Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development

A food policy council primer: How food policy councils can be a catalyst for change

Wendy Nevett Bazil — 2026-09-27

First paragraph:

Although food policy councils are not always well understood or appreciated, they can be pivotal tools to improve local and regional food systems. Strengthening local food systems is critical right now, when so many issues can interrupt broader food supply chains and, in the U.S., national support for important systemic issues is in jeopardy. Nessa J. Richman’s Food Policy Councils: Building Civic Engagement and Community Well-Being is a timely and necessary primer for food systems participants about the creation and running of a food policy council (FPC), and for existing FPCs on how to be more equitable, effective, and even more ambitious in their work transforming local food systems. . . .

Student voices: A mixed-method approach to understanding the quality of life of students living with food access barriers

Lana Petrie — 2026-09-27

Grounded in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, this mixed-methods study examined how food access influences the quality of life (QoL) among college agriculture students. Because food is a fundamental physiological need, inadequate access can impede students’ physical, psychological, and social well-being, as well as their academic success. This study aimed to identify barriers to food access and determine the factors most strongly associated with students’ QoL.

A concurrent and sequential mixed-methods design was utilized. Phase 1 consisted of a cross-sectional online survey distributed to 3,336 undergraduate students, resulting in 809 responses (24% response rate). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed a statistically significant model (p = .017) explaining 27.7% of the variance in QoL. Significant predictors included food access, first-generation status, senior classification, and Asian ethnicity. Phase 2 consisted of 19 semi-structured interviews that explored the lived experiences underlying the survey findings. Thematic analysis identified nine key themes: barriers to food access, unawareness of resources, financial strain, lack of meal plan funds, limited food options, and the effects of food insecurity on physical health, psychological well-being, social relationships, and academic performance.

Students reported that demanding schedules, transportation challenges, and limited institutional support constrained their ability to access nutritious food. The results highlight food access as a central determinant of students’ QoL and educational persistence. Institutions should enhance awareness of available resources, provide financial and meal plan assistance, and ensure inclusive dining options to promote student well-being and academic success.

Toward resilient agrifood institutions

Afrizal Malik — 2026-09-24

Building resilient horticultural systems is critical in the face of climate variability, market instability, and institutional fragmentation. In Indonesia, farmer corporations have emerged as institutional arrangements intended to strengthen coordination among smallholder farmers and improve agribusiness development. However, limited attention has been given to how farmer corporations operate within the horticultural value chain and contribute to local resilience. This study examines the role of farmer corporations in strengthening the shallot value chain in Majalengka Regency, West Java, Indonesia. This analysis focused on institutional coordination, governance mechanisms, and development priorities within the shallot value chain. The evidence shows that farmer corporations can strengthen resilience by enhancing institutional coordination, collective bargaining, market access, production support, and adaptive capacity in the face of climate and market uncertainty. Institutional integration among farmer groups, farmer group associations, cooperatives, government agencies, and private-sector actors was found to be important for strengthening shallot agribusiness governance and promoting long-term horticultural development. This study contributes to the literature by positioning farmer corporations as farmer-based institutional integration mechanisms, rather than conventional investor-driven corporations. Our results emphasize the need for institutional governance customized to local conditions and collaborative value chain coordination in developing resilient horticultural systems in Indonesia and other agribusiness settings.

Regional food system resilience and rural realities

Lia R. Kelinsky-Jones — 2026-09-24

Food system resilience is increasingly recognized as essential for sustaining food security amid shocks and disruptors such as extreme weather and climate change. Yet resilience planning is often limited in rural regions, where vulnerabilities may be higher and institutional capacity is constrained. This study examines how local governments and regional planning entities engage with food systems resilience across the 13-state Appalachian region. Appalachia provides a valuable case due to its high proportion of rural communities, elevated rates of food insecurity, and documented vulnerability to climate-related disruptions. At the same time, the region’s strong agricultural assets make it well-suited to examine actions related to food systems resilience efforts. While resilience scholarship emphasizes the importance of locally rooted and self-organized food systems, regional approaches are often proposed as a means of connecting these localized efforts to enhance coordination across food systems and increase diversity, redundancy, and interconnectivity. Drawing on 32 group interviews with 113 public officials representing 167 counties, we apply Keegan et al.’s (2024) regional food system resilience concepts as a conceptual framework to analyze regional governance–oriented food system resilience actions. Our findings show that governmental actors primarily engage in facilitative roles, advancing food system efforts through food access initiatives, participation in networks, and support for local and regional supply chains. These efforts often build on locally embedded activities but remain unevenly coordinated across jurisdictions. We also find that local governments rely on nonprofit partnerships to advance food access initiatives in both routine times and in anticipation of or following an acute shock, while explicit attention to longer-term shocks, like climate change, remains limited. Despite evidence that locally organized efforts contribute to resilience, we find limited mechanisms for integrating these efforts at broader regional scales, underscoring gaps in multilevel governance. These findings suggest the need for future research on governance models that support coordination across jurisdictions, as well as practical efforts to strengthen planning capacity, integrate food systems into formal policy processes, and align short-term interventions with longer-term resilience planning.

Association between nutrition assistance programs and household produce waste during the COVID-19 pandemic

Akiko S. Hosler — 2026-09-22

Fresh produce is the most wasted food, accounting for about 45% of household food waste in the United States. The literature is inconclusive about whether nutrition assistance programs aimed at increasing access to healthy food affect household food waste, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. To address this knowledge gap, we investigated the association between participation in nutrition assistance programs (food pantries and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP) and changes in household produce waste since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Given that more fresh produce was distributed to food pantries during the pandemic, we examined whether the perceived quality of fresh produce at food pantries may influence household food waste behavior. We conducted an online survey for adults residing in the Capital Region of New York state from October to December 2021. Among 504 respondents, 27% reported throwing away less produce than usual since the COVID-19 pandemic began, 22% used food pantries, and about half perceived the quality of fresh produce at those pantries as poor. Approximately one-third of respondents were SNAP participants, including the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT). We found that food pantry users who rated produce quality as acceptable had 2.4 times the odds of wasting less produce since the COVID-19 pandemic began compared to non-users of food pantries. Similarly, SNAP/P-EBT users were more likely to report less household produce waste compared to non-SNAP/P-EBT users. Our findings highlight that participation in food assistance programs may help reduce household food waste and underscore the importance of maintaining fresh produce quality at a level clients perceive as acceptable. We suggest greater collaboration among public health nutrition, food waste research, and food systems stakeholders to work toward the common goals of efficiently distributing healthy food, reducing food waste, and eliminating hunger.

Indigenous vegetables and household food security in a borderland community

Agus Fitriangga — 2026-09-20

Indigenous vegetables play a critical yet underdocumented role in household food security among borderland communities in Borneo. This study examines how Dayak Bidayuh households in Entikong, Indonesia, integrate wild and cultivated plant foods into daily diets, cultural practices, and adaptive livelihood strategies within a rapidly modernizing Indonesia–Malaysia border economy. These transformations have been accentuated by recent disruptions, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the rise of commercial agriculture, and the proliferation of fast food and processed goods, which increasingly alter traditional foraging, cooking, and eating habits among younger generations.

Using a multi-site qualitative design supported by household interviews, participant observation, ambulatory foraging walks, and nutritional analysis, data were collected from 30 respondents across five villages reflecting varying degrees of market exposure and ecological access, as well as variation in gender related to age, occupation, or professional roles that spoke to food heritage and production.

Findings reveal five interrelated dynamics: hybrid subsistence and cash-based dependency, dietary transitions linked to Malaysian border markets, persistent cultural significance of indigenous dishes, erosion of ecological knowledge across generations, and gendered constraints in food provisioning. Despite increasing reliance on commercial foods, dishes such as sayur rampai, ayam pansuh, and pekasam remain essential to cultural identity, ecological memory, and social cohesion. The resulting Bidayuh Food Heritage and Food System Model highlights how access to land, knowledge transmission, ritual identity, and market dynamics collectively shape food security outcomes. Strengthening indigenous vegetables and cultural foodways offers a pathway for enhancing dietary diversity, cultural resilience, and locally grounded food sovereignty in borderland contexts.

Sub-Saharan Africa is experiencing a food-related health risk problem in informal food environments

Richard A. Nyiawung — 2026-09-20

Introduction

Sub-Saharan Africa’s (SSA) food systems have been transformed by science-driven gains in productivity and market access, yet a health crisis is intensifying within its vast informal food environments. Agricultural research and technology investments have strengthened smallholder systems (Shilomboleni & De Plaen, 2019) and expanded food availability (Clark & Hobbs, 2023), while rising socioeconomic conditions escalate nutritional demands (Blekking et al., 2022; Djurfeldt, 2015) and propel calls for dietary diversity (Paulo et al., 2024; Usman & Haile, 2022). However, these advances are harshly undermined by the burden of foodborne diseases. An estimated 91 million people in Africa fall ill annually from food-related illnesses, generating over US$15 billion in medical costs and 137,000 deaths (Nigussie et al., 2025; World Health Organization [WHO] Africa, 2019), with downstream economic losses in tourism (Chen et al., 2021). Agrochemical residues, poor hygiene, and weak legislative enforcement in Africa’s largely informal food sectors drive this burden.

Here, we synthesize health threats in informal food environments and call for an urgent agenda to protect public health across SSA. This viewpoint provides a snapshot of health-risk exposures across the three dominant value chains: fruits and vegetables, livestock, and aquatic foods. It emphasizes that while food availability, affordability and accessibility reduce food insecurity, they mask uncontrolled hazards. Addressing this demands research to characterize risks, quantify health and economic burdens, and develop context-specific interventions. Integrated science-policy action must follow to safeguard populations relying on these environments.

Municipal food systems planning in Sweden

Malin Andersson — 2026-09-17

Municipal food systems planning, which involves integrating different food policy areas and collaborating both within municipalities and with external food system actors, is increasingly recognized as essential for building resilient food systems. While local governments globally are giving greater attention to food systems planning, practical gaps persist and barriers to transformation remain underexplored. In Sweden, municipalities hold extensive food-related responsibilities, ranging from public meal provision and public food procurement to spatial planning, contingency planning, and the promotion of sustainable development. This provides a relevant and interesting context for examining local-scale food systems planning. Drawing on an institutionalist view, recognizing the interrelationship between structural factors and agency in planning processes taking a particular focus on context, interviews and document analysis were conducted to investigate food systems planning in three Swedish municipalities. We focus on identifying key barriers and enablers, and we examine their collaborations with regional food system actors. The municipalities employed three distinct approaches to food systems planning: emphasizing local food procurement, working through food-related projects, and implementing a local food strategy. Across all cases, committed officials—whom we refer to as “food champions”—were found to be central to advancing transformative efforts. Barriers included constraints linked to regulations and limited time and resources, particularly regarding the procurement of local food. In contrast, having a local food strategy provided mandate and direction, supporting both internal and external collaboration. Project-based work enabled innovation but suffered from unstable funding and limited long-term continuity. Regional actors played a crucial role in facilitating collaborative platforms and knowledge exchange. Together, these findings emphasize the contextual interplay between structural and agential factors in advancing municipal food systems planning, and how they act as barriers or enablers. The findings highlight that in addition to developing local food strategies, local food systems identity and norms, collaborative routines, strong political support, resources for implementation, and officials responsible for coordinating food systems planning in the municipality, are key enabling factors.

Opportunity costs and agricultural transformation in the Ecuadorian Amazon

Byron Moyano — 2026-09-17

This study analyzes the socioeconomic dynamics and land-use practices of small-scale Shuar farmers in Taisha, Tuutinentsa, and Macuma, in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Based on surveys of 43 cacao producing households, we analyzed perceptions of well-being, land allocation, and livelihood diversification. Households typically include five to six members and rely on diversified portfolios combining cacao (Theobroma cacao L.), peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.), plantain (Musa × paradisiaca L.), livestock, forest, and off-farm activities. Gendered labor divisions are present: men are more involved in marketed production and commercialization, while women play central roles in chakra-based agroforestry management, food provisioning, and household economies that reduce cash expenditures and strengthen food sovereignty. Average farm sizes range from 31 to 40 hectares, with forest and pasture, with smaller areas allocated to perennial and short-cycle crops. These patterns reflect multifunctional strategies balancing income generation, risk management, cultural continuity, and environmental stewardship rather than single-crop optimization. Agriculture and livestock constitute the main income sources in Taisha and Tuutinentsa, whereas Macuma ex-hibits greater economic diversification due to proximity to urban markets. High transportation costs and limited infrastructure constrain profita-bility. Reported cacao yields are lower than pro-vincial and national averages; however, chakra-based systems prioritize multiple outputs beyond yield, including food security, ecosystem services, and cultural values. Opportunity cost analysis sug-gests higher short-term returns for peanuts, while cacao remains central due to its larger cultivated area. These findings highlight the complexity of Indigenous agriculture and the need for culturally grounded development policies aligned with soci-oecological realities.

Understanding college food insecurity through the lens of the theory of planned behavior and social stigma

Brianna E. Mallozzi — 2026-09-15

Intention to use food pantries is a persistent factor in food access among college students, yet how stigma, individual beliefs, and behaviors influence usage remain understudied. This study utilized the theory of planned behavior to examine the relationship between self-perceived stigma, attitudes, normative beliefs, and perceived behavioral control, and their influences on intention to use food pantries. A mixed-methods, 51-item branched survey was administered online to a convenience sample of students (N = 173) at an Appalachian North Carolina state university. Ordinal logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between pantry usage intent and perceived self-stigma, and key theory of planned behavior constructs: Attitudes, Normative Beliefs, and Perceived Behavioral Control. Results showed that higher Normative Belief and Perceived Behavioral Control scores were positively associated with intent to use food pantries. In contrast, higher Self-Stigma scores were inversely related to intent, indicating stigma to be a significant barrier. These findings suggest that increasing communication, accessibility, and normalization of pantry use could improve student food access. Overall, the study highlights how stigma and individual beliefs influence help-seeking behavior among college students, and the importance of methodical dissemination of resources and normalization of such help-seeking behaviors (through empowerment counseling support) to enhance the use of food pantries. Further research should explore similar dynamics in other university settings and evaluate the theory of planned behavior as a framework for understanding food access behaviors.