Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development

IN THIS ISSUE Food systems and community well-being

Duncan Hilchey — 2026-07-02

First paragraphs:

The summer 2026 issue of the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development presents a diverse collection of scholarship and commentary spanning food security, food safety, entrepreneurship, markets, governance, resilience, climate adaptation, Indigenous food sovereignty, and community development. Together, these contributions illustrate both the complexity of contemporary food systems, and the wide range of approaches researchers and practitioners are advancing to address persistent social, economic, and environmental challenges.

Our cover features the proposed Swineford Road Agrihood outside Richmond, Virginia, U.S., an ambitious collaboration among affordable housing, food justice, and community development organizations seeking to create a neighborhood centered on affordable homes, urban agriculture, and shared community space. As the project moved through the zoning process, however, it encountered repeated delays, shifting requirements, and growing conflict with local officials, leading project leaders to argue that the proposal had become entangled in broader questions of race, exclusionary land-use practices, and community self-determination. The case illustrates how efforts to integrate housing, farming, and social infrastructure into a single community vision can expose deeper tensions surrounding equity, governance, and the future of local development. (Planview image was provided by Duron Chavis.)

VALUE CHAIN COORDINATION COLUMN: Adaptive by design: Flexibility and resilience in regional food systems

Anaya L. Hall — 2026-07-02

First paragraphs:

Practitioners working in regional food systems know that volatility is the norm, not the exception. Market shifts, climate disruption, changing priorities of buyers and public agencies, and turbulent funding landscapes are defining features of operating in this space. Responding to these perennial fluctuations requires flexibility and adaptability, which is exactly where value chain coordination (VCC) shines. Coincidentally, those same attributes make VCC efforts much more complex to measure and study than conventional supply chain interventions.

Building and maintaining a value chain requires a complex set of actors, resources, and physical infrastructure that is coordinated to move identity-preserved food products from producers through intermediaries to final consumers. Appropriately sited and scaled built infrastructure (such as processing facilities, aggregation warehouses, and distribution trucks) is essential, but on its own is a blunt tool that is built for anticipated conditions and difficult to change. While physical infrastructure’s costs and timelines are fixed and legible to funders, investment in VCC is harder to pin down, and yet its long-term market impacts can be significant and far-reaching. . . .

A farmer-designed food assistance pilot program

Natalie L. Minton — 2026-06-26

The Mississippi Delta experiences persistent food insecurity, particularly among older adults. While produce prescription and food box programs have been implemented, they are often grant funded and difficult to sustain, and they typically exclude participants from the program design process. This pilot study used a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach to design and test a home-delivered food assistance program led by local farmers, serving homebound older adults in Quitman County, Mississippi. The project team partnered with the Happy Foods Project, a cooperative of Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) farmers, to co-develop a six-month program providing culturally familiar produce, curated recipes, and weekly delivery. Twenty homebound older adults participated. Mixed methods were used, including participant and farmer surveys, in-depth interviews, and triangulated qualitative analysis. Participants and farmers reported high satisfaction with the program’s delivery, cultural relevance of foods, and strengthened community connections. Themes from the qualitative analysis were Community Connection, Innovative Approach, Financial Access, Participant Knowledge, and Health Behaviors. Farmers noted increased market access and guaranteed income. This pilot demonstrates that a farmer-led, CBPR-designed food assistance program can address barriers to healthy food access while supporting local agricultural livelihoods. Findings highlight the importance of centering participant and farmer input in program design, particularly in rural contexts. Future research should explore scalability and long-term impacts.

Reflections on 10 years of "An Annotated Bibliography on Structural Racism Present in the U.S. Food System"

Rachel E. Kelly — 2026-06-26

This paper is a reflective essay from the Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems (CRFS) on 10 years of writing and updating An Annotated Bibliography on Structural Racism Present in the U.S. Food System (ABSR). The ABSR provides a literature compilation of research, outreach, and opinion on structural racism in the U.S. food system for the practitioner, researcher, educator, and advocate. The authors of this paper provide a comprehensive overview of the ABSR, detailing its purpose, value, applications, and evolution. They also explain how the ABSR has been integrated into CRFS’s ongoing racial equity efforts. This publication concludes with learnings, outcomes, and opportunities that have emerged from the development and utilization of the ABSR.

Food bank member agencies’ orders change after implementation of culturally responsive labels and procuring practices

Cassandra J. Nguyen — 2026-06-25

The charitable food system serves an estimated one in seven adults in the U.S. (Feeding America, 2024). In many cases, this system is made up of a food bank (an organization with centralized procurement, management, and delivery systems) that in turn supplies local food agencies (food pantries) with a portion of their inventory. A common concern in food pantries is that they may not offer culturally appropriate foods to their clients. Initiatives at the food bank level provide opportunities to improve the cultural relevance of foods available in the charitable food system. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether agencies were more likely to order culturally responsive foods (e.g., foods procured to align with cultural groups’ traditions or norms), and a greater number of unique culturally responsive items, after implementing procurement practices and labels in a central food bank’s online ordering system. A one-group pre- and post-test natural experiment utilized three 45-day phases: (1) Baseline: no changes to the ordering system; (2) Labeling: the introduction of labels in the ordering system to identify culturally responsive items; and (3) Procuring: introduction of foods procured to be culturally responsive to Eastern European and Hispanic/ Latinx clientele. Data from a central food bank based in Rochester, New York, included 31,958 items in 720 orders made by 274 unique member agencies (e.g., food pantries, soup kitchens, group homes) from January 16–May 31, 2024. The proportion of orders with culturally responsive items increased during the labeling (OR = 4.79, SE = 1.40, p < 0.0001) and procuring phases (OR = 19.96, SE = 7.16, p < 0.0001) when compared to the baseline phase. The proportion of culturally responsive items within agencies’ orders also increased during the labeling (β = 0.23, SE = 0.099, p = 0.019) and procuring phases (β = 0.81, SE = 0.092, p < 0.0001) in comparison to the baseline phase. Results suggest that culturally responsive initiatives taken at the food bank level can affect the foods ordered to be available in community-facing programs. Additional research can build on these findings to better align foods with community needs and address household food insecurity.

Understanding demand for agriculturally integrated neighborhoods:

M. Renée Umstattd Meyer — 2026-06-24

Agrihoods are residential communities intentionally designed around agriculture and green space to foster connections with food, nature, and neighbors. Despite their growing popularity, little is known about who is drawn to these developments or the amenities they value. This study examined the characteristics, health behaviors, and housing priorities of prospective agrihood homebuyers. From March to July 2024, adults interested in purchasing a home in a Fort Bend County, Texas, agrihood (N = 128) completed an online survey distributed through the developer’s marketing channels. Measures included sociodemographics, health behaviors (time spent in nature, amount of sleep, physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption), housing priorities, and willingness to pay more or extend commutes for specific amenities. Respondents were predominantly female, racially and ethnically diverse, middle-income, and highly educated. Although many respondents reported health behaviors below national recommendations, they expressed interest in health-promoting amenities. Affordability, school quality, and proximity to important places and people emerged as key housing priorities, while most respondents indicated they would be willing to pay more or extend their commutes to gain access to opportunities for physical activity, nature, fresh produce, social spaces, and agricultural features. These findings suggest that agrihoods may not only attract individuals already engaged in healthy lifestyles but also those who view these environments as potential catalysts for positive behavior change. As such, agrihoods may represent a promising setting for embedding preventive health promotion into residential development. Longitudinal research is needed to determine whether relocation to an agrihood translates into measurable improvements in health outcomes.

“Rabbit farming is easy”: Perspectives from rabbit farmers in Kabale, Uganda

Chiwoneso B. Tinago — 2026-06-24

In 2012, Kigezi Healthcare Foundation (KIHEFO) in southwest Uganda launched the Rabbit Farming Project to empower families and communities to overcome poverty and improve nutrition through small-scale rabbit farming. This qualitative study describes participant perspectives of rabbit farming and the Rabbit Farming Project in Kabale, Uganda. Researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with 46 rabbit farmers. Themes that emerged included the ease of rabbit farming; nutrition, income, and agricultural benefits; housing and animal health and safety barriers; the commercial impact of COVID-19; KIHEFO support; and infrastructure, resources, and guidance recommendations. Rabbit farming was central to survival and participants described the ease of rabbit farming as a key factor even while not all were aware of the role of KIHEFO in facilitating regional rabbit farming. The COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected commercial farmers, while subsistence farmers thrived. We found that rabbit farming provides local and sustainable income-generation and nutritional benefits, but it requires resources to build community capacity. Evidence from this research can be applied to similar communities across the globe to promote food security, poverty relief, and empowerment for vulnerable communities through rabbit farming.

What is the role of national policies in fostering local food supply chains?

Chyi-Lyi Liang — 2026-06-23

First paragraphs:

National Policies and Programs Supporting Local Foods

As defined in the 2008 farm bill, local foods are those that are transported less than 400 miles from their origins or only within the state in which they are produced (Martinez et al., 2010). However, different states use other definitions of local foods. For example, state organizations, like the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) and North Carolina Cooperative Extension, recognize local foods as food grown, caught, or raised in North Carolina (Favre, 2022). Both producers and consumers generally consider the definition of local foods to be “locally grown and sourced” products, with an appreciation for local farmers and their commitment to stimulating economic activity and development.

The initial concept of local foods can be traced back to neighborhood activities or county-level connections that allowed growers to connect with residents. Many of us who grew up in rural areas (where modern supermarkets were not as popular) share personal experiences or memories of going to local markets and being fascinated by the dynamic interactions between sellers and buyers. Over time, this type of localized exchange has evolved and expanded into more formal market settings, such as farmers' markets, roadside stands, food hubs, and restaurants showcasing specialty products sourced locally. Martinez (2016) provided a comprehensive review of policies that contribute to the local food movement in the U.S., thus strengthening the relationship between growers and consumers grounded in rural communities. Some of the obstacles to growing local food programs and initiatives have been discussed by researchers including production limitations (e.g., geographical location and landscape, soil, and climate variations), distribution limitations (e.g., demand versus supply matching, market regulations, and food safety compliance), traceability issues between vendors, suppliers, and buyers, and timely responses to unforeseen challenges (e.g., economic and environmental shocks create gaps for labor and market channel operations) (Martinez, 2016). . . .

Understanding caregiver perspectives to improve food security screening in healthcare settings

Garrett M. Broad — 2026-06-19

Healthcare institutions are increasingly engaged in efforts to screen patients for food insecurity and connect households to supportive resources, often in direct collaboration with community development practitioners and aligned with Food Is Medicine initiatives. Evidence of the effectiveness of these efforts, however, is limited. Drawing on data from six focus groups with a total of 42 participants, conducted in both English and Spanish, this study explores how low-income parental caregivers experience and understand food security screenings within healthcare settings. From there, it identifies communication barriers and opportunities for improvement. The analysis was guided by communication infrastructure theory (CIT), a framework for understanding how a community’s “storytelling network,” consisting of local residents, organizations, and media, can be harnessed for health promotion. Findings revealed a complex mix of trust and skepticism. While some caregivers appreciated efforts to connect families with resources, many expressed concern and fear related to stigma, privacy breaches, and potential intervention by child protective services. Spanish-speaking participants also highlighted linguistic barriers that increased frustration with the process. Participants recommended that screening processes prioritize choice and provide follow-through with tangible resource connections, ideally facilitated through trusted community intermediaries. Applying CIT, our analysis suggests that healthcare institutions can strengthen food security outreach by building relationships with familiar individuals and organizations in the community’s storytelling network. Doing so requires fostering trust through transparent, empathetic engagement. Overall, the findings demonstrate an important role for practitioners in food systems and community development to develop community-based communication strategies with healthcare institutions. This study both advances theory and offers actionable guidance to make food security screening more equitable, effective, and responsive to caregivers’ lived realities.

Impacts of the Food Safety Modernization Act’s Produce Safety Rules, exemptions, and behavioral insights among small-scale produce growers

Elma Kontor-Manu — 2026-06-19

While the Produce Safety Rule (PSR) of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) sets a regulatory framework to promote the production of safe produce, the exemption criteria it provides exclude many very small and small-scale farms from full compliance. Regardless of exemptions, food safety remains a shared priority across the food system. For qualifying farms, exemption status provides some benefits but can also introduce limitations which farms might need to navigate. To examine the cognitive components that shape the food safety decision-making processes of FSMA-exempt produce growers, the theory of planned behavior (TPB) was adapted as a framework in this study. Growers’ beliefs and perceptions that influenced their intent to implement safe practices were investigated. Growers’ responses to the benefits and limitations of the exemptions from the FSMA Produce Safety Rule were also explored as part of the cognitive analysis. Through a series of focus group discussions, information was collected from thirty Indiana FSMA-exempt produce growers. Study participants expressed deep commitment to providing safe food to their consumers. It was determined that the importance of their own personal values and relationships within the food system contributed to decisions that affect their customers. A recurring theme was the trade-off between the reduced regulatory burden of the PSR and the increased liability risks in the absence of regulatory safeguards. Findings also highlighted the intersection of perceived benefits and limitations, regulatory expectations, and how availability of resources collectively shapes approaches to food safety. The findings underscore the unique situation of FSMA-exempt produce growers and the importance of tailoring food safety outreach programs that offer support based on practical, trust-based approaches.