User:Dianan.nguyen/sandbox

3–5 Potential Articles To Tackle

1. Food Justice 2. [Safety] 3. [Desert] 4. Food Security

Comments from Garrison

• Overall great job so far! I hope I read all of the contributions you made to the page but since you’re adding to an existing one it’s a little complicated. I read the following sections: Agricultural Subsidies, Food Justice Movement, Food Security in Undocumented Communities, and the “in the United States” section of Children and food security. Let me know if you guys added anything else to the article.

• Agricultural Subsidies – may want to look at dairy subsidies as well. I think over a third of all corn in the US goes to producing ethanol and this might be worth mentioning in this section. I think you could be more explicit about how this is an EJ issue because minority communities have higher rates of obesity (I believe this is the case but not sure!)

• In the United States – Are there any programs to provide food for children outside of the school setting? If so, I would include here. I would also change the phrasing of “cutting down funds” to “cutting funding for…” Is there any information about these programs in the draft budget that Trump released? I’m not sure, but take a look if you haven’t already!

• Food Justice Movement – Be sure to link to your fellow classmates’ new article on Food Justice! I think this section could benefit from another example or two of food justice, or injustice, in the real world.

• Undocumented Communities – I would do a general introduction sentence before diving right into the California example. The sentence that begins with “Before, immigration policies” – Before what? Good job tying into the Trump administration in this section, I hadn’t considered that effect.

• Good job with citations and linking to other articles. Are there any photos, graphics, or maps you could add? Keep up the good work! California1990 (talk) 05:53, 5 April 2017 (UTC)

Finalized Topic

(We will be Adding to an existing article):

Our topic will be on food justice, specifically how food security will be impacted under the Trump administration. We plan to discuss food justice movement, undocumented communities, nutrition programs and government subsidies. I will be in charge of researching current government nutrition programs. I am also the lead for citations.

Diana's Bibliography

1. USDA report that states less is known about the dietary intakes of children from less-food-secure households and the contribution of school meals to their diets: https://naldc.nal.usda.gov/download/42320/PDF
2. Peer reviewed journal: Eating school lunch was associated with higher overall diet quality compared with obtaining lunch from home. Future studies are needed that assess the influence of the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act on children’s diet quality: http://www.andjrnl.org/article/S2212-2672(16)30185-X/fulltext
3. Newspaper stats on how many kids are using breakfast program: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/02/14/a-record-number-of-poor-kids-are-eating-breakfast-thanks-to-a-program-many-conservatives-hate/
4. Newspaper with studies showing students practicing healthier eating habits because of lunch programs: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/healthy-school-lunch-study_us_5684399be4b014efe0d9ea9d
5. Newspaper article that indicates the successes of lunch program: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/house-freedom-caucus-school-lunch_us_585ac244e4b0de3a08f3d34e
6. Pew Trusts study that states school programs make increasing or stable combined revenue: 84 percent of program directors reported rising or stable combined revenue (meal reimbursements plus snack and beverage sales) in the past year: http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/reports/2016/12/school-meal-programs-innovate-to-improve-student-nutrition
7. USDA memo on impact of food deserts on children’s bodies: https://nifa.usda.gov/announcement/providing-affordable-healthy-food-options-food-deserts
8. PLOS study on US policies that impact food deserts and diet quality: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4672916/
9. Peer reviewed journal on how USDA standards have improved food selection and consumption: http://www.ajpmonline.org/article/S0749-3797(13)00635-1/abstract
10. Peer reviewed journal on urban food deserts in relation to food purchasing habits and BMI: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/public-health-nutrition/article/div-classtitlehealthy-food-access-for-urban-food-desert-residents-examination-of-the-food-environment-food-purchasing-practices-diet-and-bmidiv/E797C1EBA53A449BC10BFA3A1F9FFA11/core-reader
11. Peer reviewed journal on distance from supermarkets and obesity risks: http://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/10.2105/AJPH.2012.300660
12. Peer reviewed journal on availability of local foods and obesity: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953612000810
13. CDC on public health laws around school nutrition: https://www.cdc.gov/phlp/winnable/school_nutrition.html
14. Arguments against Nutrition Programs

Lead Section Outline

We will be adding to the Food Security wiki page with the following subtopics:

1. Food justice Movements - Ken
2. Undocumented Communities - Ariana
3. Nutrition Program - Diana (Will be adding to "Children and Food Security)
4. Governmental agriculture - Hope

Draft 1: Food Security

Food Justice Movements: The Food justice movement has been described as a movement about social-economic and political problems in connection to environmental justice, improved nutrition and health, and activism. Food justice attempts to address the unequal burden of environmental obstacles that makes it more difficult for individuals of color and low income to access healthy foods. As an extension of the Environmental Justice Movement, the movement was started by urban social justice groups who wanted to correct the inequalities in the food system. Today, a growing number of individuals and minority groups are embracing the Food Justice due to the perceived increase in hunger within nations such as the United States as well as the amplified effect of food insecurity on many minority communities, particularly the Black and Latinos. Food justice has very much focused on the interaction between food consumption and production and how inequity results from this interaction. A number of organizations have either championed the Food Justice Cause or greatly impacted the Food Justice space. One prominent organization within the food justice movement has been the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, which is a worker-based human rights organization that has been recognized globally for its accomplishments in the areas of human trafficking, social responsibility and gender-based violence at work. The Coalition of Immoaklee Workers most prominent accomplishment related to the food justice space has been its part in implementing the Fair Food Program which increased the pay and bettered working conditions of farmworkers in the tomato industry who had been exploited for generations. This accomplishment provided over 30,000 workers more income and the ability to access better and more healthy foods for themselves and their families. Another organization in the food justice space is the Fair Food Network, an organization that has embraced the mission of helping familIes who need healthy food to gain access to it while also increasing the livelihoold for farmers in America and growing local economies. Started by Oran B. Hesterma, the Fair Food Network has invested over $200 million dollars in various projects and iniatitiveses, such as the Double Up Food Bucks program, to help low-income and minority communities access healthier food.

Children and Food Security: [Adding to current section] By way of comparison, in one of the largest food producing countries in the world, the United States, approximately one out of six people are "food insecure", including 17 million children, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. A 2012 study in the Journal of Applied Research on Children found that rates of food security varied significantly by race, class and education. In both kindergarten and third grade, 8% of the children were classified as food insecure, but only 5% of white children were food insecure, while 12% and 15% of black and Hispanic children were food insecure, respectively. In third grade, 13% of black and 11% of Hispanic children are food insecure compared to 5% of white children.

According to a 2015 Congressional Budget Office report on child nutrition programs, it is more likely that food insecure children will participate in school nutrition programs than children from food secure families. School nutrition programs, such as the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the School Breakfast Program (SBP) have provided millions of children access to healthier lunch and breakfast meals, since their inceptions in the mid-1900s. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NSLP has served over 300 million, while SBP has served about 10 million students each day. Multiple studies have reported that school nutrition programs play an important role in ensuring students are accessing healthy meals. Students who ate school lunches provided by NLSP showed higher diet quality than if they had their own lunches. Even more, USDA improved standards on school meals, which lead to positive impacts on children’s food selection and eating habits. Several other nutrition programs exist to provide food specifically for children, including the Summer Food Service Program, Special Milk Program (SMP) and Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Children whose families qualify for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) may also receive food assistance. WIC alone served approximately 7.6 million participants, 75% of which are children and infants.

Despite the sizable populations served by these programs, Conservatives have regularly targeted these programs for defunding. Conservatives' arguments against school nutrition programs include fear of wasting food and fraud from applications. On January 23, 2017, H.R.610 was introduced to the House by Republican Representative Steve King. The bill seeks to repeal a rule set by the Food and Nutrition Service of the Department of Agriculture, which mandates schools to provide more nutritious and diverse foods across the food plate. Two months later, the Trump administration released a preliminary 2018 budget that proposed a $2 billion cut from WIC.

Food insecurity in children has long term consequences such as developmental impairments which weaken physical, intellectual and emotional development.  

Undocumented communities: Agriculture is a major industry in the United States, with California accounting for over 12% of the U.S. agriculture cash receipts. Over half of agricultural workers in California, contributing to the state's agriculture economy and providing the nation with over half of all fruits and vegetables, are undocumented. Despite undocumented laborers contributing to the agriculture industry, farm work and labor is among one of the lowest paid occupations in the U.S. Many undocumented communities suffer from food insecurity due to low wages, forcing families to purchase economically viable unhealthy food. Though existing food pantry and food stamp programs aide in reducing the amount of food insecure individuals, undocumented immigrants are ineligible for social service programs and studies have found that limited English acts as a barrier to food stamp program participation. Due to a lack of education, encounters with government agents, language barriers, undocumented individuals pose higher rates of food insecurity and hunger when compared to legal citizens. Moreover, current government administration is attempting to draft new stricter immigration policies, creating restrictions on who is allowed to enter the United States. Before, immigration policies under the Obama administration focused on deporting immigrants that pose a threat to national security. Now, under President Trump's administration, immigration agents can deport anyone, without placing higher priority on certain populations. Undocumented individuals fear being deported under the new policies, further limiting their interactions with government agencies, social service programs (i.e. Food Stamp), increasing their susceptibility to food insecurity. Further, food insecurity among undocumented communities can be traced to environmental injustices. Certain agricultural communities, for example along the Central Valley of California, have large populations of undocumented communities. Studies show that towns located across the Central Valley of CA exhibit some of the highest rates of air, water and pesticide pollution in the state. Researchers argue air and water pollution consequently drive climate change, increasing food insecurity due to drought or floods. Environmental justice experts have expanded on the discourse, arguing it extends to address issues on food security and on the food systems of the U.S.

Agricultural Subsidies

FINAL:

Agricultural subsidies are paid to farmers and agribusinesses to supplement their income, manage the supply of their commodities and influence the cost and supply of those commodities. In the United States, the main crops the government subsidizes contribute to the obesity problem; since 1995, $300 billion have gone to crops that are used to create junk food.

Tax payers heavily subsidize corn and soy, which are the main ingredients in processed foods, such as high fructose corn syrup and processed fatty foods, and used to fatten livestock. Half of farmland is devoted to corn and soy, the rest is wheat and very few is devoted to fruits and vegetables. Soy and corn are mainly found in sweeteners and processed food and over $19 million dollars are used to subsidize corn and soy, which shows a discrepancy with what the government tells us to eat and the unhealthy food they subsidize. Farmers are more inclined to grow crops that the government subsidies, rising the price of fruits and vegetables by about 40% and lowering the price of dairy and other animal products.

Corn has been a pillar of the American agriculture system for years, however the current corn system is not used for feeding the American people but is mainly used for ethanol, high fructose corn syrup and bio-based plastics. About 40 percent of corn is used for ethanol and 36% is used as animal feed. Only a tiny fraction of corn is used as a food source, much of that fraction is used for high-fructose corn syrup, which is a main ingredient in processed, unhealthy junk food.

People who ate the most subsidized food had a 37% higher risk of being obese compared to people who ate the least amount of subsidized food. This brings up the concern that minority communities are more prone to risks of obesity due to financial limitations. What the government subsidies results in those commodities being cheap to the public, however what is recommended by the dietary guidelines are foods that are made unaffordable.

Trump proposed a 21% cut to discretionary spending on the Agriculture sector, which will highly affect smaller ranchers and farmers. This budget proposal will also eliminate a food aid program, the Special Supplement Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children.