Anne C. Bellows

Local autonomy and sustainable development: Testing import substitution in more localized food systems

Community initiatives to create more localized food systems ofteninclude the strategy of import substitution, i.e., increasing local foodproduction for local consumption. The purpose of this policy iseffectively to supplant some level of imported food into the region. Weargue that such action can carry social and environmental risks as wellas benefits and we have developed research parameters to measure theimpact of such strategies. Harriet Friedmanns seminal work (1991) onthe employment of import substitution by transnational corporationsprovides a framework to identify possible advantages and disadvantagesof the same approach locally. We propose local autonomy and sustainabledevelopment as positive indicators of a more localized food system.Three units of analysis are proposed to measure changes in localautonomy and sustainable development as a result of import substitutionschemes: fair labor trade, equity and democracy, and environmentalstewardship. We propose that this flexible framework of analysisincreases our ability to describe the shifting and integrated balancebetween more local and more global food systems.

Gender and food, a study of attitudes in the USA towards organic, local, U.S. grown, and GM-free foods

Food choice is influenced by consumer attitudes towards food attributes. This U.S.-based study (n = 601) simultaneously compares attitudes towards selected food attributes of organic, locally grown, U.S. grown, and GM-free food in relation to other food attributes. Exploratory factor analysis identifies underlying constructs that determine, together and separately, female and male food choice decisions. Gendered analysis of the value of food in life and food behaviours (cooking and shopping) support the investigation of the highlighted food attributes. Respondents generally assigned greater importance to the U.S. grown, followed by GM-free, locally grown, and organically produced food attributes in deciding what to eat. Analysis of the female and male subsamples yielded similar factor results. All four main attributes were captured in a single factor, associated with respondents in both the female and male subsamples who are older, have lower incomes, and who are religiously observant. Additionally, among females, this factor was associated with higher education; and among males, living in households with children and/or with partners. Additional studies should further explore the interaction of food attributes now becoming increasingly important and prevalent in current food products.

U.S.-Based Community Food Security: Influences, Practice, Debate

The practice, policies, and debate associated with U.S.-based community food security (CFS) reflect the historical development of food rights and food security at the International and US national, state, and local community scales. First, CFS in the U.S. has multiple and conflicting definitions that are locally defined within a context of entitlement rights and global trade. Second, the political economy that generates conditions of local food Insecurity is increasingly countered within a framework of international economic and political rights. Third, the capability to claim economic rights may require the cross-sectoral efforts of activists, public officials, entrepreneurs, and academics. In this paper, we provide a short history of international food rights and food security and a background on the diversity of CFS perspectives and practice in the United States. We identify some of the many entry points for CFS activities to portray the need for a system-wide strategy to address food security.

Infant feeding practices among mildly wasted children: a retrospective study on Nias Island, Indonesia

BackgroundThis study investigated the infant feeding practices of participating mothers who were recruited into a research project aimed at improving the nutritional status of mildly wasted children (< -1.0 to ≥ -1.5 Weight-for-Height Z-score s) aged ≥ 6 to < 60 months on Nias Island, Indonesia.MethodsCross-sectional, questionnaire-based interview of mothers of the index children (n = 215) who were admitted to the community program for mildly wasted children in the study area. Four focus groups and twenty in-depth interviews were conducted to explore further information on infant feeding practices in the study area.ResultsRetrospective results indicated that 6% of the mothers never breastfed. Fifty two percent of mothers initiated breastfeeding within six hours of birth, but 17% discarded colostrum. Exclusive breastfeeding until 6 months of age was practiced by 12%. Seventy-four percent of the mothers offered supplementary liquids besides breast milk within the first 7 days of life, and 14% of infants received these supplementary liquids from 7 days onwards until 6 months of age. Moreover, 79% of the infants were given complementary foods (solid, semi-solid, or soft foods) before 6 months of age. About 9% of the children were breastfed at least two years. Less than one in five of the mildly wasted children (19%) were breastfed on admission to the community program. Qualitative assessments found that inappropriate infant feeding practices were strongly influenced by traditional beliefs of the mothers and paternal grandmothers in the study areas.ConclusionGenerally, suboptimal infant feeding was widely practiced among mothers of mildly wasted children in the study area on Nias Island, Indonesia. To promote breastfeeding practices among mothers on Nias Island, appropriate nutrition training for community workers and health-nutrition officers is needed to improve relevant counseling skills. In addition, encouraging public nutrition education that promotes breastfeeding, taking into account social-cultural factors such as the influence of paternal grandmothers on infant feeding practice, is needed.

Nutrient analysis of varying socioeconomic status home food environments in New Jersey.

Home food inventories of Oaxacan Mexican-American and African-American families of low-socioeconomic status living in an urban area in New Jersey with at least one child under the age of 12 were conducted using Universal Product Code scanning. The African-American and Oaxacan household food supplies were compared with a sample of White households, also with at least one child under the age of 12, not of low-socioeconomic status. Nutrient Adequacy Ratios for total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, total carbohydrate, sugar, dietary fiber, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, and iron were used to quantify the adequacy of household food supplies per 2000 cal. The food supplies of the White households had significantly more calcium, vitamin A, and sugar and less total fat than the other two samples. The home food supplies of African-American households contained significantly less vitamin C than White and Oaxacan households. Compared to both other samples, Oaxacan household food supplies were lower in protein, sodium, and iron. Per 2000 cal, African-American households had the lowest supply of nutrients recommended to be maximized (i.e., vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron, protein, and dietary fiber) and highest supply of nutrients to be minimized (i.e., total fat, cholesterol, sodium, and sugar). Overall household food quality scores were lowest for the African-American sample with no differences between Oaxacan and White household food supply quality scores.

ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF ALLOTMENT GARDENS IN POLAND 1

ABSTRACT Collectively, Polish allotment gardeners represent the largest land managers or users in Poland. Policies that today dedicate the use of this often prime city space reflect a history of social stability that spans the political and economic transformations of the 19th, 20th, and earliest 21st centuries. In 1997, the gardeners celebrated 100 years of formalized urban allotment food production that is rooted in Polands agrarian past and efforts to move rural labor into urban settings without an infrastructure to meet their basic needs. Polands allotment garden arrangement provides an important, though fraught, model for food security and urban open space policy. The system combines local and national government policy, administration and management by a non-governmental organization (NGO), and deeded private use by individual gardeners. Today this arrangement produces ongoing tension among the stakeholders and a contentious, even healthy, debate about the private and public uses of urban land.

Dietary Intake and Food Habits of Pregnant Women Residing in Urban and Rural Areas of Deyang City, Sichuan Province, China

Micronutrient deficiencies and imbalanced dietary intake tend to occur during the reproductive period among women in China. In accordance with traditional Chinese culture, pregnant women are commonly advised to follow a specific set of dietary precautions. The purpose of this study was to assess dietary intake data and identify risk factors for nutritional inadequacy in pregnant women from urban and rural areas of Deyang region, Sichuan province of China. Cross-sectional sampling was applied in two urban hospitals and five rural clinics (randomly selected) in Deyang region. Between July and October 2010, a total of 203 pregnant women in the third trimester, aged 19–42 years, were recruited on the basis of informed consent during antenatal clinic sessions. Semi-structured interviews on background information and 24-h dietary recalls were conducted. On the basis of self-reported height and pre-pregnancy weight, 68.7% of the women had a pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) within the normal range (18.5 ≤ BMI < 25), 26.3% were found to be underweight with a BMI <18.5 (20.8% in urban vs. 35.6% in rural areas), while only 5.1% were overweight with a BMI ≥30. In view of acceptable macronutrient distribution ranges (AMDRs) the women’s overall dietary energy originated excessively from fat (39%), was low in carbohydrates (49.6%), and reached the lower limits for protein (12.1%). Compared to rural areas, women living in urban areas had significantly higher reference nutrient intake (RNI) fulfillment levels for energy (106.1% vs. 93.4%), fat (146.6% vs. 119.7%), protein (86.9% vs. 71.6%), vitamin A (94.3% vs. 65.2%), Zn (70.9% vs. 61.8%), Fe (56.3% vs. 48%), Ca (55.1% vs. 41%) and riboflavin (74.7% vs. 60%). The likelihood of pregnant women following traditional food recommendations, such as avoiding rabbit meat, beef and lamb, was higher in rural (80%) than in urban (65.1%) areas. In conclusion, culturally sensitive nutrition education sessions are necessary for both urban and rural women. The prevalence of underweight before conception and an insufficient supply of important micronutrients were more pronounced in rural areas. Therefore, attention must be given to the nutritional status, especially of rural women before, or at the latest, during pregnancy.

Improved Nutrition Knowledge and Practice through Intensive Nutrition Education: A Study among Caregivers of Mildly Wasted Children on Nias Island, Indonesia

Background Inappropriate nutrition knowledge and feeding practices of caregivers are among several important causes of persistent malnutrition problems in young children. Thus, it is essential to provide caregivers with the necessary knowledge to help them modify their feeding practices. Objective To examine the effectiveness of two different nutrition education methods, weekly intensive nutrition education (INE) and monthly nonintensive nutrition education (NNE), designed for caregivers of mildly wasted children (weight-for-height z-score ≥ −1.5 to < −1) aged ≥ 6 to < 60 months on Nias Island, Indonesia. Methods To assess the impact of the two different nutrition education approaches on nutrition knowledge and practice of caregivers with their children, respondents were assigned to receive either weekly INE (n = 114) or monthly NNE (n = 96). The knowledge and practice levels of the mothers in each group were assessed and compared using a pretested validated questionnaire at admission and after the intervention period. Results At admission, the knowledge and practice levels of caregivers in both groups were not statistically significantly different. After participating in the nutrition education program, the percentage of correct answers on nutrition knowledge and practice in the INE group was significantly higher than that in the NNE group. Significant improvement in knowledge and practice scores was observed in the INE group after the intervention (p < 0.001), whereas only a significant improvement in knowledge was found in the NNE group (p < .05). Conclusions In comparison with NNE, the INE approach was significantly better in bringing about a positive change in knowledge and practice of caregivers of mildly wasted children in the study area.

'We eat meat every day': Ecology and economy of dietary change among Oaxacan migrants from Mexico to New Jersey

Abstract In the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, the USA has experienced large-scale and continuing immigration from around the world, especially Latin America and, within Latin America, from Mexico. One dimension of these transnational processes is dietary change. In this paper, we qualitatively assess the effects of migration from Oaxaca, Mexico to central New Jersey on the ecology and economy of dietary patterns. We explore multiple factors at the micro and macro levels. Data come from focus groups held among Mexican migrants in New Jersey, and in Oaxaca among people from their sending communities. Economic constraints and lack of culturally appropriate foods are larger barriers to healthy eating than lack of knowledge about appropriate diets. We end with recommendations for nutrition education and interventions.

Gender and sustainable livelihoods: case study of South African farm workers

This study investigates how gender affects sustainable livelihoods in terms of the impact on food and nutrition security in farm worker households. Gender variables play a crucial role in the well-being of households, especially for women and children. A case study of South African farms shows that female-headed households, although having less access to earned income, take better care of the well-being of household members. While men remain the dominant earners, women have better access to social grants, remittances from relatives and informal incomes. Households led by women are found to have greater food security, defined as having physical, economic and social access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet dietary needs. The paper highlights the crucial role of womens access to resources and power relations within households for sustainable livelihoods and the need to include household and gender variables in demographic and health surveys.