Food Security and Anthropometry following One Year of Food Assistance in Palestinian Territories

AbstractThe United States has a food assistance structure that, by design, does not assure that households receiving food assistance will be food secure, is deeply inefficient, and is at financial and structural risk. The two most common forms of food assistance used today are Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly the Food Stamp Program) and charitable food assistance in the form of groceries (provided through a network of food banks, food pantries, and other related programs). Approximately 43 million persons participate in SNAP and nearly one-third of them also rely on a food pantry for groceries. The use of charitable food assistance by persons relying on SNAP demonstrates that SNAP’s benefit level and structure does not sufficiently result in food security. The article argues that reinstating a purchase requirement for SNAP and increasing the level of benefits provided to SNAP participants would increase the food security of participants, alleviate the chronic demand for food from food banks and food pantries, and ultimately allow the charitable food assistance network to better accomplish its goal of providing emergency food assistance to the needy.

Download Full-text

Chapter 40 Food security and food assistance programs

Handbook of Agricultural Economics - Agricultural and Food Policy ◽

10.1016/s1574-0072(02)10027-2 ◽

2002 ◽

pp. 2103-2190 ◽

Cited By ~ 44

Author(s):

Christopher B. Barrett

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Food Assistance ◽

Food Assistance Programs ◽

Assistance Programs

Download Full-text

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education Improves Food Security Independent of Food Assistance and Program Characteristics

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu12092636 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (9) ◽

pp. 2636

Author(s):

Heather A. Eicher-Miller ◽

Rebecca L. Rivera ◽

Hanxi Sun ◽

Yumin Zhang ◽

Melissa K. Maulding ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Food Assistance ◽

Household Food Security ◽

Program Participation ◽

Assistance Program ◽

Program Delivery ◽

Linear Regression Modeling ◽

Nutrition Assistance ◽

Over Time ◽

Food Assistance Program

The purpose of this project was to determine whether consistent food assistance program participation or changes in participation over time mediated or moderated the effect of federal nutrition education through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) on food security and determine the associations of SNAP-Ed program delivery characteristics with change in food security. This secondary analysis used data from a randomized controlled trial from September 2013 through April 2015. SNAP-Ed-eligible participants (n = 328; ≥18 years) in households with children were recruited from 39 counties in Indiana, USA. The dependent variable was one year change in household food security score measured using the United States Household Food Security Survey Module. Assessment of mediation used Barron-Kenny analysis and moderation used interactions of food assistance program use and changes over time with treatment group in general linear regression modeling. Program delivery characteristics were investigated using mixed linear regression modeling. Results showed that neither consistent participation nor changes in food assistance program participation over time mediated nor moderated the effect of SNAP-Ed on food security and neither were SNAP-Ed program delivery characteristics associated with change in food security over the one year study period. SNAP-Ed directly improved food security among SNAP-Ed-eligible Indiana households with children regardless of food assistance program participation and changes over time or varying program delivery characteristics.

Download Full-text

Achieving Food Security Through Localisation, Not Aid: “De-development” and Food Sovereignty in the Palestinian Territories

Journal of Peacebuilding & Development ◽

10.1177/1542316620918555 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 (2) ◽

pp. 205-218

Author(s):

Yara M. Asi

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Food Sovereignty ◽

Well Being ◽

Food Aid ◽

Policy Recommendations ◽

Palestinian Territories ◽

Humanitarian Crises

Food aid is a common response to the food insecurity brought by conflict and inadequate development. Yet the very well-intentioned actions that are meant to stave off immediate humanitarian crises may, in the long-term, serve as tools that promote dependence, decrease the likelihood of sustainable development, and make peace less possible. In this article, I examine food insecurity and food aid in the conflict-affected Palestinian territories. I will describe ways in which Palestinian efforts to localise food production and increase food security are actively hindered, as well as how the system of humanitarian food assistance meant to fill these gaps may in fact perpetuate them. Finally, I discuss policy recommendations for stakeholders in the conflict that can encourage Palestinian food sovereignty in a manner that increases prospects for long-term peace and development, while providing immediate benefits for Palestinian quality of life and well-being.

Download Full-text

Discussant's Response to "Food Assistance Programs and Food Security"*

Review of Agricultural Economics ◽

10.1111/j.1467-9353.2005.00242.x ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 27 (3) ◽

pp. 446-448

Author(s):

James P. Ziliak

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Food Assistance ◽

Food Assistance Programs ◽

Assistance Programs

Download Full-text

Who really counts in Iran’s National Food Assistance Program? Lessons from multi-stakeholder processes in the wicked policy area of food security

Cadernos de Saúde Pública ◽

10.1590/0102-311x00341820 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 38 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Mona Pourghaderi ◽

Nasrin Omidvar ◽

Amirhossein Takian ◽

Arlette Saint Ville ◽

Hannaneh Mohammadi Kangarani ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Low Income ◽

Policy Making ◽

Security Policy ◽

Food Assistance ◽

Assistance Program ◽

Nutrition Research ◽

Food And Nutrition ◽

Multi Stakeholder ◽

Food Assistance Program

Abstract: Multi-stakeholder processes - as a necessary part in the development of public policies - can provide diverse perspectives to inform and to improve food security policy-making. Iran’s National Food Assistance Program (NFAP) is one of the major welfare programs in Iran that reduces food insecutiry to low-income households. This study aimed to identify and to categorize actual and potential stakeholders in NFAP using the stakeholder salience model. According to Mitchell’s theory, stakeholders’ attributes (power, legitimacy, and urgency) were assessed based on the nature of their interactions, roles, and level of engagement. Results revealed a number of significant but marginalized stakeholders, including Iranian Ministry of Health (office of community nutrition improvement), academia, center for food and nutrition research, target group, charities, and international organizations, who have not received any targeted organizational attention and priority to their claims. The unbalanced attention provided to some stakeholder groups characterized as “definitive” and “dominant” and ignoring some important ones will jeopardize long-term viability and undermine support for the program with inevitable declines in legitimacy. Understanding the change in the stakeholders’ characteristics is the main variable to determine the allocation of organizational resources in response to different and rising stakeholders’ demands and possibly the projects outcomes. This will facilitate and enhance the possibility of knowledge exchange and learning, and greater trust among stakeholders during the food and nutrition policy-making process.

Download Full-text

Impact of an Asset Transfer Program for Income Generation and Food Security Among Ultra-Poor Households in Rural Bangladesh

Current Developments in Nutrition ◽

10.1093/cdn/nzab045_074 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. 692-692

Author(s):

Paige Volpenhein ◽

Yunjeong Kim ◽

MD.Iqbal Hussein ◽

Jaganmay Biswas ◽

Sunwoo Byun ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Food Security ◽

Asset Management ◽

Income Generation ◽

Seasonal Trends ◽

Rural Bangladesh ◽

World Vision ◽

Poor Households ◽

Asset Transfer ◽

One Year

Abstract Objectives An economic development (ED) program, designed based on an ultra-poor graduation approach, was implemented to alleviate poverty and improve food security in rural Bangladesh through asset transfer. This study aims to compare income generation, consumption, and seasonal trends in asset management among ultra-poor households receiving different small assets. Methods A total of 2960 poor or ultra-poor households received (1) 9–26 ducks (n = 2125), (2) 11 chickens (n = 872), and/or (3) vegetable seeds with garden training (n = 2407), depending on living environment. Indicators related to production of assets, income generation, and consumption of assets were collected quarterly over the course of Jan-Dec 2019. Changes in the amount of assets, income generated from assets and asset byproducts, and consumption of assets and asset byproducts were compared across time and asset group type. Results Significant seasonal trends in the amount of production and income were found among all three asset groups over one year (all p < 0.001). The vegetable and duck groups reported their highest mean incomes at the Jan-Mar follow-up, and the chicken group reported its highest mean income at the July-Sept follow-up. A higher proportion of chicken households maintained their baseline asset provisions at one-year than duck households (29.2% vs. 18.2%, p < 0.001). The duck group reported higher average monthly income than the chicken group (811 TK vs. 480 TK; p < 0.001). The duck group consumed a greater number of eggs per month than the chicken group (55 eggs vs. 27 eggs; p < 0.001), while the chicken group consumed a greater number of poultry per month than the duck group (1.65 chickens vs. 0.95 ducks; p < 0.001). Conclusions Duck assets are better short-term income sources for the poor and ultra-poor than chicken assets in rural Bangladesh. Our findings in asset management, income generation, and consumption provide evidence of the impact of the graduation approach on ultra-poor household economies and should be considered in future scale-up of the ED program. Funding Sources World Vision Bangladesh, World Vision Korea, KOICA.

Download Full-text