Improving Sustainable Food Access and Availability in Rural Communities: An Assessment of Needed Resources

(1) Background: Extension educators are uniquely positioned to assist with sustainable community-based food environment change, especially related to obesity prevention efforts, because they are located in almost every county in the U.S. Extension educators strive to build resilient communities by i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sustainability 2023-04, Vol.15 (7), p.6293
Main Authors: Sanders, Catherine E, Markosyan, Tatevik, Gibson, Kristin E, Byrd, Allison R, Lamm, Alexa J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Audience profile
Audiences
Chronic illnesses
College students
Communication
Community
Community development
Decision making
Education
Equipment and supplies
Food
Food availability
Funding
Literacy programs
Market strategy
Nutrition
Nutrition research
Obesity
Public health
Resilience
Rural areas
Rural communities
Rural populations
Social marketing
Surveys
Sustainability
Sustainable agriculture
Sustainable development
Teachers
Teaching
Urban environments
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Summary:(1) Background: Extension educators are uniquely positioned to assist with sustainable community-based food environment change, especially related to obesity prevention efforts, because they are located in almost every county in the U.S. Extension educators strive to build resilient communities by improving food access and bridging various actors involved in the food systems. Needs assessments of desired educational program resources by priority populations, such as those in rural areas, are needed to ensure effective food access and nutrition literacy programs are established based on clientele needs. (2) Methods: Using a non-probability opt-in survey, data were collected from 780 rural residents in a U.S. state facing challenges with obesity rates due to lack of access to healthy, nutritious food to identify barriers to accessing fresh produce and desired educational program resources. (3) Results: The need for socioeconomic and market-based solutions within the built environment indicated educators should increase partnerships with economic resource organizations to enhance community resilience related to food access. (4) Conclusions: An increased understanding can enhance the efficacy of the resources Extension educators offer, resulting in improved food access and security by directly addressing clientele’s demonstrated needs.
ISSN:2071-1050
2071-1050
DOI:10.3390/su15076293