Food Procurement Practices Research Articles

Paleoethnobotanical Sampling Adequacy and Ubiquity

ABSTRACTArchaeological researchers and compliance review officers need to know whether or not a research plan will yield sufficient information to meet research objectives. Despite the need, a key question is often not addressed in proposals or reports: how many flotation samples are sufficient to adequately characterize the food procurement practices at an archaeological site? This article reviews the relationship between ubiquity and statistical probability. By considering the relationship between theoretical ubiquity, measured ubiquity, population ubiquity, and statistical probability, archaeological researchers and compliance officers may assess how many samples must be analyzed in order to adequately characterize the paleoethnobotanical assemblage from a site. These considerations generally apply to any other archaeological data in which presence-absence measures are commonly used and are especially relevant to diet-breadth models in the interest arena of behavioral ecology.

Food Procurement Practices by Vietnamese Immigrants in Japan and the Utilization of Their Social Relationships

Food Procurement Practices by Vietnamese Immigrants in Japan and the Utilization of Their Social Relationships

Food-related behavior and intake of adult main meal preparers of 9–10 year-old children participating in iCook 4-H: A five-state childhood obesity prevention pilot study

It is important to understand adult outcomes in childhood obesity prevention programs as parents and caregivers have a significant influence on the eating and physical activity habits of youth. Grounded in the social cognitive theory, the iCook 4-H study was centered on a dyad model (9–10 year-olds and their primary meal preparers) to teach healthy cooking skills, shopping and meal habits, and being active as a family. The program took place in five states and dyads (n = 54) were recruited through flyers, e-mails, and in-person contact. The focus of this article is to provide findings from adult program participants. Demographics and self-reported food intake, procurement, preparation and safety practices, feeding relationships, mealtime routines, and height and weight were collected through surveys at baseline and program completion, which spanned 3 months. Descriptive statistics including two-related samples tests and paired samples t tests were used to assess pre- and post-program survey data responses at p < 0.05 significance level. Most had a bachelor's degree (31%) or some college (29%), about half were white, 66% were married, about 30% of households participated in assistance programs, and 82% were female. At program conclusion, participants significantly improved meal planning, prioritizing healthy meal choices, shopping with a grocery list, and reading Nutrition Facts Labels. There were also significant, positive differences noted in cooking skill confidence (p = 0.015), desire to cook more meals at home, and fewer fast food meals. Adult-youth feeding interactions also significantly improved. There were also significant increases in fruit juice (100%), vegetable soup, and whole grain consumption. Based on results, adults reported improvements in meal planning, cooking, and purchasing skills that were taught in classes.

Balancing competing policy demands: the case of sustainable public sector food procurement

A focus on market-based green growth strategies to pursue sustainability goals neglects the pursuit of understanding how human health is interwoven with the health of eco-systems to deliver sustainability goals. The article argues that clarifying the difference between green and sustainable public sector food procurement, with political continuity that supports and enables policymakers and practitioners to take an incremental approach to change, makes an important contribution to delivering more sustainable food systems and better public health nutrition. Five European case studies demonstrate the reality of devising and implementing innovative approaches to sustainable public sector food procurement and the effects of cultural and political framings. How legislation is enacted at the national level and interpreted at the local level is a key driver for sustainable procurement. Transition is dependent on political will and leadership and an infrastructure that can balance the economic, environmental and social drivers to effect change. The development of systems and indicators to measure change, reforms to EU directives on procurement, and the relationship between green growth strategies and sustainable diets are also discussed. The findings show the need to explore how consistent definitions for green public procurement and sustainable public procurement can be refined and standardized in order to support governments at all levels in reviewing and analyzing their current food procurement strategies and practices to improve sustainability.

Critical factors for sustainable food procurement in zoological collections.

Food procurement can play an important role in sustainable food supply chain management by zoos, linking organizational operations to the biodiversity conservation and sustainability mission of zoological collections. This study therefore examines the critical factors that shape sustainable food procurement in zoo and aquariums. Using a web-based survey data was collected from 41 members of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA). This included information on the sustainable food procurement practices of these institutions for both their human and animal food supply chains, as well as profile information and data on the factors contributing to and inhibiting sustainable procurement practices. Zoological collections operated by charities, and those with a certified sustainability standard, were found to have significantly higher levels of sustainable food procurement. Zoos and aquariums whose human food operations were not contracted to an external party were also found to have significantly higher levels of sustainable food procurement in their human food supply chain. The most important drivers of sustainable food procurement were cost savings, adequate financial support and improved product quality. The highest ranking barriers were higher costs, other issues taking priority and a lack of alternative suppliers. The results suggest that a number of critical factors shape sustainable food procurement in zoological collections in the British Isles. Financial factors, such as cost savings, were important considerations. The significance of mission-related factors, such as charity status, indicated that core values held by zoos and aquariums can also influence their food procurement practices.

Distance, proximity, and freedom: Identifying conflicting priorities regarding urban backyard livestock slaughter

In many U.S. cities, a new generation of urban residents is taking up gardening, canning, and keeping small livestock. Within this urban homesteading movement, the backyard slaughter of chickens and rabbits for household food production has become increasingly popular in some cities, including Oakland, California, where the practice has incited strong feelings and public debate. Based on a survey of 345 San Francisco Bay Area residents, this quantitative and qualitative research identifies three perspectives among respondents. Some subjects want backyard slaughter prohibited, either to maintain emotional distance from slaughter or because they believe it is inappropriate for urban space. Others express strong support for backyard slaughter, which they see as a humane, healthful alternative to meat from intensive animal production systems. A third group of subjects support urban residents’ right to slaughter animals, placing a high value on individual (human) liberties whether or not they personally approve of backyard slaughter. Each of these perspectives was further associated with a cluster of demographic factors, food shopping and production practices, and personal experiences with slaughter. We suggest that different underlying orientations toward the food system – that is, valuing distance, proximity, or freedom – can be seen in the discourses in which subjects discuss slaughter, how their city should regulate the practice, and in their own food procurement practices. The paper concludes by considering both contributions to related literature and the implications of findings for alternative food systems and for the municipal regulation of urban agriculture.

Association between Travel Times and Food Procurement Practices among Female Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Participants in Eastern North Carolina

Objective To examine associations between self-reported vehicular travel behaviors, perceived stress, food procurement practices, and body mass index among female Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants. Analysis The authors used correlation and regression analyses to examine cross-sectional associations between travel time and distance, perceived stress, food procurement practices (grocery shopping frequency, fast-food consumption, home meal consumption), and body mass index among female SNAP participants aged 20-65 years (n = 215) in eastern North Carolina. Results There were positive associations ( P < .05) between travel patterns and stress ( r = 0.18 for average miles traveled), grocery shopping frequency ( r = 0.16 for average miles traveled), and fast-food consumption ( r = 0.19 for average miles traveled, r = 0.29 for average minutes traveled). Conclusions and Implications SNAP education materials should focus on healthful interactions with the food environment, even when participants must travel long distances.

Seasoning for the Soul: Empowerment Through Food Preparation Among Mexican Women in the Texas Colonias

This article examines the idea of empowerment through food preparation and applies it to a specific context—that of the life of immigrant Mexican women from two South Texas settlement areas, or colonias. Based on ethnographic data gathered through participant observation by bilingual research teams of promotoras and formally educated health professionals embedded with participant families, we analyze the living situations of low-income Mexican women in the South Texas colonias, particularly their food procurement, storage, and preparation practices for their families. We acknowledge the existence of hegemonic gendered, economic, and racialized structures of domination that surround the women's role in food preparation. However, we also recognize food preparation as the domain in which otherwise oppressed and marginalized women, living a life of isolation filled with severe problems and uncertainties, exercise some degree of power and control within their lives and the well-being of their family members. Included are implications for further research on communal empowerment.

The costs and risks of coping with drought: livelihood impacts and farmers' responses in Burkina Faso

This paper analyzes the responses enacted by families of the Central Plateau in Burkina Faso during the year that followed a severe drought in 1997. We illustrate the agro-ecological and socio-economic contexts that shape livelihood options and constraints in an area characterized by high levels of climatic risk and low natural resource endowment. A description of farmers’ perceptions and official accounts identifies key criteria whereby farmers formulate evaluations and predictions of a season. We document how food procurement and management practices are shaped by household resource access profiles and livelihood portfolios. Livelihood diversification, encompassing migration, non-farm work and social support networks, in addition to livestock production, is shown to be a critical dimension of adaptation. Livelihood and production adjustments entail costs and risks for most, but also gains for those who have the resources needed to take advantage of distress sales and high prices of agricultural commodities. Household livelihood and risk management increasingly hinge on efforts by household members who traditionally have had marginal access to resources, especially women. The research points to the need for closer integration of drought preparedness efforts, farmers’ understanding of climate-crop interactions and interventions that bolster the capacity of resource-limited households to respond. Affordable grain, locally adapted seed varieties, labor saving technology and flexible credit are among the most needed inputs.

Cultural Heritage of American Food Habits and Implications for the Hospitality Industry

SUMMARY This study has profiled the cultural heritage of American food habits. American food habits remained predominantly European until the middle of the 20th century, and became distinctly American by late 20th century. This study indicates that the relationship between the culture and the food habits is bi-directional. Analysis of changes in the family structure, and their impact on food habits in the Western civilization from the period of the Roman and Greek empires through the 20th century are included. Contrary to the earlier beliefs, food habits of individuals were found to be more permanent and stable than their socioeconomic, cultural, religious, educational, and ethnic preferences. American food habits of the 20th century are influenced by its cultural sub-groups. Food habits include not only food consumption habits but also the food procurement, production, preparation, and preservation practices. The food habits are often passed on from one generation to another like sacred texts and family traditions. Changing food habits and their impact on the hospitality industry are discussed.

Food diversity and drought survival. The Hausa example

Two Hausa villages in the Sahel of south-eastern Niger were surveyed for food procurement practices, with special focus on dietary use of wild plants. Activities and behaviours during years of adequate rainfall were compared to practices during drought. A diversified food base was maintained through hunting, gathering, agriculture, horticulture, and animal husbandry. Members of households surveyed (n = 112) foraged for edible wild plants located in bushlands adjacent to villages, within household compounds, or within agricultural fields. Dominant agricultural crops were beans, millet, peanuts, and sorghum; prominent household garden species were melon, okra, and squash. At the time of the survey most households experienced marginal crop yields. Edible wild plants were prominent in local diet during both drought and during years of adequate rainfall; more than 80 species were commonly consumed. Protein values of several wild plants exceeded 20%, including Amaranthus hybridus, Cassia occidentalis, Cenchrus ...