Providing improved access to farmers markets and other local food outlets for low-income audiences is an increasingly popular nutrition intervention strategy to promote consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables and address obesity. The USDA encouraged more farm to fork initiatives and efforts to connect low-income populations with fresh and healthy, local foods through farmers markets through the implementation of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Nutrition Education (SNAP-Ed) provisions of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. The purpose of this research was to assess the perceived barriers to farmers market access and strategies for overcoming those barriers for low-income individuals and families participating in Cooperative Extension nutrition programming. Data collection procedures included a survey of SNAP-Ed and the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) program assistants, focus group discussions with SNAP-eligible individuals, and a photo elicitation study with mothers of young children. Results from these studies provide insight on how to structure program assistant trainings to encourage the inclusion of an optional farmers market orientation lesson in SNAP-Ed and EFNEP curricula; low-income individuals' perception of healthy food, access to and perception of local foods, benefits and barriers to shopping at farmers markets, and the impact of local foods on diet quality; and how to address perceived barriers through Cooperative Extension nutrition programming for the SNAP-Ed and ENFEP target population of SNAP-eligible mothers of young children. Working with farmers markets is an opportunity to form greater synergy between the arms of Extension (Family and Consumer Sciences, Community Viability, Agriculture and Natural Resources, and potentially 4-H) related to supporting local food systems while forming collaborative relationships with local farmers markets and community members. / Ph. D.

The USDA's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program's (SNAP) strives to connect SNAP recipients to local and healthful food sold at Farmers' markets. These efforts are an attempt to provide families, struggling to make ends meet, access to healthy foods and food purchasing power via the Federal Food Stamp program. However, of the 288 listed farmers' markets in Illinois only 25 are listed as SNAP/EBT accepting markets (2010 National Farmers Market Directory). The first part of this study uses the 61st Street Farmers Market as a case study, investigating the practical market operations and interpreting their method of EBT implementation to provide an established model of an existing and thriving farmers' market. Next, I will investigate the socio-economic characteristics (population, race, employment, income, poverty, education, age, and SNAP recipients) of Illinois farmers' markets accepting EBT. I will compare this data to other Illinois Farmers' markets that do not accept EBT and assess which non-accepting market locations would be most suitable for implementing EBT usage in the future. Finally, based on my case study and statistical analysis, I will discuss recommendations for farmers' markets to accept EBT into their markets. Findings indicate that there is no significant difference between the mean ranks of the socio-economic characteristics for the EBT and non-EBT accepting farmers' markets. Of the 8 socio-economic characteristics tested, the populations of SNAP recipients were analogous for each group: EBT and Non-EBT accepting farmers' markets.

Access to abstract restricted until 12/14/2014 / Access to thesis restricted until 12/14/2014 / Department of Family and Consumer Sciences

Freight transportation is an integral element of various supply chains and has a complex and dynamical interrelationship with human economic activities. Modern logistical strategies paved way to the current supply chain organisation and logistics network design resulting in a more global economy and huge economies of scale. Recent trends of volatility of oil price have major implications in the movement of commodities across the supply chains. Likewise, climate change issues have presented urgent challenges in reducing carbon emissions for the transport and logistics sector. Pressure on the sector comes from both governments and consumers alike, demanding future sustainability as well as corporate environmental and social responsibility. The original contribution of this research is to investigate the system-wide dynamics of freight transportation and production in the context of supply chains. A theoretical framework called the ‘Geographic Adaptive Potential’ or GAP is built to understand how constraints in energy and emissions affect the production and distribution of commodities. The changes in the supply chain were investigated in four different components, namely a) the potential to shift to less energy and emissions intensive modes for long-haul freight, b) logistical strategies in the last leg of the chain or urban freight and c) local production and distribution, and d) the accessibility of potential customers to the markets. The design of the GAP components is in correspondence with the links of the supply chain. The analyses yielded an evaluation of the adaptive capacity of the freight transport and production system. For long-haul freight, a GIS-based model was created called the ‘New Zealand Intermodal Freight Network’ or NZIFN. It is an optimisation tool integrating the road, rail and shipping network of New Zealand and calculates that minimum time, operating costs, energy and emissions routes between 2 given locations. The case studies of Auckland to Wellington and Auckland to Christchurch distributions of non-perishable products established that even a marginal increase of rail and coastal shipping share produced around 10% reduction in both freight energy and greenhouse gas emissions. In the study of the last leg of the supply chain, the truck trip generation rates of different food stores were investigated. The strongest factors influencing the trip rates to a store are its size and product variation, the latter being a new parameter introduced in the dissertation. It is defined as the total number of brands for 6 chosen commodities commonly found in the stores. The trip rates together with the truck type and distance travelled were used to compute the freight energy usage of the stores. Results revealed that supermarkets consume the most energy for their delivery operations but relative to its physical size, they are more energy efficient than smaller stores. This is due to the utilisation of advanced logistical strategies such as freight consolidation and the effective use of distribution centres. The localised production chapter was explored in the context of Farmers’ markets and their difference with the conventional supermarket distribution system. Using a freight transport energy audit, the energy intensities of both systems were compared. The findings showed that Farmers’ markets were more energy-intensive than supermarkets owing to the low volumes of goods delivered to the market and the lack of freight consolidation effort in the system. The study on the active mode access of potential customers to both Farmers’ markets and supermarkets captured the interplay between freight and personal transport and is the final component of GAP. The results of the ArcGIS based model called ‘Active Mode Access’ or AMA demonstrated that both Farmers’ markets and supermarkets have the same level of accessibility for walking or biking customers. However, the calculations also showed that almost 87% of New Zealanders have no AMA to stores and are at risk for fuel price increase. Finally, the key result of this dissertation is the assessment that there is actually limited adaptive capacity of the freight transport and production system. This is due to network infrastructure and geographical constraints as well as commodity type and mode compatibility and other operational concerns. Due to these limitations, the GAP model assessed that reduction in energy and allowable emissions will ultimately reduce the amount of commodities moved in the system.

The study was conducted to explore the role of social capital in the implementation of Fruit and Vegetable Incentive Programs (FVIP) through a case study of the Appalachian Farmacy (AF) program and to fill a gap in literature on social capital utility in the implementation and evaluation of FVIPs. The study was guided by a conceptual model adopted from Berkman et al. (2000) to identify the mechanisms through which social networks can impact health. A qualitative content analysis was conducted retrospectively on secondary data from the evaluation of AF program to identify social capital attributes. In addition, the study conducted two focus groups with AF participants and four interviews with AF program administrators to explore their perceptions on the role of social capital in the implementation of FVIPs using a phenomenological approach. The study utilized both inductive and deductive analysis techniques with the conceptual model as the guide for analysis. The Bengtsson’s four steps for conducting content analysis were used for AF content analysis and Tracy’s (2013) two-level coding was used to analyze the focus groups and interviews. All the findings were triangulated and mapped on the study’s framework to identify the main and emergent themes. The findings revealed the main avenues for social networks were: cooking classes, farmers markets, recruitment sites, and a low-income housing complex. The main social capital 3 mechanisms were: instrumental and informational social support; social participation and engagement; and social influence. The main actors in the networks were the program administrators, market vendors, and other participants. Lastly, the health pathways identified were the changes in perceptions towards diet and health. The emergent themes revealed that barriers to access and individual characteristics were potential moderating themes, and case management by the program administrators was a potential mediating theme to program implementation. The study showed that the model was effective in exploring social capital in FVIPs. It highlighted the role that social networks, program actors and social capital play in implementation of public health interventions. Social capital may play an important role in health promotion and more research is needed to identify the mediating influences of the model.

The goal of this Master's thesis is to conduct a strategic analysis the farmers markets in Czech Republic, with the emphasis on external analysis. The core of the analysis is composed of two main parts. The first one is the theoretically-methodological part, which sets the basic terms, methods of the stratgic analysis and definition of the SWOT analysis. The second part is devoted to aplication of the external analysis methods to the farmers markets, revealing threats and opportunities and proposal of the strengths, which the new farmers market should have and also defining the weaknesses which should be avoided. It also mentions a strategy of penetrating this sector of the industry by a new subject and intrudoces the strategy for foreign farmers markets. The final part of this work is devoted to comparison of Czech and foreign strategies and prognosis of the development of the farmers markets.

Thesis (M.Sc. (Agricultural Economics))--University of Limpopo, 2012 / Farmers in Polokwane Local Municipality produce many vegetables including beetroot, carrots, spinach, garlic, cabbage and butternut, which they mainly sell in informal local markets through speculating and hawking. Some sell to hawkers, who sell fresh produce from stalls in small markets and on the streets. Although there are a number of fresh produce markets operating successfully in Polokwane, such as Goseame Fresh Produce Market and Polokwane Fruit and Veg City, only a few smallholder farmers supply vegetables to these major markets. This research focused on providing information relevant to vegetable marketing in the province by identifying and analysing those farm and farmer characteristics influencing smallholder farmers’ decision to participate and utilise formal vegetable markets. The overall objective of the study was to examine farm and farmer characteristics of smallholder vegetable farmers that influence their decision to participate and utilise formal markets. The study was conducted in Polokwane Local Municipality and a sample size of 80 subsistence and emerging farmers was interviewed. STATA (2010) was used to analyse the data.Two approaches were used; the separated OLS and logit regression models and the Heckman selection model, although conclusions are based on the Heckman selection model regression results. We recommend the use of the Heckman selection model due to its limited bias compared to the other method. Results show that two variables; level of education and farmer occupation were positively and significantly associated with smallholder farmers’ decision to participate in the formal vegetable markets. Household size, tenure security and distance to the market had a significant negative influence on smallholder farmers’ decision to participate in the formal markets. Level of education, farm labour, hectares used and cost of transport were significantly and positively associated with the value of vegetables marketed in the formal markets. Gender of household head, member of a farmer group, farming experience, access to non-farm income and access to extension services had a significant negative impact on the value of vegetables marketed in the formal markets. In view of the research findings, several policy suggestions are made. These include capacitating farmers, provision of land for farming, establishment of depots and markets closer to the farmers, encouraging formation of farmer groups or organisations, increasing the number of extension visits to farmers, specialised services and encouraging commercialisation of smallholder agriculture in rural areas. / University of Limpopo Department of Agricultural Economics and Animal Production

Using focus group methodology, this research identifies the behavioural, normative and control beliefs associated with consuming a local diet. Using these findings as a platform, a questionnaire was developed to quantify attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control, the theoretical constructs of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). In addition, moral obligations were measured for the first time in relation to local food consumption in an extended TPB model. The sample consisted of 114 individuals consuming various levels of local food in the Austin, TX area. Results indicate that perceived behavioural control and moral obligations had both a direct effect on intention to consume local food, as well as an indirect effect on intention, which is mediated via current behaviour. Dietary analysis was conducted using an online dietary assessment tool, the National Cancer Institute's Automated Self-Administered 24-hr recall. Between one and four recalls were collected from participants and a mean Healthy Eating Index (HEI) score was applied. Findings suggest that while controlling for age, sex, income and education, as the amount of local food in the diet increases, the total HEI score and the Dark Green and Orange Vegetables and Legumes (DOLs) component score also increases. In addition, the Saturated Fat component score increases, indicating lower intakes of saturated fat are associated with higher local food intake. This suggests that saturated fat in the diet is being displaced by local vegetable intake, particularly DOLs.

Over the past several decades, food systems around the world have come to be increasingly dominated by a ‘conventional’ model, wherein production is heavily dependent on industrially-produced external inputs, and trade characterized by a globalized free market. However, alternatives to this model – that seek to challenge its hegemonic status and address its environmental, social, and economic shortcomings – are continuously emerging. While some of these alternatives are narrower in scope, others attempt more transformative change. One example of the latter category is the Red Mexicana de Tianguis y Mercados Orgánicos (Mexican Network of Local Organic Markets), which strives to move beyond the boundaries of the mainstream organic and local food sectors, instead adopting the more holistic discourse of the food sovereignty movement. The process of translating this discourse into practice remains a work in progress. Significant achievements have been made on a number of fronts, most notably: new market opportunities have been opened for small-scale, ecological producers; attitudes and behaviours regarding both production and consumption have been shifted, and; new institutions – that help enable and reinforce new values and behaviours – have begun to be constructed. Unsurprisingly, challenges exist as well. These include: significant reliance on donated resources; continued dependence on a relatively small group of leaders; the relative fragility of newly emerging institutions, and; a pervasive pessimism regarding the ability to scale up change within a context of political institutions perceived as corrupt, and beholden to agri-business influence. Although such challenges do constrain, to an extent, the efficacy of the organization, they do not by any means diminish the powerful impact of its work to demonstrate that alternative agri-food visions are possible. / Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, International Development Research Centre

As conceptions of citizenship and the political evolve, alternative modes and sites of political engagement can be identified. The definition of citizenship has evolved from limited civil and political rights to include social, environmental, and individual responsibilities. Modes of political participation have similarly evolved from voting and political party activity to also include a broad array of individual actions, such as voluntary work. Therefore, this thesis argues that the location of politics and citizenship has shifted away from traditional state institutions toward alternative spaces, such as farmer’s markets. Drawing on Engin Isin’s (2002, 2009) analyses of citizenship as constructed norms and identities, and the political as a challenge to those dominant norms, this thesis uses interviews with farmers’ market participants in the Greater Victoria Region to explore how farmers’ markets can be seen as political, both in the motivations of participants and the associated values of broader food movements. / Graduate