Scholarly Work - Health & Human Development
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Item The global food environment transition based on the socio-demographic index(Elsevier BV, 2022-06) Downs, Shauna M.; Ahmed, Selena; Warne, Teresa; Fanzo, Jessica; Loucks, KellyFood environments are a critical point for reorienting the food system towards sustainable diets, as they are directly where consumers make decisions about which foods to acquire. Using global data, we examined shifts in food environments, and the availability, affordability, convenience, and quality of foods within them, over time on the basis of socio-demographic index (SDI) country groupings. Our findings provide evidence of a food environment transition where built environments have shifted from traditional to modern retail outlets between 2005 and 2019 and the availability and affordability of nutrient-rich foods has increased alongside growing sales of ultra-processed and ready-to-eat foods. This transition has implications for the identification of policy and program levers for promoting healthy and sustainable diets and reducing malnutrition globally.Item The Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Food Supply in the Emergency Food System: A Case Study at 2 Food Pantries(Oxford Academic, 2021-10) Larison, LeeAnna; Shanks, Carmen Byker; Webber, Eliza; Routh, Brianna; Ahmed, SelenaBackground. The onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic increased demand for emergency food assistance and has caused operational shifts in the emergency food system. Objective. This research explored how the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the food supply of 2 food pantries. Methods. A case study approach was applied to collect data during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Food supply data were collected weekly at 2 food pantries in southwest Montana for 17 wk in 2020. Surveys and interviews were conducted with food pantry clients and staff, respectively. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were applied to analyze quantitative data. Food supply data were analyzed using the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2015, NOVA system, and Unprocessed Pantry Project (UP3) Framework. Thematic analysis was applied to qualitative data. Results. The food boxes collected between the 2 food pantries (n = 43) had a mean (± SD) total HEI-2015 score of 76.41 ± 7.37 out of a possible score of 100. According to both the NOVA and the UP3 Framework, 23.4% of the total food distributed was ultra processed food. Of the food distributed, 50.0% and 48.3% was fresh, unprocessed food according to NOVA and UP3 Frameworks, respectively. From staff interviews, 3 themes arose that describe the food pantry operations that experienced change during the COVID-19 pandemic, including food procurement, distribution preparation, and food distribution. Nine supporting subthemes describing the causes and consequences of the operational themes were identified. Staff perceived that the nutrient quality of the food boxes increased from food distributed previously to the COVID-19 pandemic, whereas over one-third (39.4%) of food pantry clients who responded to surveys preferred the food box model. Conclusions. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused enormous operational challenges within food pantries. Food pantries overcame these challenges by swiftly and effectively altering operations so as to continue to distribute nutritious food boxes to pantry clients.Item Climate Change and Coffee Quality: Systematic Review on the Effects of Environmental and Management Variation on Secondary Metabolites and Sensory Attributes of Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora(Frontiers, 2021-10) Ahmed, Selena; Brinkley, Sarah; Smith, Erin; Sela, Ariella; Theisen, Mitchell; Thibodeau, Cyrena; Warned, Teresa; Van Dusen, Natalie; Guiliano, Peter; Ionescu, Kim Elena; Cash, Sean B.Climate change is impacting crop performance and agricultural systems around the world with implications for farmers and consumers. We carried out a systematic review to synthesize evidence regarding the effects of environmental factors associated with climate change and management conditions associated with climate adaptation on the crop quality of a culturally-relevant perennial crop, coffee (Coffea arabica and Coffea canephora). Seventy-three articles were identified that addressed the study's research question including 42 articles on environmental factors, 20 articles on management conditions, and 11 articles on both. While variation was found between studies, findings highlight that coffee quality is vulnerable to changes in light exposure, altitude, water stress, temperature, carbon dioxide, and nutrient management. Both increases as well as decreases were found in secondary metabolites and sensory attributes that determine coffee quality in response to shifts in environmental and management conditions. The most consistent evidence identified through this systematic review includes the following two trends: (1) increased altitude is associated with improved sensory attributes of coffee and; (2) increased light exposure is associated with decreased sensory attributes of coffee. Research gaps were found regarding the effects of shifts in carbon dioxide, water stress, and temperature on the directionality (increase, decrease, or non-linear) of coffee quality and how this varies with location, elevation, and management conditions. This systematic review further identified the following research needs: (1) long-term studies that examine the interactive effects of multiple environmental factors and management conditions on coffee quality; (2) studies that examine the interaction between sensory attributes and secondary metabolites that determine coffee quality and; (3) studies on the feasibility of various climate-adaptation strategies for mitigating the effects of climate change on coffee quality. Evidence-based innovations are needed to mitigate climate impacts on coffee quality toward enhanced sustainability and resilience of the coffee sector from farm to cup.Item Perceptions and Responses of Diversified Farm Producers in the Northern Great Plains to the Early Stage of the COVID-19 Pandemic(Frontiers Media SA, 2022-02) Ebel, Roland; Ahmed, Selena; Warne, Teresa; Moxley, Alexandria; Grimberg, Irene; Jarchow, Meghann; Menalled, Fabian D.The initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic revealed unique vulnerabilities of the global food system with notable societal consequences, calling for the need to implement resilience strategies to support food security for all. The objective of this study was to elicit perceptions, experiences, and responses of producers of diversified farms in the Northern Great Plains of the United States to the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic toward identifying factors for strengthening the resilience of agricultural production for supporting livelihoods and food security. Between May and August 2020, a cross-sectional online survey was administered to the emerging community of diversified farm managers in two rural U.S. states, Montana and South Dakota (n = 53), where monocropping and extensive livestock production are prevalent. About two-thirds of surveyed producers (68%) reported that they did not change their farming practices in response to the pandemic up until the survey period in Summer 2020. Almost three-quarters of producers (73%) indicated that access to commodities, farm inputs, and farm labor was not a concern for them during the early stage of the pandemic. Most surveyed producers (88%) were not concerned about their household food security and expressed confidence regarding a long-term increase in the demand for local food. However, almost half of surveyed producers (47%) reported that their anxiety increased because of the pandemic. Findings further highlight that small farms implemented a greater number of practices for enhancing ecological self-regulation while depending strongly on off-farm income compared to larger farms that were economically more autonomous. This study points to the promise of farm system diversification in strengthening the resilience of agricultural systems. We conclude by outlining pathways for increasing diversity on farms toward supporting food security during extreme food system shocks.Item Perceptions and Responses of Diversified Farm Producers in the Northern Great Plains to the Early Stage of the COVID-19 Pandemic(Frontiers Media SA, 2022-02) Ebel, Roland; Ahmed, Selena; Warne, Teresa; Moxley, Alexandria; Grimberg, Irene; Jarchow, Meghann; Menalled, Fabian D.The initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic revealed unique vulnerabilities of the global food system with notable societal consequences, calling for the need to implement resilience strategies to support food security for all. The objective of this study was to elicit perceptions, experiences, and responses of producers of diversified farms in the Northern Great Plains of the United States to the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic toward identifying factors for strengthening the resilience of agricultural production for supporting livelihoods and food security. Between May and August 2020, a cross-sectional online survey was administered to the emerging community of diversified farm managers in two rural U.S. states, Montana and South Dakota (n = 53), where monocropping and extensive livestock production are prevalent. About two-thirds of surveyed producers (68%) reported that they did not change their farming practices in response to the pandemic up until the survey period in Summer 2020. Almost three-quarters of producers (73%) indicated that access to commodities, farm inputs, and farm labor was not a concern for them during the early stage of the pandemic. Most surveyed producers (88%) were not concerned about their household food security and expressed confidence regarding a long-term increase in the demand for local food. However, almost half of surveyed producers (47%) reported that their anxiety increased because of the pandemic. Findings further highlight that small farms implemented a greater number of practices for enhancing ecological self-regulation while depending strongly on off-farm income compared to larger farms that were economically more autonomous. This study points to the promise of farm system diversification in strengthening the resilience of agricultural systems. We conclude by outlining pathways for increasing diversity on farms toward supporting food security during extreme food system shocks.Item Co-design of Adaptable Learning Outcomes for Sustainable Food Systems Undergraduate Education(2020-09) Ebel, Roland; Ahmed, Selena; Valley, Will; Jordan, Nicholas; Grossman, Julie; Byker Shanks, Carmen; Stein, Mary; Rogers, Mary; Dring, ColinHigher education institutions are increasingly offering Sustainable Food Systems (SFS) degree programs in response to societal demand for training a professional food systems workforce. As a relatively young field, there is a need for clearly articulated learning outcomes (LOs) for SFS education to define student learning through degree programs, design new programs, and evaluate and modify existing programs. New and established SFS programs are often fragmented over multiple academic departments which impedes the development of a coherent and holistic curriculum for approaching the complexity of food topics. Here, we address these needs through the co-creation of adaptable LOs for Baccalaureate degree-level SFS programs which are aligned to a SFS Signature Pedagogy and based on outcomes-based education toward contributing to a solid conceptual basis for SFS education. The SFS Signature Pedagogy is a framework that can be applied to develop students' systemic capacities, including holistic, and pluralistic ways of understanding sustainability challenges, multi-, inter- and trans-disciplinarity, experiential learning, and collective action projects. Our co-design of LOs was based on qualitative content analysis of existing LOs of established SFS programs, a cross-sectional survey with SFS educators and refinement of LOs from feedback in an expert panel. This process resulted in the eight adaptable LOs: (1) systems thinking, (2) critical reflection, (3) diverse ways of knowing, (4) practical application, (5) multi-context communication, (6) teamwork, (7) collective action, and, (8) advocacy for SFS. We anticipate the adaptable LOs proposed here to be applicable for diverse student communities and geographic respectively cultural contexts as well as to provide insight for sustainability-related academic programs toward developing professionals equipped with skills and capacities to address complex challenges.Item Food Environment Typology: Advancing an Expanded Definition, Framework, and Methodological Approach for Improved Characterization of Wild, Cultivated, and Built Food Environments toward Sustainable Diets(2020-04) Downs, Shauna M.; Ahmed, Selena; Fanzo, Jessica; Herforth, AnnaThe food environment is a critical place in the food system to implement interventions to support sustainable diets and address the global syndemic of obesity, undernutrition, and climate change, because it contains the total scope of options within which consumers make decisions about which foods to acquire and consume. In this paper, we build on existing definitions of the food environment, and provide an expanded definition that includes the parameter of sustainability properties of foods and beverages, in order to integrate linkages between food environments and sustainable diets. We further provide a graphical representation of the food environment using a socio-ecological framework. Next, we provide a typology with descriptions of the different types of food environments that consumers have access to in low-, middle-, and high-income countries including wild, cultivated, and built food environments. We characterize the availability, affordability, convenience, promotion and quality (previously termed desirability), and sustainability properties of food and beverages for each food environment type. Lastly, we identify a methodological approach with potential objective and subjective tools and metrics for measuring the different properties of various types of food environments. The definition, framework, typology, and methodological toolbox presented here are intended to facilitate scholars and practitioners to identify entry points in the food environment for implementing and evaluating interventions that support sustainable diets for enhancing human and planetary health.Item Farmer and Rancher Perceptions of Climate Change and Their Relationships with Mental Health(2020-04) Howard, Meredith; Ahmed, Selena; Lachapelle, Paul; Shure, Mark B.The impacts of climate change are having negative consequences on agricultural communities in the United States and other regions of the world. More specifically, these impacts are expected to increase in both scale and complexity and will continue to pose challenges both in terms of agricultural production and capacity. The purpose of this study was to understand ranchers’ and farmers’ perceptions of climate change’s impact on their businesses and their mental well-being in a rural U.S. western state. Surveys were administered online and in-person to farmers and ranchers in fall of 2017. Descriptive statistics and correlational tests were conducted to evaluate if climate risk perception was related to levels of mental distress. Open-ended survey questions explored specifically how climate change is impacting mental well-being. The majority of respondents agree that climate change is having an impact on agricultural business, and nearly three quarters of respondents are experiencing moderate to high levels of anxiety when thinking about climate change and its effects on agricultural business. A moderate correlation was observed between climate risk perception and climate-related anxiety. Qualitative data showed the impact of climate change on profitability was perceived as the main cause of distress. This study demonstrates that climate change is generating anxiety and distress for farmers and ranchers. To maximize public health preparedness efforts, interventions are warranted to provide climate adaptation education and therapeutic outreach specific to agricultural workers experiencing economic struggle in the context of climate change.Item Plant-Climate Interaction Effects: Changes in the Relative Distribution and Concentration of the Volatile Tea Leaf Metabolome in 2014–2016(2019-11) Kfoury, Nicole; Scott, Eric R.; Orians, Colin M.; Ahmed, Selena; Cash, Sean B.; Griffin, Timothy; Matyas, Corene; Stepp, John Richard; Han, Wenyan Han; Xue, Dayuan; Long, Chunlin; Robbat Jr., AlbertClimatic conditions affect the chemical composition of edible crops, which can impact flavor, nutrition and overall consumer preferences. To understand these effects, we sampled tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze) grown in different environmental conditions. Using a target/nontarget data analysis approach, we detected 564 metabolites from tea grown at two elevations in spring and summer over 3 years in two major tea-producing areas of China. Principal component analysis and partial least squares-discriminant analysis show seasonal, elevational, and yearly differences in tea from Yunnan and Fujian provinces. Independent of location, higher concentrations of compounds with aromas characteristic of farmers’ perceptions of high-quality tea were found in spring and high elevation teas. Yunnan teas were distinct from Fujian teas, but the effects of elevation and season were different for the two locations. Elevation was the largest source of metabolite variation in Yunnan yet had no effect in Fujian. In contrast seasonal differences were strong in both locations. Importantly, the year-to-year variation in chemistry at both locations emphasizes the importance of doing multi-year studies, and further highlights the challenge farmers face when trying to produce teas with specific flavor/health (metabolite) profiles.Item Diversity and use of medicinal plants for soup making in traditional diets of the Hakka in West Fujian, China(2019-11) Luo, Binsheng; Li, Feifei; Ahmed, Selena; Long, ChunlinBackground Wild edible and medicinal plants were an important component of traditional diets and continue to contribute to food security, nutrition, and health in many communities globally. For example, the preparation and consumption of soup made of medicinal plants for promoting health and preventing disease are a key component of the traditional diets of the Hakka socio-linguistic group of China’s West Fujian Province. As environmental and socio-economic factors drive the shift away from traditional diets, there is a need for ethnobotanical documentation of the diversity of wild edible and medicinal plants as well as associated knowledge and practices. Method Ethnobotanical surveys were conducted in Hakka communities in West Fujian Province between 2017 and 2018 to document plants used in medicinal soups as well as associated traditional ecological knowledge, practices, and conservation status. Surveys included semi-structural interviews, key informant interviews, participatory rural appraisal, and focus group discussions. Quantitative indices, including cultural food significance index (CFSI) and relative frequency of citation (RFC), were calculated to evaluate the importance of documented plants to Hakka communities. The species with the highest CFSI and RFC values were ranked by informants and further evaluated according to their individual properties and growth environment. Results A total of 42 medicinal plant species, belonging to 25 families and 41 genera, were documented for making soup by the Hakka. The Asteraceae botanical family was the most prevalent, and their root or the entire plant is used for soup making. Informants incorporate different ingredients in soups for their flavors as well as medicinal properties on the basis of the local ethnonutrition system. The most prevalent medicinal uses of the documented plants for making soups were used for clearing inner heat (58.1% of the species), treating inflammation (37.2%), and counteracting cold in the body (20.9%). Informants perceived that the medicinal properties of soup-making plants are influenced by the time of harvest, the local environment, and the climate. Conclusion Efforts are needed to preserve the ecological knowledge associated with traditional diets towards supporting both environmental and human well-being in rapidly developing communities experiencing the nutrition transition and biodiversity loss.