Investigating the Role of Community-Based Organizations in Promoting Development of Local Alternative Food Systems

<p>APPROACH:<br/> The project will conduct a survey of consumers following a modified version of the protocol developed by the blue ribbon panel of experts appointed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to improve the quality of survey data used in contingent valuation methodology (most of the recommendations apply to surveys in general). A series of five listening sessions will be conducted across the southeastern region to test the relevance, salience and clarity of concepts to be measured by a survey instrument. The population of consumers for this study (objectives 1 and 2) will be adults 18 years and older residing in the Black Belt states of the southeastern United States. Sample size will be determined using the protocol as defined by Dillman to ensure that statistical tests generate the desired level of statistical power. The sample for this
study will be purchased from Survey Sampling Inc. We will purchase twice the indicated sample size to cover for out-of-order numbers, commercial numbers, cell phones and other contingencies. In the case of CBOs -- Objective 3, we will use informants from the CBO community to update and expand our data base of CBOs. A random sample will be drawn from the updated roster of CBOs. For objective one Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) will be applied to calculate a measure of the priority level of each production system criteria and the degree of preference for a production system as a method of producing fresh fruits and vegetables based on each criterion. Contribution to environmental conservation, food safety, food quality, socio-cultural value, contribution to wellness and contribution to community economic development will be rated by consumers. An AHP questionnaire will be used to collect
data from consumers. Objective 2. Fuzzy pair-wise comparison (FPC) will be applied to determine consumer preferences for fresh fruits and vegetables along these five attributes: nutritional value, hygiene, taste, price and freshness. The information gathered from this analysis will allow us to determine which qualities or attributes of fruits and vegetables consumers pay attention to in making their purchase of fruits and vegetables. These attributes are defined as follows. A FCP questionnaire will be used to collect the data from consumers. Additionally, consumer attitudes towards production systems obtained from AHP model and the consumer attitudes towards fresh fruit and vegetable attributes derived from FPC model will be regressed on consumer specific variables -- (age, education, income etc.) using a censored Tobit model. Objective 3 The project will employ a multi-method approach
to collect the required data-telephone and internet and mailed survey. CBO informants will work with PI to expand and update the current CBO database and assist with the conduct of the mail survey. The data collected will be analyzed using simple descriptive statistics and simple logit model to determine the combination of CBO characteristics that predict support for a particular food production system.
<p>PROGRESS: 2009/10 TO 2013/09<br/>Target Audience: Audiences served by this study included residents of three southern states Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina; low income food desert communities in District 2, Greensboro, North Carolina; Greensboro City Council; community-based organizations serving District 2 and extension and public health professionals. The project conducted listening sessions with purposively selected community residents, made presentations at meetings of community organizations and Greensboro City Council meetings on food deserts and findings of the project. Changes/Problems: The project was extended to allow PIs to use insights from surveys described above to determine the willingness of food deserts residents to participate in interventions to improve eating habits and access to fruits and vegetables. This activity replaced objective
three of the project. The construction of high tunnels was delayed because of changes were required to city land use ordinance. The required changes were approved and the City of Greensboro through a resolution has pledged support for the project and the eradication of food deserts in Greensboro. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? An opportunity was created to educate residents of food deserts to make wiser shopping decisions and action to improve access to fruits and vegetables. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Results were disseminated through listening sessions to underserved communities and through presentations and journal articles to other audiences. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported
<p>PROGRESS: 2012/01/01 TO 2012/12/31<br/>OUTPUTS: This report covers the extension of the referenced project which involves completion of the development of the consumer style inventory (CSI), pilot case study of shopping behavior, eating habits and intervention program to improve eating habits of residents in District 2 of Eastern Greensboro and development of a community based production unit . PIs completed the development of a consumer style inventory (CSI). The CSI will be applied to develop information on consumers' food shopping behavior (in the next phase of the project). This information will be used in designing workshops, in the next phase of the project, to train consumers to make wiser and healthier food shopping decisions. PIs had three separate meetings with project stakeholders during which we briefed them on the progress of the project and our future
plans, and requested their cooperation, participation and contribution. These meetings included community members, city council representatives, board members of Eastern Development Growth Enterprise (EDGE), Citizens for Environmental and Economic Justice (CEEJ), Renaissance Cooperative Committee, Concerned Citizens of North East Greensboro and the Citizens Economic Development Committee. PARTICIPANTS: Dr. Cihat Gunden, Post Doc scholar, provides expertise in questionnaire design and adoption to Survey Monkey platform for collecting data, developing analytical techniques for data analysis and writing articles for publication. Eastern Greensboro Development Enterprise (EDGE) is a nonprofit community-based organization that initiated the project idea to use a community farm to address the problem of food desert in District 2. EDGE works with the PIs to mobilize community resource and
participation in support of the project. The Greensboro City Council supports the project via a land grant and has committed resources to provide water and a security fence. Renaissance Cooperative, developers of a community grocery store through which produce from the community production unit will be distributed to residents Dr. Michael Roberto, Associate Professor, History Department, member of CEEJ and Chairman of Citizens Economic Development Committee. He liaises with the City Council to garner support for the project and assists PIs with mobilizing community support. Professor Bulent Miran, Ege University, Izmir, Turkey, provides expertise in designing and adopting software to Fuzzy Pairwise Comparison analysis and Grid analysis. TARGET AUDIENCES: The audience includes community informants (members of EDGE, CEEJ and Dr. Roberto) to recruit and organize residents to participate in
intervention workshops to address lifestyle changes and to participate in operations of the production unit. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
<p>PROGRESS: 2011/01/01 TO 2011/12/31<br/>OUTPUTS: Output for this reporting period include: - Assessed consumer attitudes and decision-making styles towards fresh fruits and vegetables along five attributes: nutritional value, hygiene, taste, affordable price and freshness. - Created a questionnaire for measuring dimensions of consumers' decision-making styles. - Acquired a sample frame with 3000 potential respondents covering seven southeastern states (actual sample size as per power analysis 800). - Produced a protocol for collecting and collating data using Survey Monkey data collection platform. - Worked with Turkish colleagues to develop software for conducting Grid Analysis to analyze the data. - Trained four enumerators to administer telephone survey using the developed protocol. - Collected 530 responses adjusted to 490 useable responses. - PIs are currently
working with the community group Eastern Development Growth Enterprise (EDGE) to encourage the adoption of healthy eating habits and improve the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables for community residents. Knowledge derived from the conduct of this research was shared with principals of EDGE and proved to be instrumental in securing Greensboro's City Council approval for their community project. - Professor Miran of Ege University, Izmir, Turkey, is developing a project based on findings to assess Turkish Young People and Healthy Eating: Attitudes toward Food Choices and Environment to be submitted to the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) for funding this spring. PIs will be collaborators on this project. PARTICIPANTS: Professor Miran of Ege University. Izmir, Turkey provided expertise for developing software for completing grid analysis and
assisted with the development of the protocol for used to interface with Survey Monkey to administer questionnaire. The PIs are collaborating with Eastern Development Growth Enterprise (EDGE), a community-based organization working with low income communities in Greensboro to improve diets and the adoption of healthy lifestyle. TARGET AUDIENCES: Eastern Development Growth Enterprise (EDGE) is a community based organization that is working to provide low income communities in eastern Greensboro with access to fresh fruits and vegetables and to encourage the adoption of healthy life styles. The ultimate objective is to reduce the incidence of obesity and associated chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heat disease. The information generated on consumer shopping behavior and attitudes toward fresh fruits and vegetables will be used to design lifestyle intervention
programs that will lead to positive behavioral changes in diet and lifestyle practices. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
<p>PROGRESS: 2010/01/01 TO 2010/12/31<br/>OUTPUTS: Activities completed for Objective 1: To assess the attitudes of consumers toward food produced under the following food production systems: conventional agriculture, sustainable alternatives and organic along six criteria, contribution to environmental conservation, food safety, food quality, contribution to wellness and contribution to community economic development Designed and formatted analytic hierarchy questionnaire to collect data via telephone survey. Designed sample frame to obtain adequate coverage in study area: Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, using the sample size protocol described by Dillman et. Al (2009). Sampling was done proportionate to population size by county. After specifying sampling frame parameters, the required sample was purchased from Survey Sampling Inc. Trained enumerators to use
the questionnaire. Data were collected from 252 respondents. Results show that when consumers compared production systems using environmental concerns, food safety, food quality, wellness, and community development concerns, consumers accorded priority to food safety, wellness, food quality, environmental concern and community development concerns respectively. Considering all these criteria, consumers accord the highest preference score to organic method of production (0.544) followed by a sustainable production system with a preference score of 0.274. The conventional system of production was least preferred with a preference score of 0.182. Objective 2. Assess consumer attitudes towards fresh fruits and vegetables along five attributes: nutritional value, hygiene, taste ,affordable price and freshness. Designed and formatted fuzzy pair wise comparison questionnaire to be compatible
with data collection protocol of Survey Monkey. Researchers developed a protocol to collect data via a telephone survey using Survey Monkey and trained enumerators to use the protocol to collect data. Data were collected from 425 respondents. Results show that consumers prefer food attributes used in this research in the following order, freshness (0,591), taste (0.447), hygiene (0.439), nutritional value (0.417) and price (0.414). In the preliminary analysis consumers seem to value freshness and taste and hygiene over price and nutritional value. Objective 3: To determine the role of community-based organizations in supporting or promoting alternative food production systems. Researchers are preparing a sampling frame for community-based organizations in the study area: Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. In reviewing and cleaning database developed from previous studies, we
have found that many of the CBOs are inactive or can't be located. We are therefore updating this database. So far, we have identified 223 active CBOs to be added to the existing database. We anticipate commencing the survey in early spring to ascertain the CBOs role in supporting alternative food production systems. PARTICIPANTS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. TARGET AUDIENCES: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
<p>PROGRESS: 2009/01/01 TO 2009/12/31<br/>OUTPUTS: Activities include the development of instruments for conducting surveys to assess the attitudes of consumers toward food produced under conventional, sustainable, and organic production systems. Consumers will evaluate these systems along six criteria - contribution to environmental conservation, food safety, food quality, socio-cultural value, contribution to wellness and contribution to community economic development. Developed instrument that will apply fuzzy pair-wise comparison to assess consumers' attitudes towards fresh fruits and vegetables along five attributes: nutritional value, hygiene, taste, price and freshness. PI is working with informants to update CBO database. Products include instruments developed to collect data. PARTICIPANTS: Collaborators that will be working on the project include community based
organizations such as Florida Association of Nonprofits, McIntosh Seed of Georgia, Mid-south Foundation of Mississippi, Black Belt Community Foundation located in Selma Alabama, the Louisiana Association of Nonprofits, the United Way of Long View Texas, The Pen Center of South Carolina, United Way of Greensboro, Nash Edgecombe Economic Development Inc. and the group of community action agencies operating in the Black Belt counties represent a sample of the CBOs that will assist us in conducting the survey of CBOs and in expanding the our current database of CBOs that we will use in this study. TARGET AUDIENCES: Target audiences include community residents in North Carolina and the southeastern U.S., and community-based organizations in North Carolina. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.