Local foods, community health, and food security latest research on - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Local foods, community health, and food security – latest research on patterns and relationships Amber Canto Poverty and Food Security Specialist University of Wisconsin-Extension, Cooperative Extension Laura Brown Community Development Specialist Center for Community Economic Development University of Wisconsin-Extension, Cooperative Extension Steve Deller Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics University of Wisconsin-Madison Some slides adapted from Laura Brown and Colette Hershey “Wisconsin Food Systems Indicators” 2012, Matt Kures WEDA Conference, Sept 13, 2011, and Steve Deller , Laura Brown, and Amber Canto “Local Foods and Community Health: An Exploratory Analysis” 44 th Annual Conference of the Mid Continent Regional Science Association, May 29-31 2013 Kansas City

Overview Framing Connections I. between public health and local foods Findings of II. exploratory analysis III. Public data portals

Discussion ¨ What factors influence public health? ¨ How would you define local foods? What influenced how you framed public health or defined local foods??

Emerging Needs & Opportunities • Community interest in local food systems • Increased programming in food systems among UW-Extension colleagues • Formation of statewide food systems team supporting interdisciplinary approaches • Increased focus on food and health issues from federal funders • Need for access to data for evaluating programs and informing decision making • Lack of primary food systems data across regions

Framing the Food System Waste Production Management Consumption Processing Marketing and Distribution

Research Base The local foods movement, or “civic agriculture” has been promoted along several lines including: • environmental sustainability • transparency and food safety • food quality • social justice • social capital or relationship building • rural or agricultural revitalization • community economic growth and development • improved nutrition, health, and diet related disease

Research Base Few studies have evaluated the direct relationship between locally produced foods and health outcomes or nutrition, yet improving access to locally grown produce is a strategy being promoted by the CDC. Summary of research findings: • Local food environments may be an independent predictor of individuals’ food choice and diet quality, and tied to health outcomes such as obesity or diabetes. • Locally produced fruits and vegetables are not always of higher nutrient quality than those not produced locally. Edwards-Jones, et al (2008, 2010) • Introduction of farm stands in low-income communities with limited access to fresh and quality fruits and vegetables positively influenced consumption. Evans, et al. (2012) • Density of food venues - farmers markets, supermarkets/super stores – is inversely associated with obesity. Jilcott, et al. (2011) • A strong “local food economy” may play a protective effect in prevention of obesity/ diabetes. Salois (2012)

Our central question: are higher concentrations of “local foods” activity associated with higher levels of public health? The analysis included: 1. Constructing measures of “local foods” and “public health” 2. Simple correlation analysis 3. Simple regression analysis 4. Geographically weighted regression

Model ¨ Classic linear regression model PH= α + β LF+ γ EC+ θ DM+ δ HA+ φ FA+ ϑ SC+ ε . Public Health outcomes can be explained by = (intercept) + + measure of Local Foods + income based economic characteristics + demographics + health care access + food access + error

Defining Public Health

Constructing the Public Health Index Health Factors ¨ Percent of Adults Obese ¨ Percent of Adult Diabetic Health Outcomes ¨ Percent Low Birth Weight ¨ Years of Potential Life Lost (Premature Death) ¨ Percent Fair/Poor Health

Defining Local Food Systems There is no universally accepted definition for “local” ¨ consumer or intermediated consumer perspective (Dunne, 2010, Zapeda, 2006) ¨ proximity-distance, drive time, food-miles (Dunne, 2010, Darby 2008, King, 2010, Zapeda, 2006) ¨ geo-political boundaries- states or counties (Darby, 2008) ¨ local ownership of farm (Low, 2011) ¨ relationship to place (Marsden, 2000) ¨ production techniques used ¨ marketing channels used (Low, 2011) ¨ size/scale (Low, 2011) ¨ products (commodity versus non commodity crops) ¨ quality relationships /supply chain (Marsden, 2000, King, 2010) ¨ integration of supply chain (Marsden, 2000)

Constructing the Local Foods Index ¨ Number of Farms with sales below $100K per 1K ¨ Direct sales for human consumption per capita ¨ Number of Vegetable - Orchards - Fruit Nut and Berry Farms per 1K ¨ Number of organic farms per 1K ¨ Number of farms w/Value Added Activities per 1K ¨ Number of CSA farms per 1K ¨ Number Farmers' Markets per 1K

Higher ¡values ¡of ¡the ¡index ¡ are ¡associated ¡with ¡less ¡ healthy ¡characteris6cs. ¡ Spatial Getis Ord Analysis and slide by Steve Deller , UW-Madison 2013

Higher ¡values ¡of ¡the ¡index ¡ are ¡associated ¡with ¡ higher ¡concentra6on ¡of ¡ local ¡foods ¡ characteris6cs. ¡ Spatial Getis Ord Analysis and slide by Steve Deller , UW-Madison 2013

Regression of Local Food & Public Health Indices by US County More healthy Less healthy Less local food More local food Higher ¡levels ¡of ¡local ¡foods ¡ac6vity ¡is ¡associated ¡with ¡higher ¡levels ¡of ¡ public ¡health. ¡

Regression of Local Food & Public Health Indices by US County More healthy Less healthy Less local food More local food The ¡rela6onship ¡is ¡highly ¡unlinear….. ¡ ¡

Regression of Local Food & Public Health Indices by US County More healthy Less healthy The difference between counties A-B and C-D on the local food index is the same but the A difference between A-B and C-D on the public health index is large. B C D Less local food More local food The ¡rela6onship ¡is ¡highly ¡unlinear….. ¡ ¡

Conclusions and Future Steps Higher ¡concentra-ons ¡of ¡local ¡foods ¡ac-vity ¡is ¡associated ¡ with ¡higher ¡levels ¡of ¡public ¡health ¡but, ¡ ¡ ¡ ¡ • sca9er ¡plot ¡suggests ¡that ¡rela-onship ¡is ¡highly ¡unlinear. ¡ ¡ • that ¡rela-onship ¡tends ¡to ¡be ¡concentrated ¡in ¡the ¡ southern ¡US. ¡ ¡

Conclusions and Future Steps Refine ¡our ¡measures ¡of ¡Local ¡Foods ¡and ¡Public ¡Health ¡ • Causa-on ¡is ¡a ¡huge ¡issue: ¡ do ¡healthier ¡people ¡demand ¡ • more ¡local ¡foods ¡or ¡does ¡the ¡access ¡to ¡local ¡foods ¡drive ¡ health? ¡ ¡ Do ¡local ¡foods ¡have ¡a ¡greater ¡health ¡impact ¡in ¡ • communi6es ¡that ¡have ¡less ¡local ¡foods ¡infrastructure? ¡ ¡ There ¡is ¡clearly ¡spa-al ¡dependency ¡in ¡the ¡data ¡which ¡ • needs ¡to ¡be ¡further ¡explored. ¡ Is ¡there ¡a ¡-me ¡lag ¡structure ¡that ¡we ¡are ¡missing? ¡ •

Discussion ¨ What is driving local foods in your community? ¨ How are public health efforts and local foods programs connected? ¨ What questions does this analysis raise for you?

North Central Region Portal www.foodsystems.wisc.edu

In addition to the factsheet for each county in the North Central region, a set of maps, one for each indicator, is also provided. The idea is to help think about “clusters”.

Wisconsin Food Security Project Wisconsin Food Security Portal www.foodsecurity.wisc.edu

Farmers market access and availability for people with limited incomes

List of Data References for Public Use • Ag Census: http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/ • 2013 Status of Wisconsin Agriculture: http://www.aae.wisc.edu/pubs/status/docs/status2013.pdf • Economic Impact of Wisconsin Agriculture: http://www.uwex.edu/ces/ag/wisag/ • USDA Farmer’s Market: http://search.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/ • Local Harvest: www.localharvest.org • USDA Food Environment Atlas http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-environment-atlas.aspx • County Health Rankings: http://www.countyhealthrankings.org/

THANK YOU! Amber Canto Poverty and Food Security Specialist University of Wisconsin-Extension, Cooperative Extension amber.canto@ces.uwex.edu Laura Brown Community Development Specialist Center for Community Economic Development University of Wisconsin-Extension, Cooperative Extension Laura.brown@ces.uwex.edu Steve Deller Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics University of Wisconsin-Madison