scholarly journals Advancing Food Security through Agroecological Technologies: The Implementation of the Biointensive Method in the Dry Corridor of Nicaragua

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 844 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xavier Simon ◽  
Maria Montero ◽  
Óscar Bermudez

In contrast with international food assistance programs, or with the new green revolution based on the sustainable intensification of agriculture, this work proposes an agroecological technology to overcome food insecurity problems in countries like Nicaragua, most especially in rural areas. In particular, it analyzes the effects of implementing the biointensive method—an agroecological food production initiative that is highly labor-intensive, but requires little land—in various communities of the Dry Corridor in Nicaragua. This project is the result of establishing an international consortium for development cooperation where grassroots communities played a prominent role. The main results are an improvement in local food security and a strengthening of the communities’ capacity to face major challenges arising from poverty and climate change, the effects of which are increasingly noticeable in Central America. The main weakness identified is that the necessary tropicalization of the method has not been sufficiently tested, for a two-year period is too short a time to transform the prevailing rural development dynamics significantly.

2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (2) ◽  
pp. S138-S144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Binh T. Nguyen ◽  
Christopher N. Ford ◽  
Amy L. Yaroch ◽  
Kerem Shuval ◽  
Jeffrey Drope

Author(s):  
Craig Gundersen

Food insecurity is a leading public-health challenge in the United States today. This is primarily due to the magnitude of the problem—about 50 million persons are food insecure—and the serious negative health and other outcomes associated with being food insecure. This chapter first defines the measure used to delineate whether a household is food insecure. The measure, the Core Food Security Module (CFSM), is based on 18 questions about a household’s food situation. From the responses, a household is defined as food secure, low food secure, or very low food secure, with the latter two categories defined as “food insecure.” I next discuss the extent of food insecurity in the United States across various dimensions, the key determinants of food insecurity, and the multiple negative consequences associated with food insecurity. Two of the key policy tools used to address food insecurity are the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly known as the Food Stamp Program) and the National School Lunch Program. A brief overview and definition of the eligibility criteria for each program is provided along with a discussion of their respective impacts on food insecurity. This chapter concludes with four major current challenges pertaining to food insecurity and food assistance programs.


2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley Simon ◽  
Keiko Goto ◽  
Ashley Simon ◽  
Jenny Breed ◽  
Stephanie Bianco

Background and Significance: Food insecurity is an emerging issue among college students. It impacts the lives of many university students due to financial reasons. There is limited information about factors that affect food insecurity in that population. This cross-sectional study aimed to examine factors associated with food insecurity and food assistance program participation among college students. Methods: Food security status was determined using the short form of the USDA’s Food Security Survey Module. Results: Out of 116 students, 50 students (43.1%) were food insecure. Food insecurity was inversely associated with self-reported cumulative grade point averages. Only 24% of food insecure students participated in food assistance programs. Students who were involved in campus activities were significantly more likely to participate in food assistance programs. University-level policies and programs that help students combat food insecurity need to be considered. Conclusion: The inverse association between food insecurity and academic success indicates the importance of addressing food insecurity issues to foster their academic and professional success among university students. More research on strategies for promoting food assistance programs to college students is warranted. © 2018 Californian Journal of Health Promotion. All rights reserved.


2022 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Subhashni Raj ◽  
Sam Roodbar ◽  
Catherine Brinkley ◽  
David Walter Wolfe

This research highlights the mismatch between food security and climate adaptation literature and practice in the Global North and South by focusing on nested case studies in rural India and the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. The United States is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, but also has one of the largest wealth gaps. Comparatively, India has one of the largest populations of food insecure people. To demonstrate how adaptive food security approaches to climate change will differ, we first review the unique climate, agricultural, demographic, and socio-economic features; and then compare challenges and solutions to food security posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. While both countries rely on rural, low-income farmworkers to produce food, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted how agricultural and food security policies differ in their influence on both food insecurity and global hunger alike. Emphasis on agricultural production in developing regions where a majority of individuals living in rural areas are smallholder subsistence farmers will benefit the majority of the population in terms of both poverty alleviation and food production. In the Global North, an emphasis on food access and availability is necessary because rural food insecure populations are often disconnected from food production.


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