Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development

Revaluing waste: Care, recirculation, and food politics in Truffles and Trash

Sofia Francisco — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

First paragraphs:

Kelly Alexander’s Truffles and Trash: Recirculating Food in a Social Welfare State traces the movement of edible but discarded food through Brussels’ expanding network of food-recirculation initiatives. The book enters a global conversation on food waste intensified by the 2011 Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) report estimating that one-third of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted. Rather than framing waste as the individual consumer’s responsibility, Alexander situates it within the structural logics of capitalist food systems. As she explains, “This project is about innovative and creative ways to recirculate discarded food before it becomes food waste, and to do that as a way of caring for other people and for the planet” (p. 41, emphasis in original).

Alexander—an anthropologist and food studies scholar—entered the project curious about how certain foods, especially truffles, acquire extraordinary value—or are overvalued. Her apprenticeship at La Truffe Noire, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Brussels built around one of the world’s most expensive ingredients, quickly confronted her with a different reality: the sheer volume of edible food routinely discarded. “I felt ill peering into that bin every day, seeing so much good-looking food go uneaten” (p. 12). That encounter became a pivotal moment, shifting her focus from why some foods are prized to how food gains and loses value along a spectrum of edibility. What began as a fixation on waste in one high-end kitchen broadened into a study of food waste across Brussels, exploring how surplus is produced, judged, and redistributed. . . .

Why do producers decide not to join agricultural associations?

Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Ataulfo is an economically valuable mango variety originating in the Soconusco region of Chiapas, Mexico. Some, but not all, producers are members of marketing organizations. This study sought to evaluate how membership in a marketing organization impacts the livelihood viability of producers in the Soconusco and Istmo-Costa regions. From January 2020 to December 2021, we surveyed 126 producers (34 association members and 92 nonmembers), representing 3% of all Ataulfo producers in the study area. Using cluster analysis, we identified five unique groups of producers: Group 1 (G1), Packing-linked producers (2 producers, 1.6%); Group 2 (G2), Resource-limited producers (48 producers, 38.1%); Group 3 (G3), Intermediate commercial producers (55 producers, 43.7%); Group 4 (G4), Multimarket producers (12 producers, 9.5%); and Group 5 (G5), Export-specialized producers (9 producers, 7.1%). We found that social capital, as represented by association membership, appears to influence the viability of mango growers in diverse and international markets. However, among nonmember producers, those in G3 obtained high profits despite not being organized. While association membership enhances the profitability of G4 and G5, it did not limit the reserves of financial capital in G3. Contrary to the literature suggesting that lack of organization undermines viability, our findings indicate that some nonmember producers achieved high profitability. This result suggests that Ataulfo growers can be successful without belonging to a producer organization. However, socio-environmental threats, such as the advanced age of producers, lack of generational succession, low income, and varying levels of insurance among nonmember groups, pose risks to their long-term viability.

Criteria for selecting assessment tools for local food systems in the context of socio-ecological transitions

Mon, 03 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Local food systems (LFSs) have attracted growing interest around the world as locally rooted alternatives to globalized food supply chains. LFSs address persistent multidimensional challenges such as food insecurity, malnutrition, and environmental degradation while advancing more equitable and sustainable food systems, a process often referred to as a socio-ecological transition. Evaluation plays a key role in this process by helping LFS stakeholders clarify priorities, identify strengths and vulnerabilities, measure progress, inform necessary adjustments, and underpin accountability. Numerous LFS assessment tools have been published in scholarly and organizational documents to support holistic evaluation mechanisms covering the social, economic, environmental, and governance dimensions of sustainability. However, researchers and practitioners lack clear guidance on how to choose appropriate assessment tools. This study aimed to identify criteria for selecting LFS evaluation tools that can support effective socio-ecological transitions. Through a scoping review, we identified 22 holistic evaluation tools encompassing 24 components that contribute to a more sustainable vision of LFS. Our analysis yielded seven criteria to guide tool selection. These include (1) relevance to the local context; (2) capacity to assess strengths, assets, and challenges; (3) capacity to guide action; (4) use of a holistic and innovative framework; (5) comparability across territories and scales; (6) community and citizen participation; and (7) capacity to monitor and evaluate deep, systemic transformations. Following our analysis, we recommend adding an evaluation component focused on transition dynamics to monitor structural changes, particularly shifts in norms, policies, and rules that support local food initiatives. This component would also identify the structural barriers and resistance that impede the initiatives’ consolidation. We further recommend that the selection of evaluation components be driven by a collective, stakeholder-led process to ensure alignment with local priorities. Future efforts should prioritize improving data accessibility, strengthening the inclusion of perspectives from vulnerable and Indigenous communities, and establishing mechanisms to explicitly link evaluation findings to policy decision-making.

Bridging cultural divides: Culture and acculturation in Latino/a service-provider interactions

Ervin Leiva, Corinne Valdivia, Stephen Jeanetta — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This case study examines how culture and acculturation shape interactions between Latino/a immigrant farmers and service providers in Missouri. Grounded in Valdivia et al.’s (2012) framework on capital creation and complemented by Bourdieu’s (2012) concepts of habitus and field, the research draws on focus groups and interviews with Latino/a immigrant farmers and agricultural service providers across Southwest and Central Missouri. The analysis reveals seven interconnected themes spanning institutional disconnect, trust barriers, time administration, communication, market entry, financial practices, and gender dynamics. Acculturation emerged as a bilateral dynamic in which both farmers and service providers interpret each other’s behavior through institutional logical frameworks that are culturally distinct. Farmers’ prior experiences in Latin America, including encounters with institutional corruption and financial instability, shaped their wariness toward U.S. institutions, while service providers’ habitus (the values, beliefs, and motivations they absorb through professional training and social position) led them to misread farmer behavior as cultural deficiency rather than adaptive strategy. To organize these dynamics, the study develops a bidirectional acculturation interface: a conceptual framework that extends acculturation theory (Berry, 1997) to the farmer–service provider relationship by integrating Valdivia et al.’s capital creation framework with Bourdieu’s concepts of habitus and field. The framework identifies two mechanisms that shape outcomes: a misalignment mechanism that blocks farmers’ conversion of existing types of capital into institutional support and an alignment mechanism that enables conversion when service providers recognize the capitals that farmers bring. Findings underscore the need for culturally responsive services, revised eligibility criteria accommodating small-acreage and dispersed operations, accessible financial products, and institutional attention to the context of reception that shapes farmers’ willingness to engage.

Sociodemographic correlates of food security status among older adults in central Ohio

Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Vacillating trends in the prevalence of food insecurity (FI) have been observed in the U.S. While a decline occurred post-pandemic, the cessation of government assistance programs in 2023 resulted in increased prevalence, particularly among older adults, at 5.6% nationally and 7.4% in central Ohio. FI among older adults is concerning due to its impact on morbidity and mortality. Knowledge of associated correlates within geographic regions is limited. Prevalence of FI can vary by region, and central Ohio has one of the highest FI prevalence rates among older adults in the U.S. For this study, a regional cross-sectional survey with stratified random sampling was utilized to inform future development of a typology for assessing FI risk. Older adults aged 50 and above who reside in one of eight counties in central Ohio were invited to participate. The final, regionally representative sample included 1,417 older adults. Data points were weighted to accurately depict the population distribution of the region. Analysis of variance (ANOVA), correlation coefficients, and chi-square tests were utilized to examine differences between sociodemographic characteristics and food security status. We found the majority of participants who were very low food secure had the following characteristics: identified as a woman, were age 74 years or younger, were divorced, widowed, or single, earned an annual household income at or below US$39,999, had completed either some college but had not earned a degree or earned a high school diploma or GED, were either retired but not seeking work or disabled and unable to work, and lived in an urban region. Findings can inform tailored risk assessments, interventions, and referrals to community-based services and government assistance programs in central Ohio and across similar geographic regions.

Challenges and complexities in Northern food systems

Tue, 21 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Canadian Arctic and sub-Arctic are undergoing rapid ecological, social, and political transformations that profoundly affect local food systems. This study examines how households in Nunavik, Canada, navigate their complex, mixed subsistence and market-based food systems and identifies the factors shaping decision-making when selecting food sources. Specifically, this study asks: (1) What are the primary food acquisition sources for households, how are they accessed, and what challenges are faced? and (2) What key factors influence household decision-making in selecting food acquisition sources? Using a co-production of knowledge approach, participatory workshops were conducted with 17 community members from five Nunavik communities. Data included co-created conceptual food system maps, participant-placed preference cards, and facilitator notes from scenario-based discussions. Findings were subsequently validated in a follow-up community engagement session. Thematic qualitative analysis revealed that Nunavimmiut households draw on over 13 distinct food acquisition sources, ranging from direct harvesting and community freezers to grocery stores, family and friends, and increasingly, social media platforms that facilitate both sharing and informal markets. High costs of food and fuel, transportation barriers, time constraints, and other social factors emerged as persistent challenges. Income level and the presence of a skilled hunter strongly influenced decision strategies: low-income households without hunters relied heavily on community freezers and kin networks, while higher-income households accessed additional options such as buying country food from Inuit harvesters and southern grocery stores. These results underscore the adaptive capacity of Nunavik’s food systems alongside their sensitivity to economic and environmental disruptions. Further, these results point to the importance of addressing both structural barriers and digital access. Policies that enhance community freezers, transportation, food assistance programs, and culturally grounded digital tools can strengthen food security and resilience. This study highlights the value of interdisciplinary, community-based approaches that integrate cultural preferences, economic dimensions, and social networks in supporting Arctic food systems under conditions of rapid change.

THE ECONOMIC PAMPHLETEER Breaking the cycles of co-optation

John Ikerd — Thu, 16 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The industrialization of agriculture has faced resistance in the U.S. since at least the early 1900s. The rise of organic agriculture in the 1940s, of sustainable agriculture in the 1990s, local foods in the early 2000s, and regenerative agriculture in the 2020s were all responses to growing concerns about the environmental, socioeconomic, and public-health consequences of industrial agriculture. One by one, each movement has been co-opted by industrial agriculture. With growing concerns about increasingly volatile weather, market prices, and input costs, “resilient agriculture” could be the next challenge to industrial agriculture.

The co-optation is likely to continue, unless there is a fundamental change in strategies for challenging industrial agriculture and whatever its descendants may be in the era of high-tech farming. First, mainstream producers, processors, or retailers have waited for farmers to develop niche markets for organic, sustainable, local, regenerative, or other anti-industrial products. When a niche becomes large enough to become a significant source of corporate profit, they find ways to redefine the concept to accommodate their industrial production systems. They then make the redefined product more conveniently available at prices that are unprofitable for authentic organic, sustainable, local, or regenerative producers and capture the market. . . .

Assessment of needs for produce safety educational resources for non–English-speaking growers in the Midwest

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Refugee growers possess diverse agricultural knowledge, but they often face barriers to complying with U.S. produce safety practices due to language limitations and unfamiliarity with Food Safety Modernization Act standards. This study conducted a needs assessment using focus group interviews with advisory board members (n = 6) and refugee growers (n = 10) in Iowa and Kansas to evaluate produce safety knowledge and identify educational gaps. The interviews with advisory board members aimed to identify refugee populations, crop types, and training needs. The interviews with growers’ focus groups explored knowledge gaps regarding worker health and hygiene, biological soil amendments, and agricultural water safety. The interview transcripts were analyzed using constant comparative analysis. The findings revealed that refugee growers spoke various languages, including Swahili, Kirundi, Nepali, Burmese, Chin, and French. While refugee growers possessed basic knowledge of hygiene and food safety, they lacked understanding in key areas such as sources of contamination, visitor protocols, biological soil amendments, and water testing. We found that language barriers, limited access to training, and cultural differences further hinder effective produce safety compliance. Based on these findings, developing culturally relevant and linguistically tailored educational materials such as short-format, multilingual videos, and posters that reflect growers’ traditions and experiences was recommended. Making these resources accessible via platforms like WhatsApp and YouTube can enhance produce safety practices and support compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act. This research highlights the importance of accessible training to promote produce safety, regulatory compliance, and sustainable agricultural practices among refugee growers.

IN THIS ISSUE Food systems and community well-being

Duncan Hilchey — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

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, Laura Edwards-Orr — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

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. . . .