“Free food on campus!”: Using instructional technology to reduce university food waste and student food insecurity

Abstract Objectives To analyze the magnitude and distribution of food waste and insecurity in Mexico as a first step in designing public policies to counteract these problems. Methods Based on methodology proposed by Subirats et al. (2008), we analyzed the magnitude and distribution of food waste and insecurity in Mexico. Using scientific evidence and official data, we responded to the following guiding questions: What is the problem? What is the magnitude of the problem? Who are the population groups most affected by the problem and where do they reside? To what extent does coverage under current public policies address these problems? Results Problem: By 2050, the Mexican population will have grown by 22.9 million with respect to 2015. The country's capacity to produce the amount of food required in the future will depend largely on what proportion of the population has the necessary financial resources to acquire the food it needs, and whether food is equitably distributed. Magnitude of the problem: Mexico loses and wastes approximately 34% of the national production of items in the basic food basket while 26.4 million Mexicans lack sufficient income to acquire the quantity and quality of food they need. Those affected the most: From an environmental viewpoint, the larger cities in Mexico constitute the principal production centers of food waste, among other residues. This causes air, land and water pollution at the regional level, as well as serious health problems in the population. From an ethical and nutritional perspective, food waste indirectly affects those experiencing food insecurity. Location of the affected population: In 2012, central Mexico was the largest generator of urban solid waste including organic and, specifically, food residues. Conversely, southern Mexico was the region most affected by food insecurity. Public policy coverage: Despite the magnitude of the problem, several Mexican states have no public policy in place to combat food waste or insecurity. Conclusions The evidence provided by our study contributes to decision making in the formulation of public policies aimed at reducing food loss and waste as well as food insecurity. It also serves to monitor progress towards the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Funding Sources None.

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Moving Beyond Giving Free Food: Specific Targeting and Tailoring in Response to Child Food Insecurity

Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics ◽

10.1016/j.jand.2020.07.024 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 121 (1) ◽

pp. S74-S77

Author(s):

Maryah Stella Fram ◽

Edward A. Frongillo

Keyword(s):

Food Insecurity ◽

Free Food ◽

Specific Targeting

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Understanding Food Waste, Food Insecurity, and the Gap between the Two: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study in Saudi Arabia

Foods ◽

10.3390/foods10030681 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 681

Author(s):

Nora A. Althumiri ◽

Mada H. Basyouni ◽

Ali F. Duhaim ◽

Norah AlMousa ◽

Mohammed F. AlJuwaysim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Saudi Arabia ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Food Waste ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Household Level ◽

Individual Level ◽

Factors Associated ◽

Household Factors ◽

Cooked Food ◽

The Individual

Background: Food waste and food insecurity may co-exist in various balances in developing and developed countries. This study aimed to explore the levels of food waste and food insecurity, the factors associated with them, and their relationships at the household and individual levels in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This study was a nationwide cross-sectional survey conducted via computer-assisted phone interviews in January 2021. Quota sampling was utilized to generate balanced distributions of participants by gender across all the administrative regions of Saudi Arabia. Data collection included household demographics, food waste and disposal, the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES), and the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS). Results: Out of the 2807 potential participants contacted, 2454 (87.4%) completed the interview. The mean age was 31.4 (SD = 11.7; range = 18–99) and 50.1% were female. The weighted prevalence of uncooked food waste in the last four weeks was 63.6% and the cooked food waste was 74.4%. However, the food insecurity weighted prevalence at the individual level (FIES) was 6.8%. In terms of food insecurity at the household level (HFIAS), 13.3% were in the “severely food insecure” category. Moreover, this study found that “moderately food insecure” households were associated with an increased likelihood to waste uncooked food (relative risk (RR) = 1.25), and the “mildly food insecure” (RR = 1.21) and “moderately food insecure” (RR = 1.17) households were associated with an increased likelihood to waste cooked food. However, “food secure” households were associated with a decreased likelihood to waste cooked food (RR = 0.56). Finally, this study identified four household factors associated with food waste and three household factors that were associated with “severe food insecurity.” Conclusions: This first national coverage study to explore food waste and food insecurity at the individual level and household level, identified household factors associated with food waste and food insecurity and identified new associations between food waste and food insecurity in Saudi Arabia. The associations found between food waste and food insecurity are potential areas of intervention to reduce both food waste and food insecurity at the same time, toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) targets related to food waste and food security.

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Food Insecurity in Households of People with Autism Spectrum Disorder during the COVID-19 Pandemic

10.1101/2021.03.30.21254339 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Vijay Vasudevan ◽

Arun Karpur ◽

Andy Shih ◽

Thomas Frazier

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Rural Communities ◽

Food Insecurity ◽

Free Food ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

Urban Rural ◽

Federal Response ◽

Us Census

AbstractObjectivesTo explore differences in food insecurity for individuals and families of people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) during the COVID-19 pandemic by individual, family, and neighborhood characteristics.MethodsWe surveyed a convenience sample of households of people with ASD. We calculated food insecurity using items from the US Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey..ResultsOver half of all respondents reported being food insecure (51.8%). Respondents who reported being food insecure were more likely to be minority, have a high school education or less, be on public insurance or uninsured, live in urban/rural communities, and say that their community is not supportive. The majority of respondents did not get free food or groceries (53.2%). Food insecure respondents who got free food was most likely to get them from schools (34.2%).ConclusionThis is the first study of its kind to explore food security in households of people with ASD. The pandemic has exacerbated existing neighborhood disparities. The federal response to food insecurity caused by the pandemic needs to be further explored especially for preferred and medically necessary foods for people with ASD.

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Combining two wrongs to make two rights: Mitigating food insecurity and food waste through gleaning operations

Food Policy ◽

10.1016/j.foodpol.2016.12.004 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 68 ◽

pp. 40-52 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Deishin Lee ◽

Erkut Sönmez ◽

Miguel I. Gómez ◽

Xiaoli Fan

Keyword(s):

Food Insecurity ◽

Food Waste

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Improving Efficiency of Volunteer-Based Food Rescue Operations

Proceedings of the AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence ◽

10.1609/aaai.v34i08.7051 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 34 (08) ◽

pp. 13369-13375

Author(s):

Zheyuan Ryan Shi ◽

Yiwen Yuan ◽

Kimberly Lo ◽

Leah Lizarondo ◽

Fei Fang

Keyword(s):

Food Insecurity ◽

High Precision ◽

Branch And Bound ◽

Food Waste ◽

Optimization Algorithm ◽

Data Driven ◽

Data Generation ◽

Rescue Operation ◽

Optimal Intervention ◽

Near Future

Food waste and food insecurity are two challenges that coexist in many communities. To mitigate the problem, food rescue platforms match excess food with the communities in need, and leverage external volunteers to transport the food. However, the external volunteers bring significant uncertainty to the food rescue operation. We work with a large food rescue organization to predict the uncertainty and furthermore to find ways to reduce the human dispatcher's workload and the redundant notifications sent to volunteers. We make two main contributions. (1) We train a stacking model which predicts whether a rescue will be claimed with high precision and AUC. This model can help the dispatcher better plan for backup options and alleviate their uncertainty. (2) We develop a data-driven optimization algorithm to compute the optimal intervention and notification scheme. The algorithm uses a novel counterfactual data generation approach and the branch and bound framework. Our result reduces the number of notifications and interventions required in the food rescue operation. We are working with the organization to deploy our results in the near future.

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Food bank drive-through distribution during COVID-19: A reflective essay

Journal of Agriculture Food Systems and Community Development ◽

10.5304/jafscd.2021.102.044 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Brittney Cavaliere ◽

Carson Drew ◽

Katie Martin

Keyword(s):

Food Insecurity ◽

New England ◽

Free Food ◽

People Of Color ◽

Food Banks ◽

Food Bank ◽

Food Pantry ◽

Regional Food ◽

Food Needs ◽

To Receive

The COVID-19 pandemic has created an unprecedented surge in food insecurity and demand for free food. In response, Foodshare, the regional food bank serving Greater Hartford, Connecticut, created a drive-through distribution program to meet the immediate food needs of residents. Our team at Foodshare’s Institute for Hunger Research & Solutions conducted two surveys of people receiving food at the drive-through distribution to help inform Foodshare’s programming and response to the pandemic. Results show that 70% of households receiving food had never gone to a food pantry or other program to receive free food prior to COVID-19, and 67% said they come at least once a week. Additionally, 86% of guests are not going elsewhere to receive free food and only 37% know of other places to get free food. The majority of people receiving food at the drive-through distribution were people of color, who are those most affected by COVID-19 from both health and financial perspectives. From April to August 2020, Foodshare served an average of 1,500 households each day and more than 150,000 cars total at the drive-through distribution alone. Despite serving an immediate need for food, the drive-through model presents challenges, particularly during the New England winter with snow and freezing temperatures, and is an expensive endeavor. Foodshare and other food banks will need to pivot again from short-term pandemic assistance to longer-term approaches to create dignified, convenient, and sustainable access to healthy food for additional people struggling with food insecurity. Food banks can also leverage their extensive platforms of volunteers and donors to advocate for policy changes that will ensure economic stability and food security.

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