from the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development |
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JAFSCD is the world’s only community-supported journal. JAFSCD content is open access (free) thanks to the generous support of our shareholders: the JAFSCD Shareholder Consortium, Library Shareholders, a growing number of Individual Shareholders, and our six JAFSCD Partners: |
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JAFSCD peer-reviewed article by Joshua Gruver, Kim Lee, and Emily Hayes (all at Ball State U)
Despite being a world-class tourist destination, the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI—St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John) face significant challenges related to diversified crop production, food distribution, and food security. High poverty rates among islanders perpetuated by historical iniquities, frequent hurricane damage, drought, poor soil quality, high food production costs, and limited food distribution networks are just a few of the challenges residents face. Consequently, 97% of the food consumed in the USVI is imported. Frequent hurricane damage, such as the recent damage from Irma and Maria (back-to-back Category 5 storms that hit the islands in 2017) complicated these challenges even more and disrupted food-import processes.
In a new JAFSCD article, Food insecurity in paradise: An exploration of food system resilience in the U.S. Virgin Islands, authors Joshua Gruver, Kim Lee, and Emily Hayes present a case study involving a literature review, participant observation, and a series of semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with key informants about issues related to food insecurity, resilience, and farmer needs regarding business sustainability. Corresponding author Joshua Gruver can be contacted at jbgruver@bsu.edu.
KEY FINDINGS -
The political, economic, and cultural complexities of the USVI stymie efforts to lower barriers related to food accessibility and affordability.
- A new and vibrant entrepreneurial spirit—among native islander and transplant farmers alike—provide novel entryways into food system change and development.
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Moving forward, it will be important to sustain efforts on local agriculture while fostering meaningful connections with the tourism industry.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POLICY, PRACTICE, AND RESEARCH -
Vitalize local food systems by:
- Developing more value-added products;
- Redirecting cruise-ship tourists away from over-run port shopping districts toward farm and food adventures farther inland; and
- Increasing farmers markets and food-focused events on the island.
- Link agriculture related ventures and tourism.
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Develop ways to incentivize farmers and would-be farmers to participate in agriculture and business education programming offered by the USDA NRCS, UVI Extension, and Agriculture Business Centers.
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Work toward developing farmer networks and peer-to-peer training opportunities to share knowledge and expertise related to farming, technical, and business skills.
SHARE ON YOUR SOCIALS
It is no surprise that Category 5 hurricanes can impact food security, resilience, and farmer needs in the U.S. Virgin Islands. In a new JAFSCD peer-reviewed article, the authors shine light on the vibrant entrepreneurial spirit among native islander and transplant farmers alike—providing entryways into food system change and development. #USVirginIslands #climatechange #resilience #localfoodsystems
Read the @JAFSCD article for free: https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2024.141.010 |
Photo above: Cruise ships docked in the Port of Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Photo provided by author Joshua Gruver. |
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JAFSCD peer-reviewed article by Cristina Moraga Franco (U of California, Davis), Edye Kuyper (CommuniCare+Ole), and Reina Engle-Stone (U of California, Davis)
Nutrition and food security have a massive impact on overall health, which is why many health centers, especially those that serve low-income communities, have explored programs to increase access to healthy food and nutrition education. At CommuniCare+OLE, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in Yolo County, California, its Food is Medicine (FIM) program integrates food and nutrition interventions into its care model for prevention and management of noncommunicable disease. Understanding access to and experiences with FIM programs during crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and among diverse populations can help ensure program resiliency.
In a new JAFSCD article, Formative assessment of community health center Food is Medicine programs during COVID-19 in Northern California, researchers Cristina Moraga Franco, Edye Kuyper, and Reina Engle-Stone used mixed methods to explore the experiences of program participants and their views on FIM services. As the study took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, a secondary aim of the study was to understand the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on individuals’ access to food security, coping strategies, and health care. Corresponding author Reina Engle-Stone can be contacted at renglestone@ucdavis.edu.
KEY FINDINGS - Participants reported increased access to vegetables and improved nutrition knowledge and skills as a result of FIM programs.
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Participants indicated the program helped them incorporate more fruits and vegetables into their diets as well as taught them new ways to use and prepare produce when cooking at home.
- Participants viewed Community Health Centers and FQHCs as trusted resources, suggesting that they can play a vital role in connecting patients to other community resources and programs (e.g., WIC, food banks, CalFresh).
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Time constraints and limited awareness of FIM programs hindered program participation, demonstrating a need for more flexible and/or after-hours scheduling and more on-demand access to resources like cooking class videos and educational sessions.
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Like many other individuals in the U.S. and worldwide, FQHC patient participants reported that the pandemic and its associated economic hardships made accessing healthcare and high quality food more difficult. However, telehealth served as a continuation of healthcare for many.
- Participants relied on federal and community resources, including FQHC FIM programs and social networks, to manage food insecurity and healthcare disruptions.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POLICY, PRACTICE, AND RESEARCH - Enhanced Outreach: Actively promote FIM programs and community resources during patient visits, and improve the visibility of multilingual, culturally relevant materials in clinics and online.
- Flexible Scheduling: Offer varied session times, including after-hours options, and provide virtual recordings for patients with time constraints.
- Sustained Support: Secure ongoing funding to pilot and optimize FIM programs.
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Future Research: Study FIM programs in diverse settings and populations to understand best practices, and explore how to effectively integrate food security screeners and resource referral programs into primary care visits.
SHARE ON YOUR SOCIALS What do participants think of Food is Medicine programs? A new study from CommuniCare+OLE in Yolo County, CA, highlights the promise of these programs and the challenges that need to be addressed for resilient and sustainable programs.#FoodIsMedicine #FoodSecurity
Read the @JAFSCD article for free: https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2024.141.014 |
Photo above: Produce prescriptions provide patients who have elevated blood glucose access to locally grown produce accompanied by recipes. Photo credit: Edye Kuyper. |
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Building Strong Retail Systems for Local Farmers and Local Food
With about one dozen farm stops now successfully up and running and several more approaching launch, we believe now is the perfect time to gather, learn from one another, share best practices, and envision the role we’d like to see farm stops play in our local food ecosystems.
Whether you operate a farm stop already, or think that you may one day want to open one in your community, our goal is to provide content useful to you as you move forward. With that in mind, we are putting together an ambitious slate of local food thought leaders, and planning a full lineup of panels on everything from fundraising and marketing, to farm relations and merchandising, while also leaving plenty of time for networking.
Speakers and panelists include Philip Ackerman-Leist, John Ikerd, Kate Krauss, Debra Tropp, Michelle Miller, Kathryn Barr, and many others.
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POSITION OPENINGS FROM JAFSCD SHAREHOLDERS |
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NOTE >> Deadline approaching — apply by January 24!
The Food Connection at the University of Kentucky (TFC) is seeking a Postdoctoral Researcher to conduct applied research on value chain coordination (VCC) in local and regional food systems. This is a unique and high-impact postdoctoral researcher position, created in partnership with TFC, the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Local and Regional Foods Division (LRFD), and the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development (JAFSCD). The postdoctoral researcher will lead a novel multi-institution research initiative that results in scholarly publications, stakeholder-facing technical assistance resources, and policy recommendations at local, regional, and national scales.
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CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS OR TO APPLY |
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The successful candidate will develop and lead externally funded research and extension programs that support and strengthen the viability of the New Jersey agricultural sector and individual farms. Through active engagement with the agricultural community, the Specialist will identify existing and emerging opportunities and needs, conduct applied research to assess what technical assistance and policies would help farmers take advantage of these opportunities, and provide educational outreach in the agricultural community across different scales of operation, commodities, and production systems.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS OR TO APPLY |
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The Department of Agricultural Economics, Rural Sociology, and Education (AESE) at The Pennsylvania State University is seeking candidates for an Extension Program Specialist who will conduct Extension programs, develop enterprise budgets, and create and update publications for the Penn State “Ag Alternative” series. The role includes supporting research projects and offering expert advice on risk management. The candidate will effectively build solid connections with stakeholders and their organizations. This position requires a master’s degree plus three years of relevant experience or equivalent work experience.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS OR TO APPLY |
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If you are affiliated with a college or university and want to support JAFSCD, now is the time of year when libraries order new journal subscriptions. |
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Isn't JAFSCD open access and free? It is! But we are a community-supported journal. Libraries contribute to become JAFSCD Library Shareholders instead of buying a subscription — keeping JAFSCD free to all instead of buying access just for their faculty and students. Think of us as the CSA of journals!
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