the UK population.

Taxes on unhealthy foods can help improve population health in the United Kingdom (UK), but the health effects of food substitutions resulting from these taxes are often unclear. We investigated the potential impacts of a salt and sugar tax on hypothetical intra-category food substitutions, cost, body-mass index (BMI), and environmental footprints. Purchase panel data from Kantar (2017) were used to determine the most popular foods high in salt or sugar within eight 'salt-intensive'/'sugar-intensive' food categories. Within food categories, the most popular lower salt (≤ 1.5g salt/100g product) and lower sugar (≤ 22.5g sugar/100g product) substitutes were also identified. Hypothetical swaps between high salt/sugar foods and lower salt/sugar substitutes were explored, focusing on changes to cost, caloric intake and BMI, and environmental impacts in the UK population. The suggested intra-category substitutions were largely like-for-like and did not accrue an added overall cost to consumers. The substitutions reduced calorie intake by about 200kcal/day and lowered the prevalence of overweight and obesity in the UK from approximately 60-65% to about 40-45%. The proposed food substitutions led to a total reduction of -2.7Mt of greenhouse gases, ∼ -500.000ha of land, -0.5km3 of blue water, -12km3 of scarcity weighted water, ∼ -12.000t of phosphorus, and nearly - 14.000t of sulphur dioxide over one year for the UK population due to reductions in calorie intake. Food substitutions following a tax on salt and sugar could lead to significant benefits for health and the environment, without necessarily resulting in major changes to people's expenditure on familiar salty and sugary snacks.

Mediterranean Diet Adherence in Italian Children: How much do Demographic Factors and Socio-Economic Status Matter?

. This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the degree of children's adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MD), to estimate the weekly cost of MD, and to assess the role of food cost and demographic/socio-economic factors as potential barriers to comply with a healthy dietary model. . Data collection was conducted through an online questionnaire sent to parents of children (6-11 years old) living in Italy. This survey allowed the collection of demographic/socio-economic information about the family and their dietary habits. Adherence to the MD in children was assessed through the KIDMED index. The weekly diet cost was calculated based on the food prices of two Italian supermarket chains. Descriptive statistics and inferential tests were run to evaluate the sample's characteristics and correlations between diet cost, socio-demographics, and adherence to MD. . Data highlighted that 31.5% of the children achieved high compliance with the MD, whereas 22.2% showed low adherence. The average diet cost increased significantly with the increasing level of adherence to the MD (Spearman's Rho = 0.322, p = 0.018). Moreover, results showed that a high parent educational level was positively associated with the KIDMED score (Spearman's Rho = 0.323, p = 0.017). No significant correlations were found between dietary cost and other characteristics such as economic status and house type. . Despite the small sample size, our results suggest that nutrition education interventions targeted at children and their parents/caregivers might favour more conscious dietary choices, which in turn will help reduce the differences in diet quality caused by the educational level gaps existing in families.

Food Cost Control Strategy at Hyatt Regency Bali

Food Cost Control Strategy at Hyatt Regency Bali

Why Are so Many Remote Workers Reluctant to Endure the Politics of Organizational Culture?

A recent Wall Street Journal (WSJ) article dated May 31, 2023, titled “Why Workers Aren’t Coming Back to the Office Full-Time” (Smith & Carpenter, 2023), examines reasons employees prefer remote work, such as rising childcare costs, avoidance of micro-management, low interpersonal conflict, wardrobe requirements, food costs, commute time, and parking expenses. The WSJ has recently published multiple articles on remote work, including one on January 11, 2024, stating “Remote Workers Are Losing Out on Promotions, New Data Shows” (Chen, 2024), which claims remote workers were promoted 31% less frequently than office workers. Understanding the politics of organizational culture related to remote work preferences is crucial. We conducted a literature review using Google Scholar with key terms “remote work” and “office” OR “politics” OR “culture” from 2019 to 2023, including the COVID-19 pandemic period. There is a pressing need for a cultural shift within organizations to adopt remote and hybrid work models, driven by professionals' increasing demand for remote work options.

Mitigation strategies for greenhouse gases to ensure food security

Global warming and food insecurity are global concerns, with agriculture being a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane, from agricultural activities significantly impact climate change. Approximately 24% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from agriculture. Nitrous oxide is 300 times stronger than carbon dioxide and is mainly produced from organic manure and fertilizers. Methane, another potent greenhouse gas, is released during fermentation, manure management, and burning of residues. Carbon dioxide, a major contributor to climate change, is emitted through farming practices, fertilizers, pesticides, and deforestation. Climate change affects food security by directly impacting crop production and indirectly affecting food availability, cost, and supply chains. Hunger rates have been increasing globally, emphasizing the need to control global warming to reduce food insecurity. This review highlights various mitigation strategies for controlling greenhouse gases from agriculture with improved crop productivity. Soil characterization techniques, such as X-ray computed tomography, tracer and chamber-based methods, help to understand the soil composition for greenhouse gas mitigation strategies. Soil amendments, like biochar application can effectively reduce emissions by modifying microbial activity and biogeochemical processes. Controlled irrigation practices, minimum and zero tillage, and efficient nitrogen fertilizer usage also contribute to greenhouse gas mitigation and improves crop productivity. Strategies such as slow release of fertilizers and the use of inhibitors help to increase nitrogen usage efficiency and reduce nitrous oxide emissions. Implementing these strategies globally is crucial for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, reducing global warming, and ensuring food security.

An Innovative Program for Hospital Nutrition.

New York City (NYC) Health + Hospitals implemented a nutrition program making plant-based meals the primary lunch and dinner options for patients at its 11 hospitals. Plant-based and culturally diverse meals are prepared and distributed by a central culinary center, managed by Sodexo. Food service associates visit patient rooms and verbally introduce the featured meals each day. To ensure alignment among all staff members, staff are educated about the health benefits of plant-based nutrition and about the new menu items. The plant-based meals have been well received, with patient acceptance over 95% and patient satisfaction above 90%. Per-tray food costs for plant-based entrees cost $0.59 less compared to trays including animal products. Furthermore, the hospital system has achieved a 36% reduction in calculated carbon emissions as a result of the new plant-based menu. Because dietary choices contribute significantly to health and may influence the likelihood of hospital readmissions, prioritizing plant-based meals and nutrition education during the hospital stay may help improve patient outcomes.

The change in food service costs associated with increasing the healthiness of ready-to-eat food provision: A systematic scoping review.

Increasing the healthiness of food retail environments is an identified mechanism to help halt rising rates of diet-related non-communicable diseases. Previous studies on healthy food environment adoption report that retailers' perceptions of loss of profitability and higher food costs are often barriers to change. Despite this, actual changes to profitability and food costs have not been fully explored. This study aimed to systematically scope the evidence relating to changes to food costs or profitability when changes are made to increase the healthiness of food and drinks sold by food service retailers. Nine databases were searched, with studies included from settings that sold ready-to-consume items, with interventions to increase the healthiness of menus, and reporting food environment/nutrition outcomes, and cost/profit outcomes. Of the 12 studies included, the majority were conducted in the United States and in school settings. Most studies indicated that increasing the healthiness of food service retail environments resulted in neutral or favorable financial outcomes. Food costs and/or profit changes were most often monitored via simple accounting measures. While further research is needed to strengthen the evidence on financial outcomes of healthier food provision, this review indicates that some perceived barriers to change may not be warranted.

Diet Adequacy and Food Cost of Food-secure and Insecure Households: Evidence from the 2018 ENNS

Access to a nutritious diet is a challenge that often strains many households with limited resources, thus making food choices that are short of recommended intakes. The study compared the one-day food consumption of households in the Philippines in terms of cost and nutritional adequacy by food security status. It also used the food threshold as a reference value for meeting the minimum cost required to meet basic food needs and satisfy energy and nutrient requirements. Secondary data from the 2018 Expanded National Nutrition Survey done by the Department of Science and Technology–Food and Nutrition Research Institute was used in the analysis. Food-insecure households have significantly higher intakes of energy-giving foods such as rice and other cereals and significantly lower intakes of body-building food such as fish, meat, and poultry than food-secure households. Less than half (45.0%) of the households have food costs equal to or higher than the food threshold. Households whose food cost was equal to or higher than the food threshold were 2.86 times more likely to meet their energy adequacy than those who had lower than threshold food costs. Similarly, households who met the food threshold were 4.61 times more likely to meet their protein, 2.11 times more likely to meet their vitamin A, and 1.87 times more likely to meet their iron adequacies, holding other variables constant. The study highlights the importance of economic access to food, especially among food-insecure households. This could be through making food more affordable and reducing physical barriers to food to be more accessible to poor communities or providing livelihood opportunities to increase their means to acquire food.

ANALISIS PENGENDALIAN FOOD COST PADA HOTEL THE ST. REGIS BALI RESORT

This research examines food cost control at The St. Regis Bali Resort uses the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) framework which includes five main components of internal control. The study revealed that although the resort implemented a comprehensive control system, there were some gaps between implementation and ideal food cost control practices. The main findings show the existence of food cost variances caused by ineffective and inefficient controls. Several important factors that contribute to this problem include: delays in sending market lists and purchase requisitions from the kitchen to the purchasing department, receiving invoices that do not match the purchase order, and receiving scribbled notes from suppliers. This research also identified non-compliance with standard procedures in the process of purchasing and receiving food ingredients. For example, the purchasing department sometimes makes purchases outside the specified suppliers, while the goods receiving department faces price inconsistencies from suppliers. These gaps hinder the achievement of optimal food cost control targets and have the potential to affect the company's financial stability. This study emphasizes the importance of implementing a tighter and more consistent internal control system to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of food cost control at The St. Regis Bali Resort

Mating Strategy in the Arab Horse Population Over 30 Years in Algeria

Abstract The objective of this research was to describe the variation in breeding practices in the population of Arabian horses in Algeria in relation to the population size drop observed in the 2000s, due to an increase in the cost of food and a change in interest in racing, related to the black decade. As a result, the breeders had to face two opposite constraints: enhancing reproduction to counter the population decline and preventing the loss of genetic diversity. The aim of the study was to evaluate the genetic consequences of the decisions taken over a period of 30 years, starting from 1988 to 2018. The study was based on the analyses of the stud-book and on 11 microsatellite markers in a group of 943 horses, distributed into 13 age classes. Between 2004 and 2008, the breeders purchased foreign sires and dams, allowing a relative stability in unbiased heterozygosity of about 71%, due to the high genetic distances between foreign and local horses. As these importations stopped from 2009 on, there was a decrease in allele numbers of about 20%. Moreover, from 2010 on, we observe an excess of inbreeding and an increase in genetic drift relative to the starting population, due to population size decline. From the analysis of genetic distances between local individuals, it seems that the only constraint for sires and dams allowed to mate was a null coefficient of inbreeding.

Quality Assessment and Sensory Evaluation of Complementary Food from Orange Flesh Sweet Potato (OFSP), Soybean, and Tropical Almond Seed Composite Flour

Childhood malnutrition especially vitamin A deficiency and protein-energy malnutrition are widely prevalent in many parts of the world, particularly in developing countries due to the high cost of commercial infant food. Complementary food from OFSP, Soybean and Tropical Almond Seed Flour was produced to improve the nutritional content of locally made infant food. The study evaluated the quality and sensory attributes of complementary food. A commercial sample was used as a reference standard. The sample formulations were in the ratios; 100:0:0, 90:5:5, 80:15:5, 70:25:5. The anti-nutrient composition ranged thus: alkaloid (0.122-0.961%), trypsin inhibitor (0.003-0.455%), tannin (0.036-0.321%), oxalate (0.017-0.049%). The total essential and total non-essential amino acid composition respectively ranged thus in the samples; 14.12-59.55 g/100g of protein and 30.21-41.65 g/100g of protein. Sensory evaluation results showed that all the complementary food samples were generally accepted by the panellists. The composite flour herein produced significantly (p<0.05) increased the nutritional, amino acid, and sensory attributes of the complementary food in contrast to the control sample.

Evaluación comparativa de un suplemento alimenticio artesanal y cuatro balanceados comerciales sobre la eficiencia productiva de cuyes parrilleros

The aim of this study was to evaluate the productive performance of growing guinea pigs, fed with green alfalfa forage and an artisanal supplement widely spread in the Mantaro Valley, Peru, made from wheat byproduct, whole yellow corn and soy cake in the base ratio of 3:2:1, compared to four commercial feeds, in terms of weight gain (BWG), feed conversion (FC), carcass yield (CY), and economic merit. In total, 60 male and female red-line guinea pigs, 18 ± 3 days old and weighing 318 ± 35 g, were used. They were distributed in five metal cages with four levels each. A randomized Complete Block Design was used considering sex as a block. The effect achieved by the artisanal supplement on BWG, FC and CY were similar to that achieved by two commercial products, but superior to the other two; however, it showed a better economic return in terms of unit profit margin and relative profitability due to the lower food cost recorded. It is concluded that the artisanal formulation is appropriate to be used in the fattening of guinea pigs due to its easy preparation and effectiveness in achieving an adequate productive response and greater economic remuneration.

Residential mobility for young adults in extended foster care

BackgroundPlacement stability is tied to well-being among children living in foster care, yet residential mobility remains largely unexplored for transition-age youth residing in extended foster care (EFC) between ages 18 and 21. During the time young adults in EFC can remain in foster homes, child welfare agencies offer living arrangements tailored to the transition into adulthood. In supervised independent living placements (SILPs), residents receive monthly stipends to cover their housing expenses and are responsible for covering food, utilities, and other basic needs-related costs. Transitional housing placements (THPs) offer light-touch caregiving during the transition to independence to ensure that residents have their basic needs met. ObjectiveThe current study is the first comprehensive examination of factors associated with residential mobility in a statewide population of young adults residing in EFC. ParticipantsUsing California administrative Child Protective Services records, we identified young adults who turned 18 between 2016 and 2019 and lived in care for at least 1 week (N = 10,517). MethodsNegative binomial regression evaluated the association between residential characteristics and per-year EFC moves. ResultsWe found that young adults had a median number of 1.0 moves during EFC, with a median rate of 0.67 moves per year in EFC (i.e. roughly one move every 18 months). SILPs and THPs were the most common primary residence types among the study population (41.6 % and 26.0 %, respectively). The average duration of stay in EFC was two years, which varied by primary residence type. Regression results showed that predominant residence type in EFC was associated with EFC mobility, with young adults in SILPs being more likely to experience slightly higher mobility than those primarily living in other residence types (0.82 versus 0.75 moves per year in EFC). ConclusionsFindings suggest that housing for EFC residents tends to be long-lasting and relatively stable in California. Modest variations in mobility by residential type and by experiences in foster care before age 18 underscore the importance of integrating housing and psychosocial resources during independent living planning processes. The commonality of out-of-county residence should be considered when determining housing and transportation expenses for residents, given its potential implications for access to medical and behavioral health care, academic institutions, and employment opportunities for young adults receiving EFC services.

Community gardens support high levels of food production, but benefit distribution is uneven across the gardener community

Urban community gardens are important social–ecological systems from which urban citizens receive many benefits. In this study of 18 urban community gardens in the Central Coast of California, USA, we use a combination of gardener surveys and field-based measurements to evaluate the amount of fresh fruit and vegetables produced by gardeners. We then investigate how food production differed between segments of the gardening population, specifically as a function of gardening experience, time spent in gardens, and food security status. Lastly, we ask gardeners to describe their motivations for gardening to better understand how motivations may relate to individual levels of food production. Thirty-eight percent of gardeners estimate harvesting one to five pounds of food per week, with another 26% estimating six to ten pounds. These estimates were corroborated by field measurements of tomato, squash, and pepper cultivation, where gardeners produced, at the height of the harvest season, an average of four pounds of food per week—an estimated savings of ~ $16USD per week (compared to the cost of local organic fruits and vegetables, June 2023 prices). Regarding the ability of community gardens to reduce food insecurity, gardeners who spent more time in the garden and with higher incomes reported higher food security, while those with larger families or lower incomes were more food insecure. These results show that gardeners in most need of food support were not necessarily the ones cultivating the most fruits and vegetables. While 48% of gardeners reported food cultivation as a primary motivator for gardening, many other motivations (e.g., hobby, being outdoors, relaxation, social interaction, and exercise) were identified as reasons to spend time in the garden, indicating that food production is not the only factor motivating gardeners. Overall, we document that community gardens can be highly productive and provide valuable produce that substantially offsets high fresh food costs; however, gardeners with the greatest food needs are currently not the largest producers, but could benefit from additional resources and support.