Tag: Food Insecurity

Implementing ancient agricultural practices to confront modern-day challenges of water scarcity and food insecurity

sarah JonasResearch Results

A new study exploring traditional sunken groundwater-harvesting agroecosystems in coastal and inland sand (SGHAS) bodies of Israel, Iran, Egypt, Algeria, Gaza, and the Atlantic coast of Iberia offers fresh perspectives on ancient agricultural techniques that could inform modern sustainability practices. The research, which combines geospatial analysis, archaeological findings, and historical documentation, sheds light on the innovative use of water-harvesting and soil-enrichment technologies developed in the early Islamic period and their continued relevance to contemporary agricultural challenges.

Addressing Food Insecurity on Campus with Expanded Resources

sarah JonasFeature

In 2023, the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Economic Research Service reported that 13.5% of U.S. households were food insecure at some point during the year. The USDA defines this as households that were uncertain of having, or unable to acquire, enough food to meet the needs of all their members due to insufficient money or other resources for food.

Southwest Foodservice Excellence Enters Exclusive Partnership with Stephen Ritz

sarah JonasAnnouncement

Southwest Foodservice Excellence (SFE) and Stephen Ritz, an internationally acclaimed, award-winning, educator, author, and founder of Green Bronx Machine, have announced an exclusive partnership aimed at improving access to fresh fruits and vegetables and integrating garden learning into classroom curriculum.

Dangerous work, unmet health care needs add up to more deaths, negative health outcomes for Texas shrimpers, according to UTHealth Houston research

sarah JonasResearch Results

A dangerous work environment and limited access to health care are related to higher death rates and negative health outcomes among Texas shrimpers in the Gulf of Mexico, according to a new study from UTHealth Houston.

Green Bronx Machine Documentary “Generation Growth” Virtual Premiere – April 23, 2024 – 7 PM EST

sarah JonasHigher Education Event

Join Green Bronx Machine and Stephen Ritz in partnership with Picture Motion, tonight, Tuesday, April 23rd , 7 PM EST, for a free, transformative virtual event to celebrate Generation Growth Day and the groundbreaking documentary film Generation Growth. This special day aims to unite advocates, experts, and leaders from the education and health food community to explore and discuss the profound impacts of the Green Bronx Machine program.

Study Underscores Social Factors of Low Breast Cancer Screening in the U.S.

sarah JonasResearch Results

To identify major social factors hindering breast cancer screening in U.S. women aged 40 and older, researchers focused on race/ethnicity, employment, education, food security, insurance status, housing and access to quality health care. Access to health care emerged as a statistically significant theme (61 percent) and insurance status was the most reported sub-categorical factor. Language was the third highest issue, highlighting its significance as an influential factor of screening behavior. Race/ethnicity, sex/gender and sexual orientation were additional factors reported.

White House Challenge to End Hunger approves UTHealth Houston innovative commitments to Food Is Medicine

sarah JonasAnnouncement

Three commitments to improve food security, diet quality, and health outcomes for vulnerable communities, made by UTHealth Houston in partnership with local and national organizations, have been approved as part of the White House Challenge to end Hunger and Build Healthy Communities.

More Than 2 Million Additional Americans Faced Food Insufficiency Following Drawdown of Pandemic-Related SNAP Benefits, Penn Medicine Study Finds

sarah JonasResearch Results

The recent discontinuation of pandemic-related food assistance benefits, known as the Supplemental Food Assistance Program (SNAP) Emergency Allotments, led to a substantial increase in food insufficiency in the United States, according to a new study led by researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

With Support from Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, East Hollywood Community Garden Kicks Off the Summer

sarah JonasAnnouncement

Expanding its commitment to the health and well-being of the people in its community, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles sponsored the Summer Kickoff of the East Hollywood Community Garden, and was joined by more than 100 area residents and CHLA team members at the garden’s recent celebration.

U.S. Immigrants Particularly Vulnerable to Food Insecurity, Study Shows

sarah JonasResearch Results

A new study led by researchers at University of Utah Health reveals that millions of immigrant households have limited or uncertain access to adequate food. Individuals who are not U.S. citizens are more susceptible to food insecurity regardless of their income, education, and utilization of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. The findings suggest that the simply being a non-citizen puts individuals at risk.

José Andrés and the George Washington University’s Groundbreaking New Institute to Lead the World in Delivering Food System Solutions

sarah JonasAnnouncement

World-renowned chef, author, and humanitarian José Andrés and international research leader the George Washington University (GW) today announced their partnership to build a premier Global Food Institute at GW, an unprecedented and transformative collaboration in the heart of the nation’s capital with plans to be a world leader in food system solution delivery.

COVID expansion of SNAP benefits expires, hunger and food insecurity likely to rise, says family nutrition expert

sarah JonasFeature Expert

SNAP serves as the nation’s and the state’s largest line of defense against hunger and food insecurity. SNAP, formerly called food stamps, provides cash benefits to purchase food to eligible individuals with low incomes. Elena Serrano, director of the Virginia Cooperative Extension Family Nutrition Program, says, “Ending the enhanced benefits will affect households who have the most to lose, those households that qualified for maximum benefits, who will lose an added $95 per month in benefits. On average SNAP participants will lose $82 per month.”

Rate of food insecurity skyrockets for Americans with cardiovascular disease, study finds

sarah JonasResearch Results

The number of Americans with cardiovascular disease who are food insecure – having limited or uncertain access to adequate food – has more than doubled over the last 20 years, a national study finds. Adults with cardiovascular disease were more than two times likely to be food insecure than those without the cardiovascular disease.

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Completes 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment to Help Understand and Strengthen Its Neighborhood

sarah JonasAnnouncement

Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) completed the 2022 Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA), part of the hospital’s continual commitment to better understand the health of its primary “neighborhood” – Los Angeles County – and the people who live there. The CHNA takes a deep dive into the community’s health and social needs enabling the hospital to implement strategies to address the key areas of the report’s findings.

Asking About Food Insecurity at Hospital Admission Is Feasible, Effective

sarah JonasResearch Results

Hospital admission is a worthwhile time to ask patients whether they usually have sufficient food at home, then connect them to community resources if necessary. That conclusion comes from a quality improvement project by Dr. Emily Gore, a recent graduate of the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, and colleagues. They describe their project in The Journal for Healthcare Quality (JHQ), an official publication of the National Association for Healthcare Quality that is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

UCI study examines broad impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on food insecurity among rural, Latino immigrants in California

sarah JonasResearch Results

A recent study led by Denise Diaz Payán, PhD, MPP, corresponding author and assistant professor of health, society, and behavior at the UCI Program in Public Health, examined how household food environments of rural Latino immigrants were impacted during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how access to nutritional food is complicated by barriers to government assistance programs.

Findings are published online in the journal Nutrients.

ACP says food insecurity a threat to public health in the United States

sarah JonasPolicy

In a new position paper, the American College of Physicians (ACP) says inadequate access to nutritious food negatively impacts the health of many Americans, which in turn can significantly exacerbate food and nutritional insecurity and other social factors impacting health. The paper says that more needs to be done comprehensively address food and nutrition insecurity and bolster public health.

Five New Studies Examine Eating Behaviors in Teens and Young Adults

sarah JonasResearch Results

The developmental changes and growing independence that characterize adolescence and young adulthood can make these stages of life both exciting and challenging. New studies at NUTRITION 2022 LIVE ONLINE shed light on the eating behaviors and diets of teens and young adults around the world.

Five New Insights into the COVID-19 Pandemic’s Effects on Eating and Health

sarah JonasResearch Tip Sheet

The COVID-19 pandemic affected people at all stages of life from seniors to newborns. New studies presented at NUTRITION 2022 LIVE ONLINE examine the causes and effects of COVID-19-related food insecurity, how the pandemic affected breastfeeding practices and more.

Featured Research from NUTRITION 2022 LIVE ONLINE

sarah JonasFeature Tip Sheet

Press materials are now available for NUTRITION 2022 LIVE ONLINE, the flagship annual meeting of the American Society for Nutrition (ASN).

UCLA Fielding School of Public Health Experts Available for Comment Related to 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow on 31 October – 12 November 2021.

sarah JonasExpert Pitch

The UCLA Fielding School of Public Health has experts available for comment and reaction to the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow on 31 October – 12 November 2021. These include renowned scientists with expertise on…

Memorial Hermann Joins the Healthcare Anchor Network; Increases Investment in Community to Address Housing, Employment and Other Social Determinants of Health

sarah JonasFeature

Memorial Hermann Health System in Houston is making a multi-million dollar investment that will focus on housing instability, food insecurity, transportation, access to health care, income, and employment in underserved neighborhoods in Southwest Houston and Greater Heights.

GREEN BRONX MACHINE’S STEPHEN RITZ TO TESTIFY BEFORE THE U.S. CONGRESS ABOUT ENDING HUNGER IN AMERICA

sarah JonasAnnouncement

Stephen Ritz, acclaimed teacher, founder of Green Bronx Machine and best-selling author of The Power of a Plant: A Teacher’s Odyssey to Grow Healthy Minds and Schools, has been invited by United States Congressman James P. McGovern (MA-02), Chairman of the House Rules Committee, to testify before Congress on the role of schools in ending hunger and improving nutrition. Ritz will testify on Wednesday, September 15 at 11:00 a.m. His testimony can be viewed live at: https://youtu.be/AoB13ifdO6I.

HELPING INDIA’S SMALLHOLDER FARMERS

sarah JonasResearch Results

Instead of simply employing the practice of multiple cropping — producing crops multiple times during the year and not just in one growing season — a new study led by the University of Delaware’s Pinki Mondal shows that smallholder farmers in India should instead look toward different nutrition strategies. These strategies can be on the individual level, such as growing more diverse crops for personal consumption in their home gardens, or on a community-level, where individuals would work with their local communities and arrange to have farmers bring in different vegetables each week to the local markets.

NO “VACATION” FOR GREEN BRONX MACHINE THIS SUMMER

sarah JonasAnnouncement

For Green Bronx Machine, summer vacation is growing season – for plants, people and the organization itself. GBM spends June, July and August tending multiple community gardens and running asummer camp, as well as tackling food insecurity and promoting sustainable food systems with national and international leaders, and preparing for the return of in-person student learning this fall and all of the issues that will entail.

Arlington, Va., Named ‘Fittest City’ in 2021 American Fitness Index Ranking of Top 100

sarah JonasAnnouncement

CSM and the Anthem Foundation release the 2021 American Fitness Index, ranking America’s 100 largest cities on health behaviors, chronic disease and community infrastructure indicators. Arlington, Va. earned the title of “America’s Fittest City.” Minneapolis, Minnesota; Seattle, Washington; Denver, Colorado; Madison, Wisconsin; Washington, D.C.; St. Paul, Minnesota; Irvine, California; Portland, Oregon; and Atlanta, Georgia; round out the top 10 fittest cities.