Exploring Illinois farmers’ food insecurity status

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.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Food Science & Human Nutrition

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2020

Author dc:creator

• Pittman, Sarah E.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Nickols-Richardson, Sharon M
• Ellison, Brenna
• Pflugh Prescott, Melissa

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

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2020 Sarah Pittman

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

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

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/108543