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Low-income Washington state households still struggling with food insecurity as pandemic protections end
February 23, 2023
Affording food is such a challenge in Washington state that residents who experience food insecurity say their grocery bills are their biggest source of financial stress, more so than paying for rent or utilities. That’s one of the findings of a food survey of Washington residents from December 2022 to January 2023, run by researchers...
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The pandemic is supposed to be over. Why is Pierce County food insecurity still so high?
February 23, 2023 | The News Tribune
Story highlights WAFOOD research published in 2023 which finds almost half of responding households reported experiencing food insecurity in the past month — with the highest occurrences among BIPOC respondents, households with children and renters. Meanwhile, the overall reliance on food assistance programs and food banks remained high.
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Nutritional Sciences faculty joins Washington State Food Policy Forum
January 10, 2023
Jennifer Otten, a faculty member and food systems scholar in the University of Washington School of Public Health will begin a new appointment in January 2023 as a member of the Washington State Food Policy Forum, a cross-sector group formed by the WA State Legislature in 2016 which makes recommendations for improving the food system...
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How to Get Connected And Fight Food Insecurity
December 8, 2022 | Seattle Medium
Marie Spiker is quoted in this article which highlights ways to help fight food insecurity in the Greater Seattle area in a meaningful way during the holiday season. Spiker says, “It’s not just about ‘not having food’ — people may find themselves skipping meals, reducing the size of their meals or choosing non-preferred foods for financial reasons.”
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UW and partners launch project examining sustainability in animal agriculture
October 17, 2022
Researchers from the University of Washington School of Public Health (UW SPH), together with collaborators from the Washington State University (WSU) Food Systems program, the University of Minnesota Institute on the Environment, and the Washington D.C.-based Agriculture & Food Systems Institute, are embarking on a multi-year interdisciplinary effort investigating the intersection of animal agriculture, environmental sustainability,...
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Introducing food system diplomacy, a method to positively influence the health of people and the planet
October 5, 2022
By Kate Stringer When the global food system is thrown into crisis — whether that’s due to a pandemic, a war, a drought — often the first concern is economic fallout. But prioritizing the needs of commerce often comes at the expense of other interests: occupational health, environmental health, and social equity. That’s why food...
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Article authored by UW professor highlights food insecurity root causes
August 12, 2022
This September, the White House will convene a conference on hunger, nutrition, and health. Leading up to the conference, the White House is organizing several listening sessions across America to hear firsthand from people impacted by food insecurity and to collect ideas about how to end hunger and hunger-related diseases and disparities. Ahead of this...
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What’s to blame for Americans’ obesity problem? Start with the system.
July 26, 2022 | USA Today
“Obesity can vary by 600% depending on a person’s address,” said Dr. Adam Drewnowski who contributes to this USA Today article discussing the multifactorial issues contributing to the American obesity epidemic.
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Sweetened beverage taxes produce net economic benefits for lower-income communities
July 8, 2022 | UW News
New study from University of Washington Center for Public Health Nutrition examines the economic equity impacts of sweetened beverage taxes in three cities: Seattle, San Francisco and Philadelphia. Jessica Jones-Smith was co-prinicipal investigator and Lina Pinero Walkinshaw was a co-author on the study.
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Pandemic disrupts food access for tribal communities
January 24, 2022 | DEOHS Blog
DEOHS Blog highlights how tribal communities in Washington state experienced food insecurity during the pandemic, according to according to a new report by researchers at the Northwest Tribal Epidemiology Center (NWTEC), a division of the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board, the University of Washington and Tacoma Community College.
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