Exploring Illinois farmers’ food insecurity status

Pittman, Sarah E.

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/108543 Copy

Description

Title

Exploring Illinois farmers’ food insecurity status

Author(s)

Pittman, Sarah E.

Issue Date

2020-07-24

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Nickols-Richardson, Sharon M

Committee Member(s)

• Ellison, Brenna
• Pflugh Prescott, Melissa

Department of Study

Food Science & Human Nutrition

Discipline

Food Science & Human Nutrition

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

M.S.

Degree Level

Thesis

Keyword(s)

• food insecurity
• farmers
• Illinois
• thesis
• food security
• income
• SNAP
• health insurance

Abstract

This study investigates the food insecurity status of Illinois farmers to help fill the gap in the literature. A review of the literature showed little to no research regarding food insecurity assessment of farm owners in developed countries using standardized measurement tools, but some research has been conducted regarding food insecurity status among farmers in developing countries, demonstrating that some farmers were food insecure. The purpose of this study was to examine if there were farmers in Illinois who were facing food insecurity. The “Illinois Food Marketing and Food Security Survey'' was developed and distributed by word-of-mouth to farmers in Illinois through Illinois Extension Country Directors, the President of the Farmers Market Association, and other key stakeholders via electronic mail. The electronic survey was completed online through Qualtrics, a survey platform service. Participants received a $15 electronic-gift card for completion of the survey. Thirteen Illinois farmers completed the food insecurity section of the survey in full. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics due to the small sample size (n=13) and non-normally distributed data. This study suggested that less than 8.0% (1 of 13) of Illinois farmers reported household food insecurity, lower than the current 11.1% average in the United States. Further research is needed to determine the prevalence and severity of food insecurity among farmers in Illinois and the United States and how food security status relates to their health status, income and any received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.

Graduation Semester

2020-08

Type of Resource

Thesis

Permalink

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/108543

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2020 Sarah Pittman

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