|
Community food security has roots in
disciplines such as community nutrition, nutrition education, public
health, sustainable agriculture, and anti-hunger and community development.
There is no universally accepted definition of community food security.
In the broadest terms, community food security can be described as
a prevention-oriented concept that supports the development and enhancement
of sustainable, community-based strategies:
- To improve access of low-income
households to healthful nutritious food supplies.
- To increase the
self-reliance of communities in providing for their own food needs.
- To promote comprehensive responses to local food, farm, and nutrition
issues.
Policies and programs implemented under the label of community
food security address a diverse range of issues, including:
- Food availability and affordability.
- Direct food marketing.
- Diet-related health problems.
- Participation in and access to Federal nutrition assistance programs.
- Ecologically sustainable agricultural production.
- Farmland preservation.
- Economic viability of rural communities.
- Economic opportunity and job security.
- Community development and social cohesion.
Recent ERS Research
Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit—This report provides a toolkit of standardized measurement tools for assessing various aspects of community food security. The toolkit is intended as a resource for community-based nonprofit organizations and business groups, local government officials, private citizens, and community planners.
Community Food Security Programs Improve Food Access —This FoodReview article discusses how community-based efforts, such as farmers markets, food cooperatives, community-supported agriculture, farm-to-school initiatives, and community gardens, complement Federal food assistance programs by increasing the quantity, quality, and affordability of food in a community.
Examples of Strategies and Activities
- Farmers’ markets that boost incomes of small local farmers
and increase consumers' access to fresh produce.
- Community-supported
agriculture programs that provide small-scale farmers
with economic stability while ensuring consumer members
high-quality produce, often at below retail prices.
- Farm-to-school
initiatives that help local farmers sell fresh fruits and vegetables
directly to school meals programs.
- Food stamp outreach programs
that help increase the number of eligible households that participate
in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
|
