How Has Covid-19 Impacted Food Systems?
How did food banks and food pantries cope with the COVID-19 pandemic impact on food insecurity in the US?
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT
We conducted a study, in partnership with WhyHunger.org, to explore the experiences of private, charitable non-profit hunger relief organizations who were on the front lines of food assistance, ensuring people who were in need got access to food during the most worrisome months of the pandemic. This research sampled the experiences and activities of these HROs across the U.S. from June through September 2020. Read more.
How has COVID-19 Impacted Restaurants in Durham, NC
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT
This study documents the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic-related government restrictions on the Durham, North Carolina restaurant industry by late summer of 2020. Sixty-four restaurant businesses in Durham, North Carolina participated in the survey between June-September 2020. Participating restaurants were mainly locally-owned businesses. The survey captured the type of restaurants, the impact of COVID-19 on sales, employees, supply chains, support needed by the restaurant industry; and additional commentary in order to give space to elaborate. Read more.
SPECIAL COVID Podcast Series
Listen to inspiring podcasts with farmers, hunger relief organizations, school districts, states, antii-hunger advocates and more. Learn how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the food system.
Food Purchase Behavior and Food Values During the COVID-19 Pandemic
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT
The COVID-19 pandemic has altered conceptions of “normal” globally, including food purchasing and acquisition decisions. In this paper, we surveyed a panel of 1,370 U.S. households four times during the COVID-19 pandemic from mid-March to late April 2020. With this unique panel, we observe changes in food expenditures, shopping behaviors, and food values as the pandemic evolved. Our results reveal reductions in food-away-from-home expenditures and increases in online grocery shopping. Food values appear to be fairly stable in the early stages of the pandemic; however, decreases in the importance of price and nutrition reveal tradeoffs households make during the pandemic. Read more.
Understanding micro-pantries as an Emergency Food Source During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Micro-pantries are community-supported, small, "lending library" type structures in neighborhoods. In collaboration with the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, we looked at why and how people used these resources to help navigate moments of food insecurity during the pandemic. People appreciated the anonymity and ability to choose what they wanted. Learn more: research paper, infographic, podcast
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Is it more convenient to waste? Trade-offs between grocery shopping and waste behaviors
Ellison, B., Fan, L., & Wilson, N. L. W. (2022). Is it more convenient to waste? trade-offs between grocery shopping and waste behaviors. Agricultural Economics, 00, 1– 15. https://doi.org/10.1111/agec.12720
Visualizing the food landscape of Durham, North Carolina
Joseph L. Graves III, Gizem Templeton, Lauren Davis, Seong-Tae Kim. Visualizing the food landscape of Durham, North Carolina. Stat, Volume 10, Issue 1, December 2021, e347.
What food waste solutions do people support?
Linlin Fan, Brenna Ellison, Norbert L.W. Wilson; What Food Waste Solutions do People Support?; Journal of Cleaner Production 3030 (2022) 129907. https//doi.org/10.1016/j.clepro.2021.129907
Understanding Micro-pantries as an Emergency Food Source During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Norbert L W Wilson, Larissa Calancie, Janna Adkins, Sara C Folta, Understanding Micro-pantries as an Emergency Food Source During the COVID-19 Pandemic, J Nutr Educ Behav. 2022 Apr;54(4):299-310. doi: 10.1016/j.jneb.2021.11.002. Epub 2022 Jan 14.
Putting grocery food taxes on the table: Evidence for food security policy-makers
Yuqing Zheng, Jianqiang (Jason) Zhao, Steven Buck, Shaheer Burney, Harry M. Kaiser, Norbert L. Wilson. Putting grocery food taxes on the table: Evidence for food security policy-makers. Food Policy 101 (2021) 102098
Recognize fish as food in policy discourse and development funding
Bennett, A., Basurto, X., Virdin, J. et al. Recognize fish as food in policy discourse and development funding. Ambio50, 981–989 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-020-01451-4