Predicting and addressing food and nutrition security, Clemson professor offers research and insight.

Last weekend’s attack on a Buffalo, New York, supermarket has brought national attention to the issue of food deserts — areas with limited or no access to healthy, affordable food, whether through supermarkets, supercenters, or local grocery stores. In 2017, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated that 19 million Americans — 6.1% of the U.S. population — lived in food deserts, and the issue persists today. Catherine Mobley, professor of sociology at Clemson University, is among a group of University researchers who explore the subject, conducting research on pre- and post-COVID-19 related food and nutrition security in South Carolina and investigating food insecurity in nine rural South Carolina counties and on the Clemson campus. These studies reinforced research on food deserts and food access issues experienced across both rural and urban areas.

Mobley is available to speak about the complexity of food environments, strengths and needs pertaining to food and nutrition security, and what research has shown about the extent and predictors of food insecurity.