Pub Date : 2024-03-28DOI: 10.5304/jafscd.2024.132.020
Max Sano
First paragraph: Gabriel R. Valle’s Gardening on the Margins underscores the importance of engaging in anthropological research through community building in a way that resonates with my entry into food systems research. In embedding himself in Santa Clara Valley, he had the chance to meet with members of the La Mesa Verde community, many of whom are community gardeners who entered community gardening not just out of necessity to meet their needs but also through an “ethic of care,” which the author defines as “caring for others and the relationships that caring creates … make us human” (p. 8). . . .
第一段：加布里埃尔-R-瓦莱（Gabriel R. Valle）的《边缘园艺》（Gardening on the Margins）一书强调了通过社区建设参与人类学研究的重要性，这与我进入食品系统研究领域的初衷不谋而合。在圣克拉拉谷，他有机会与 La Mesa Verde 社区的成员会面，其中许多人都是社区园艺家，他们进入社区园艺不仅是出于满足自身需求的需要，也是出于一种 "关爱伦理"，作者将其定义为 "关爱他人以及关爱所建立的关系......使我们成为人类"（第 8 页）。. . .
{"title":"Contending food sovereignty with cultivating kinship through community gardens","authors":"Max Sano","doi":"10.5304/jafscd.2024.132.020","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2024.132.020","url":null,"abstract":"First paragraph: Gabriel R. Valle’s Gardening on the Margins underscores the importance of engaging in anthropological research through community building in a way that resonates with my entry into food systems research. In embedding himself in Santa Clara Valley, he had the chance to meet with members of the La Mesa Verde community, many of whom are community gardeners who entered community gardening not just out of necessity to meet their needs but also through an “ethic of care,” which the author defines as “caring for others and the relationships that caring creates … make us human” (p. 8). . . .","PeriodicalId":505953,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development","volume":"87 7","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140370974","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-03-23DOI: 10.5304/jafscd.2024.132.013
M. Bezuneh, Zelealem Yiheyis
Food insecurity continues to affect certain segments of the U.S. population at the household and individual levels even when the economy is experiencing growth. This recognition has led to the design and implementation of food assistance programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, targeting food hardship in low-income families. This is in addition to other types of government assistance, such as housing subsidies and public housing, as low-income households and individuals face similar challenges in housing security. Concern over “concentrated poverty” in traditional public housing environment has contributed to a shift toward mixed-income developments, envisaged to improve the living conditions and economic opportunities of public-housing residents. This paper provides a comparative assessment of food insecurity in traditional and mixed-income public housing communities. It also examines the effect of nonhousing public assistance on food insecurity and the temporal relationship between the timing of food hardship and the receipt of assistance. Administering a modified version of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Household Food Security Module to the majority of residents in the two communities, the researchers found negligible differences in food insecurity between recipients and nonrecipients of government assistance. Nevertheless, government assistance appeared to improve the probability of being food secure as it interacted with living environments, suggestive of greater beneficial effect in the environment of mixed-income housing. The results show that the number of households experiencing reduced food intake was lowest in the first two weeks and highest during the fourth week of the month.
{"title":"Public assistance, living environments, and food insecurity: A comparative community case study","authors":"M. Bezuneh, Zelealem Yiheyis","doi":"10.5304/jafscd.2024.132.013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2024.132.013","url":null,"abstract":"Food insecurity continues to affect certain segments of the U.S. population at the household and individual levels even when the economy is experiencing growth. This recognition has led to the design and implementation of food assistance programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, targeting food hardship in low-income families. This is in addition to other types of government assistance, such as housing subsidies and public housing, as low-income households and individuals face similar challenges in housing security. Concern over “concentrated poverty” in traditional public housing environment has contributed to a shift toward mixed-income developments, envisaged to improve the living conditions and economic opportunities of public-housing residents. This paper provides a comparative assessment of food insecurity in traditional and mixed-income public housing communities. It also examines the effect of nonhousing public assistance on food insecurity and the temporal relationship between the timing of food hardship and the receipt of assistance. Administering a modified version of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s Household Food Security Module to the majority of residents in the two communities, the researchers found negligible differences in food insecurity between recipients and nonrecipients of government assistance. Nevertheless, government assistance appeared to improve the probability of being food secure as it interacted with living environments, suggestive of greater beneficial effect in the environment of mixed-income housing. The results show that the number of households experiencing reduced food intake was lowest in the first two weeks and highest during the fourth week of the month.","PeriodicalId":505953,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development","volume":" 66","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140210829","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-03-22DOI: 10.5304/jafscd.2024.132.018
Anna M. Roodhof
In the Netherlands, food forests have been appearing by the dozens since 2017, resulting in calls by Dutch national and local governments, as well as civil society organizations, for evidence of their parameters and profitability. This paper focuses on the former, mapping and analyzing food forestry (FF) in the Netherlands by drawing on assemblage theory. A survey, and unstructured interviews with five FF experts from the field, resulted in descriptive FF data as well as a map of 231 food forests. The main conclusion from the survey data from 109 participants is that food forests are incredibly diverse and versatile in terms of goal or orientation, although few initiatives focus on profitability. Some similarities include age, as most food forests were planted after 2017, and size, as most are between 0.5 and 2.5 hectares (ha), or between 1.2 and 6.2 acres. The demographics of practitioners, however, are rather homogeneous: university-educated individuals between 40 and 60 years old are the norm. Many practitioners state that the FF community at large has contributed to their access to knowledge and network, as well as their enthusiasm, sense of pride, and hope for the future regarding FF. Moreover, a shared ontological position, the distribution and exchange of knowledge, the institutionalization of FF, and infrastructural conditions both foster cohesion within the FF assemblage and embody exclusionary and disruptive processes. These complex relations confirm the importance of descriptive and contextualized evidence to support FF.
{"title":"Understanding the emerging phenomenon of food forestry in the Netherlands: An assemblage theory approach","authors":"Anna M. Roodhof","doi":"10.5304/jafscd.2024.132.018","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2024.132.018","url":null,"abstract":"In the Netherlands, food forests have been appearing by the dozens since 2017, resulting in calls by Dutch national and local governments, as well as civil society organizations, for evidence of their parameters and profitability. This paper focuses on the former, mapping and analyzing food forestry (FF) in the Netherlands by drawing on assemblage theory. A survey, and unstructured interviews with five FF experts from the field, resulted in descriptive FF data as well as a map of 231 food forests. The main conclusion from the survey data from 109 participants is that food forests are incredibly diverse and versatile in terms of goal or orientation, although few initiatives focus on profitability. Some similarities include age, as most food forests were planted after 2017, and size, as most are between 0.5 and 2.5 hectares (ha), or between 1.2 and 6.2 acres. The demographics of practitioners, however, are rather homogeneous: university-educated individuals between 40 and 60 years old are the norm. Many practitioners state that the FF community at large has contributed to their access to knowledge and network, as well as their enthusiasm, sense of pride, and hope for the future regarding FF. Moreover, a shared ontological position, the distribution and exchange of knowledge, the institutionalization of FF, and infrastructural conditions both foster cohesion within the FF assemblage and embody exclusionary and disruptive processes. These complex relations confirm the importance of descriptive and contextualized evidence to support FF.","PeriodicalId":505953,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development","volume":" 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140212142","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-03-21DOI: 10.5304/jafscd.2024.132.017
Kent Curtis, Grace Cornell
After more than three decades, the alternative food movement has developed multiple strategies, most of which are still struggling. This essay surveys the literature on six key alternative food movement (AFM) strategies, assessing their strengths and weaknesses before describing a novel strategy, the microfarm system, which is being implemented in north central Ohio. It argues that key omissions from most AFM scholarship and practices include sustained attention to training and supporting successful farmers, concerted efforts to help facilitate needed social networks or communities of practices around alternative food developments, and forwarding a set of ambitions that do not appreciate the scale of existing food systems nor the limits of alternative food systems’ impact. It offers the microfarm system as an emerging approach to address these omissions.
{"title":"First you need the farmers: The microfarm system as a critical intervention in the alternative food movement","authors":"Kent Curtis, Grace Cornell","doi":"10.5304/jafscd.2024.132.017","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2024.132.017","url":null,"abstract":"After more than three decades, the alternative food movement has developed multiple strategies, most of which are still struggling. This essay surveys the literature on six key alternative food movement (AFM) strategies, assessing their strengths and weaknesses before describing a novel strategy, the microfarm system, which is being implemented in north central Ohio. It argues that key omissions from most AFM scholarship and practices include sustained attention to training and supporting successful farmers, concerted efforts to help facilitate needed social networks or communities of practices around alternative food developments, and forwarding a set of ambitions that do not appreciate the scale of existing food systems nor the limits of alternative food systems’ impact. It offers the microfarm system as an emerging approach to address these omissions.","PeriodicalId":505953,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development","volume":" 73","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140221474","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-03-21DOI: 10.5304/jafscd.2024.132.019
Simone Ubertino, Romain Dureau, M. Gaboury-Bonhomme, Laure Saulais
Deliberative mini-publics (DMPs) have attracted growing attention from both researchers and practitioners in recent years. Their purpose is to assemble random groups of citizens, representing a cross section of society, in order to engage in discussions about policy issues and formulate recommendations. During these sessions, participants are exposed to contrasting perspectives from experts and engage in respectful internal deliberations, facilitated by organizers, before arriving at a carefully considered joint policy position on the topic at hand. DMPs are grounded in the belief that citizen involvement and input are essential if policy reforms are to be perceived as legitimate by the public. In the agri-food domain, they represent an innovative way to rebuild public trust in the food system, allowing citizens to reshape food policy in alignment with their values and concerns. In this study, we conducted a scoping review of the literature to assess the contexts in which food-related DMPs emerge, as well as their organizational characteristics, procedural qualities, and results. We identified a total of 24 case studies, revealing significant diversity between DMPs in terms of their policy themes, formats, and recruitment and decision-making procedures. In terms of results, participants reported that attending the DMP had been a positive experience and had increased their awareness of, and ability to engage in, food policy debates. However, only a handful of DMPs led to documented policy reforms. We argue that greater emphasis should be placed on post-deliberation activities and dialogues if DMPs are to make a meaningful impact and contribute to the democratization of food systems.
{"title":"Democratizing food systems: A scoping review of deliberative mini-publics in the context of food policy","authors":"Simone Ubertino, Romain Dureau, M. Gaboury-Bonhomme, Laure Saulais","doi":"10.5304/jafscd.2024.132.019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2024.132.019","url":null,"abstract":"Deliberative mini-publics (DMPs) have attracted growing attention from both researchers and practitioners in recent years. Their purpose is to assemble random groups of citizens, representing a cross section of society, in order to engage in discussions about policy issues and formulate recommendations. During these sessions, participants are exposed to contrasting perspectives from experts and engage in respectful internal deliberations, facilitated by organizers, before arriving at a carefully considered joint policy position on the topic at hand. DMPs are grounded in the belief that citizen involvement and input are essential if policy reforms are to be perceived as legitimate by the public. In the agri-food domain, they represent an innovative way to rebuild public trust in the food system, allowing citizens to reshape food policy in alignment with their values and concerns. In this study, we conducted a scoping review of the literature to assess the contexts in which food-related DMPs emerge, as well as their organizational characteristics, procedural qualities, and results. We identified a total of 24 case studies, revealing significant diversity between DMPs in terms of their policy themes, formats, and recruitment and decision-making procedures. In terms of results, participants reported that attending the DMP had been a positive experience and had increased their awareness of, and ability to engage in, food policy debates. However, only a handful of DMPs led to documented policy reforms. We argue that greater emphasis should be placed on post-deliberation activities and dialogues if DMPs are to make a meaningful impact and contribute to the democratization of food systems.","PeriodicalId":505953,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development","volume":" 21","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140221704","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-03-19DOI: 10.5304/jafscd.2024.132.014
Introduction: This commentary explores modern agronomy concepts aimed at enhancing public health through sustainable and nutrient-rich agricultural practices. We explore various innovative approaches, including precision agriculture, sustainable farming, efficient nutrient management, crop diversity, biofortification, climate-resilient farming, vertical farming and urban agriculture, digital agriculture, and agroecology (see Figure 1). Our commentary delves into each of these modern agronomy practices, unveiling their intricate web and profound implications for public health. We aim to demonstrate the potential of modern agronomy as a catalyst for improving public health and the quality of life for individuals and communities worldwide. These concepts collectively strive to elevate public health by improving food quality, enhancing nutrition, and safeguarding the well-being of individuals and communities. By harnessing these cutting-edge agronomic concepts, we aspire to transform agriculture into a powerful force for improving public health and enhancing overall quality of life. . . .
{"title":"Enhancing public health through modern agronomy: Sustainable and nutrient-rich practices","authors":"","doi":"10.5304/jafscd.2024.132.014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2024.132.014","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction: This commentary explores modern agronomy concepts aimed at enhancing public health through sustainable and nutrient-rich agricultural practices. We explore various innovative approaches, including precision agriculture, sustainable farming, efficient nutrient management, crop diversity, biofortification, climate-resilient farming, vertical farming and urban agriculture, digital agriculture, and agroecology (see Figure 1). Our commentary delves into each of these modern agronomy practices, unveiling their intricate web and profound implications for public health. We aim to demonstrate the potential of modern agronomy as a catalyst for improving public health and the quality of life for individuals and communities worldwide. These concepts collectively strive to elevate public health by improving food quality, enhancing nutrition, and safeguarding the well-being of individuals and communities. By harnessing these cutting-edge agronomic concepts, we aspire to transform agriculture into a powerful force for improving public health and enhancing overall quality of life. . . .","PeriodicalId":505953,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development","volume":"16 10","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140229570","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-03-12DOI: 10.5304/jafscd.2024.132.007
Chris Smith
Diversity is essential to climate resilience in food and farming. Traditionally, agrobiodiversity has been cultivated and sustained through communities’ relationships with seeds. A fluid process of saving, preserving, and exchanging seeds allows for regional adaptation and transformation. This process results in seed diversity at the crop, variety, and genetic level. Over the last century, agrobiodiversity has declined at an alarming rate, and simultaneously there has been an erosion of community seed-keeping practices. A reaction to these interrelated crises has been an increased push to preserve biodiversity through institutional seed preservation efforts (also called ex situ preservation), which focus on genetic preservation of seeds in controlled environments. The seeds are genetic resources that are made available to plant breeders, who solve agronomic problems by creating improved cultivars for farmers. This is very different from community seed-keeping (also called in situ preservation), which values seed-people relationships and fosters natural agrobiodiversity and regional adaptation. Seeds are seen in direct connection to food, and saved for immediate and practical reasons like yield, flavor, and resistance to biotic stressors. In traditional communities, seeds are often perceived as kin, as ancestors or living beings with both histories and futures. For institutional seed preservation, collecting and maintaining seed diversity is an imperative insurance policy against future challenges. Ironically, this model erodes community-based seed-keeping efforts and increases dependence on institutional seed preservation to maintain genetic diversity. In this paper, we explore declining agrobiodiversity and community seed-keeping and share our experiences working with a diverse range of varieties from The Heirloom Collard Project (HCP). We propose that radical seed diversity can jump-start autonomous, community-based seed-keeping efforts, increasing agrobiodiversity and, ultimately, the climate resilience of food systems.
{"title":"Climate resilient food systems and community reconnection through radical seed diversity","authors":"Chris Smith","doi":"10.5304/jafscd.2024.132.007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2024.132.007","url":null,"abstract":"Diversity is essential to climate resilience in food and farming. Traditionally, agrobiodiversity has been cultivated and sustained through communities’ relationships with seeds. A fluid process of saving, preserving, and exchanging seeds allows for regional adaptation and transformation. This process results in seed diversity at the crop, variety, and genetic level. Over the last century, agrobiodiversity has declined at an alarming rate, and simultaneously there has been an erosion of community seed-keeping practices. A reaction to these interrelated crises has been an increased push to preserve biodiversity through institutional seed preservation efforts (also called ex situ preservation), which focus on genetic preservation of seeds in controlled environments. The seeds are genetic resources that are made available to plant breeders, who solve agronomic problems by creating improved cultivars for farmers. This is very different from community seed-keeping (also called in situ preservation), which values seed-people relationships and fosters natural agrobiodiversity and regional adaptation. Seeds are seen in direct connection to food, and saved for immediate and practical reasons like yield, flavor, and resistance to biotic stressors. In traditional communities, seeds are often perceived as kin, as ancestors or living beings with both histories and futures. For institutional seed preservation, collecting and maintaining seed diversity is an imperative insurance policy against future challenges. Ironically, this model erodes community-based seed-keeping efforts and increases dependence on institutional seed preservation to maintain genetic diversity. In this paper, we explore declining agrobiodiversity and community seed-keeping and share our experiences working with a diverse range of varieties from The Heirloom Collard Project (HCP). We propose that radical seed diversity can jump-start autonomous, community-based seed-keeping efforts, increasing agrobiodiversity and, ultimately, the climate resilience of food systems.","PeriodicalId":505953,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development","volume":"49 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140249064","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-03-06DOI: 10.5304/jafscd.2024.132.008
Christopher Mujjabi, Martin Bohn, Michelle Wander, Carmen Ugarte
Participatory breeding and crop selection can satisfy the needs of underserved groups of farmers (e.g., organic producers, farmers producing specialty grain for niche markets) neglected by the modern global seed industry. Participatory research methods that value local knowledge and facilitate the active involvement of producers, researchers, and other actors involved in the agri-food system are tactics that can help us achieve sustainable agriculture. Interest in the use of participatory methods to increase the value of U.S. land-grant universities to society has grown rapidly during the last decade. Interest includes re-engagement in the development of maize hybrids that perform well in a diverse range of heterogeneous growing environments and that are better suited for sustainability-minded producers, buyers, and consumers. Systems-based breeding aimed at protecting the environment and providing food, fiber, and energy while considering equity issues, has been proposed as a way to overcome the shortcomings of privatized approaches. In this article, we consider recent projects that use collaborative methods for hybrid maize breeding, cultivar testing, and genetic research to develop, identify, and deliver traits associated with crop performance, quality, and sustainability. Three case studies consider the efforts focused on developing non-GMO varieties for organic and specialty markets. We find that, unlike many successful efforts focused on the improvement of other crops, there are few promising models for participatory breeding of hybrid maize. Even though many projects have sought to involve stakeholders with a variety of methods, all have struggled to meaningfully engage farmers in maize hybrid improvement. Still, our reflection of case studies calls for systems-based breeding and suggests a path forward. This route would seek to address the needs, perspectives, and values of a broader range of actors participating in the food system by leveraging technologies and infrastructure in service of the public. Land-grant universities are well positioned to play a crucial role in coordinating efforts, facilitating partnerships, and supporting breeding programs that satisfy societal wants that include health, equity, and care.
{"title":"Participatory breeding in organic systems: Experiences from maize case studies in the United States","authors":"Christopher Mujjabi, Martin Bohn, Michelle Wander, Carmen Ugarte","doi":"10.5304/jafscd.2024.132.008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2024.132.008","url":null,"abstract":"Participatory breeding and crop selection can satisfy the needs of underserved groups of farmers (e.g., organic producers, farmers producing specialty grain for niche markets) neglected by the modern global seed industry. Participatory research methods that value local knowledge and facilitate the active involvement of producers, researchers, and other actors involved in the agri-food system are tactics that can help us achieve sustainable agriculture. Interest in the use of participatory methods to increase the value of U.S. land-grant universities to society has grown rapidly during the last decade. Interest includes re-engagement in the development of maize hybrids that perform well in a diverse range of heterogeneous growing environments and that are better suited for sustainability-minded producers, buyers, and consumers. Systems-based breeding aimed at protecting the environment and providing food, fiber, and energy while considering equity issues, has been proposed as a way to overcome the shortcomings of privatized approaches. In this article, we consider recent projects that use collaborative methods for hybrid maize breeding, cultivar testing, and genetic research to develop, identify, and deliver traits associated with crop performance, quality, and sustainability. Three case studies consider the efforts focused on developing non-GMO varieties for organic and specialty markets. We find that, unlike many successful efforts focused on the improvement of other crops, there are few promising models for participatory breeding of hybrid maize. Even though many projects have sought to involve stakeholders with a variety of methods, all have struggled to meaningfully engage farmers in maize hybrid improvement. Still, our reflection of case studies calls for systems-based breeding and suggests a path forward. This route would seek to address the needs, perspectives, and values of a broader range of actors participating in the food system by leveraging technologies and infrastructure in service of the public. Land-grant universities are well positioned to play a crucial role in coordinating efforts, facilitating partnerships, and supporting breeding programs that satisfy societal wants that include health, equity, and care.","PeriodicalId":505953,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development","volume":"32 5","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140262859","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-03-04DOI: 10.5304/jafscd.2024.132.010
Eli Lumens, M. Beckie, Fay Fletcher
Although research has been limited to date, food insecurity in the United States has been shown to be more pervasive among the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, agender, asexual, and Two-Spirit (LGBTQIA2S+) community, affecting millions annually. College and university students also experience statistically significantly higher rates of food insecurity than nonstudents. This research examines food insecurity at the intersection of the LGBTQIA2S+ community and the university and college student population, as told by the community itself. A qualitative, participatory approach and methods of Photovoice and semi-structured interviews with eight self-identified LGBTQIA2S+ university students studying at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) were used to explore the factors influencing participants’ food access. Data were analyzed using thematic decomposition analysis guided by intersectionality and queer theories. LGBTQIA2S+ identities were found to significantly impact food access, which was further influenced by physical, socio-cultural, and political environments. Barriers to food access include experiences with discrimination on and off campus, poor support systems, a lack of full-selection grocery stores on or near campus, religious influences, the stigma associated with needing food assistance, mental and physical health conditions, financial constraints, time limitations, and lacking transportation options. Understanding the intersectionality of LGBTQIA2S+ students’ experiences and providing relevant and effective support is needed to improve equitable access to nutritious and affordable foods. The findings of this research provide novel insights into food insecurity, an issue that is increasingly influencing the health and well-being of LGBTQIA2S+ university students.
{"title":"Gender, sexuality, and food access: An exploration of food security with LGBTQIA2S+ university students","authors":"Eli Lumens, M. Beckie, Fay Fletcher","doi":"10.5304/jafscd.2024.132.010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2024.132.010","url":null,"abstract":"Although research has been limited to date, food insecurity in the United States has been shown to be more pervasive among the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, agender, asexual, and Two-Spirit (LGBTQIA2S+) community, affecting millions annually. College and university students also experience statistically significantly higher rates of food insecurity than nonstudents. This research examines food insecurity at the intersection of the LGBTQIA2S+ community and the university and college student population, as told by the community itself. A qualitative, participatory approach and methods of Photovoice and semi-structured interviews with eight self-identified LGBTQIA2S+ university students studying at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) were used to explore the factors influencing participants’ food access. Data were analyzed using thematic decomposition analysis guided by intersectionality and queer theories. LGBTQIA2S+ identities were found to significantly impact food access, which was further influenced by physical, socio-cultural, and political environments. Barriers to food access include experiences with discrimination on and off campus, poor support systems, a lack of full-selection grocery stores on or near campus, religious influences, the stigma associated with needing food assistance, mental and physical health conditions, financial constraints, time limitations, and lacking transportation options. Understanding the intersectionality of LGBTQIA2S+ students’ experiences and providing relevant and effective support is needed to improve equitable access to nutritious and affordable foods. The findings of this research provide novel insights into food insecurity, an issue that is increasingly influencing the health and well-being of LGBTQIA2S+ university students.","PeriodicalId":505953,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development","volume":"49 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140265755","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2024-02-29DOI: 10.5304/jafscd.2024.132.009
Renzo Guinto, Kip Holley, Sherry Pictou, Rāwiri Tinirau, Fiona Wiremu, Peter Andreé, Jill Clark, Charles Z. Levkoe, Belinda Reeve
This reflective essay explores power relations, with a particular focus on racialization, that flow through dominant forms of food systems governance, with an aim to create more participatory governance models. Four of the authors asked a group of five scholars, activists, and practitioners (also authors) who identify as Black, Indigenous or People of Color (BIPOC) to discuss during a conference session issues of Indigenous food sovereignty, decolonization, Whiteness, and inclusivity in food systems governance. This paper presents and analyzes the content of the session, part of the 2021 Global Food Governance Conference. We reflect on common themes from the session and put forth recommendations: encouraging greater inclusion in existing forms of food systems governance, achieving decolonization through creating diverse new governance models, and addressing the deeper power structures that underpin the dominant food system itself. We also suggest a research agenda, with the “what” of the agenda unfolding from a process of agenda development that centers BIPOC scholarship. The frameworks offered by the panelists are a starting point, as more work is needed to move towards decolonizing food systems governance research. Finally, a collaborative agenda must attend to the inextricable links of food systems governance to other fundamental issues, such as the emerging field of planetary health.
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