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Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development
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JAFSCD Article Heads-up ~ October 29, 2021
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JAFSCD is published with the support of our annual partners.
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REGISTER now
for part 3 of NAFSN’s free Finding Your Future in Food Systems webinar series featuring
speakers from job-creating organizations and businesses.
This series has been produced specifically for emerging professionals by the North
American Food Systems Network, a sister organization of JAFSCD.
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Access to affordable fruit and vegetables remains a challenge in lower-income and underserved communities across the U.S. Mobile produce markets (mobile markets) are a well accepted and effective strategy
for increasing F&V consumption in these communities.
While mobile markets have become increasingly more prevalent, models vary widely. Establishing standardized practices is essential for ensuring the effectiveness and sustainability of these important
food access programs. In a new JAFSCD article, "Using
common practices to establish a framework for mobile produce markets in the United States," Kasprzak and
colleagues present findings from research identifying common practices of established mobile markets and the resources they rely on.
Identifying common and favored practices of established mobile markets provides a community-tested level of evidence that can establish a framework and guide other mobile markets.
KEY FINDINGS
Mobile market organizations share similar missions:
- focus on food, health, and empowerment
- participate in incentive programs
- offer nutrition education
- utilize grassroots-based marketing strategies
- prioritize local produce
- sell competitively priced produce through a market-style model
More variable practices include
- staff composition
- funding sources
- program evaluation
- procurement
Strong organizational capacity and community partnerships are paramount to success, but mobile markets must also be tailored to their unique region and customers’ needs.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POLICY, PRACTICE, AND RESEARCH
This present study furthers the research on mobile markets by helping to standardize implementation and move toward models that are effective, scalable, and ready for broad dissemination. Establishing
standards of practice among mobile markets also helps to further legitimize the movement. Identifying common practices may prompt federal agencies to establish an accepted definition and facilitate organizations participating in federal nutrition assistance
programs (e.g., SNAP, FMNP).
Future research should continue to evaluate mobile market practices and create linkages with outcomes to further our understanding of how to ensure they are effective. Research is also needed to further
our understanding of how mobile market operations should be adapted to rural communities and how organizations have adapted their practices during the COVID-19 pandemic (e.g., prepacked produce bundles).
Suggested Facebook post:
How do we avoid reinventing the mobile market wheel? While mobile markets have risen in availability and popularity, models vary widely. In a new JAFSCD article, Kasprzak et al. present findings from
research identifying common practices of established mobile markets to establish a framework and guide other mobile markets. Read for free: https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2021.104.029Suggested Tweet & Instagram:
How can we avoid reinventing the #mobilemarket wheel? Models vary widely! In a new @JAFSCD article, Kasprzak et al. share practices of existing mobile markets to guide others. #foodaccess #veggievan
#UBSPHHP #UBuffalo Read for free: https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2021.104.029Photo above: A mobile vegetable vendor in Guangdong, China. Photo by
Flickr user Can Pac Swire and used under CC BY-NC 2.0.
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Food as a Tool for Social Change
Peer-reviewed article by Chika Kondo (Kyoto University)
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In the 1960s and '70s, Japan’s teikei movement—one of the inspirations for America’s community
supported agriculture (CSA) model—was an alternative food movement led by both consumers and producers organizing to source organic agriculture products directly. In response to many food safety scandals and major environmental pollution incidents, teikei groups
emerged throughout the country, peaking in the 1990s. However, little is known about what has happened to teikei today. As teikei groups
rooted themselves in noncapitalist economic practices shared between consumers and producers, there is much explore on how current members embrace this alternative food movement begun 50 years ago.
In a new JAFSCD article, "Re-energizing
Japan's teikei movement: Understanding intergenerational transitions of diverse economies," author Chika
Kondo presents findings from an ethnographic study on how current consumers and producers engage with teikei groups
in order to understand their motivations for participating and their visions for the alternative food movement today.
KEY FINDINGS
- Alternative food networks (AFNs) such as teikei that
transition their leadership toward a younger generation must adapt to changing social structures and economic needs. For instance, the rising number of women entering the workforce in Japan changes household dynamics and the operations of teikei groups,
since they relied on the volunteer labor of housewives to collect and distribute weekly produce boxes and host educational events.
- The current members of teikei groups
do not have a strong attachment to movement or activist identities as the founding generation of members do. Thus their views on how teikei operates
focuses more on local community development and maintaining financial viability to hire consumer-members to support farming work and administrative labor.
- Teikei’s 10 movement principles reflect
diverse economies scholarship and enable noncapitalist economic practices to emerge as they help guide producers and consumers to engage in more deep and meaningful relationship-building beyond the transaction of produce exchange.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR POLICY, PRACTICE, AND RESEARCH
- Practitioners and scholars engaged in alternative food provisioning should strategize about the tensions that can emerge between social movement building and everyday
needs of those participating, as changing social structures affect both gender roles and class-based accessibility.
- It's important for future researchers and policymakers to consider the intergenerational aspect of these surviving teikei groups
to understand how to strengthen the viability and longevity of any program dedicated to sustainable food systems—or when implementing initiatives to foster a closer connection between producers and consumers.
Suggested Facebook post:
In a new JAFSCD article, explore what happened to Japan’s alternative food movement, teikei, one
of the inspirations for the community supported agriculture (CSA) movement. Find out how consumer and producer activists transitioned their organizations toward the current generation of mothers and new entry farmers continuing to engage in the teikei spirit
of fostering close relations between farmers and eaters. Read more on how Japan’s teikei movement
adjusted to new social structures and movement politics. Read the JAFSCD article for free: https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2021.104.031
Suggested Tweet:
How has Japan’s teikei movement
changed since its inception in the 1960s? See what happened to one of the inspirations for the #communitysupportedagriculture movement. #teikei #CSA @KyotoU Read
@JAFSCD article for free: https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2021.104.031
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Policy and practice brief by Erin King, Dr. Connie Baird-Thomas, Dr. Angela Robertson, Masey Smith, and Dr. David Buys (all at Mississippi State University)
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The Mississippi Delta is a prime example of the food-insecurity paradox: 17 of the 19 counties experience at least 15–19%
food insecurity, and 8 of the 19 counties face obesity rates greater than 40%. The highly agricultural nature of this region often reduces access to healthy food outlets. Economic factors also limit the ability to purchase nutritious foods, leading to conditions
of overweight and obesity.
In a new JAFSCD policy and practice brief, "Improving
the function of a high obesity program: Findings from community-engaged Mississippi Delta focus groups," authors Erin
King (corresponding
author), Dr. Connie Baird-Thomas, Dr. Angela Robertson, Masey Smith, and Dr. David Buys present focus group findings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s High Obesity Program, AIM
for CHangE (Advancing, Inspiring, and Motivating for Community Health through Extension). The team led these focus groups to
evaluate the program's effectiveness in assisting coalitions and identifying barriers to healthy foods and physical activity in the Mississippi-Delta.
KEY FINDINGS
- Coalition members described program staff as knowledgeable and accessible.
- Distance to food outlets ranged from 5 to 60 miles.
- Food pantries were identified as a common outlet for community members to access food.
IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE
This program evaluation revealed the importance of seeking out community perspectives to drive program development to improve food systems. Working in
partnership with coalitions has improved the internal and external communication in the program. These findings can assist other high obesity program grantees in using community-friendly approaches to improve health.
Sample Facebook post
Focus groups shed light on the effectiveness of the CDC's High Obesity Program, AIM for CHangE (Advancing, Inspiring, and Motivating for Community Health through Extension) in the Mississippi Delta.
Some of the barriers coalition members identified were limited access to healthy foods and the need for more assistance from program staff. This program evaluation revealed the importance of seeking out community perspectives to drive program development to
improve food systems.Read the entire brief for free at https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2021.104.012
Sample Twitter and Instagram post
Focus groups shed light on effectiveness of #CDC High #Obesity Program, AIM for CHangE, in #MississippiDelta. The #evaluation points out importance of community perspectives to improve #foodsystems.
#AIMforCHangE #MississippiState Read @JAFSCD for free at https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2021.104.012
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