Food Systems

June 25, 2024

Mapping Commissary Kitchen Spaces in King County

In partnership with Public Health – Seattle & King County, this project sought to promote equity in the local food system through improving access to commissary kitchens for food businesses, particularly new or small businesses owned by under-reached racial and ethnic groups. This was accomplished by creating an easy-to-use virtual map of commissary kitchen spaces in…

King County Local Food Initiative 101: Improving Local Food Access in King County

This practicum engaged with local food systems research, specifically considering how the 2024 refresh of King County’s Local Food Initiative (LFI) is related to issues of racism, food security, food access, social determinants of health, and culturally appropriate foods. Relying on literature, documentation, and data review, the student – with support from Seattle-King County Public…

June 7, 2024

A Qualitative Exploration of Food Tourism as a Lever for Food Systems Transformation

Using qualitative research methods, food tourism stakeholders were interviewed to understand their perspectives on (1) a growing interest amongst the public in food tourism and (2) the intersection of food tourism and food systems with the potential to drive transformation. Through conversations on the importance of media, shifting consumer values, and food tourisms’ contributions to…

Drivers Influencing Animal Wellbeing and Environmental Stewardship Decision-Making Among U.S. Animal Producers: A Qualitative Analysis

Using Q-methodology and qualitative methods, this study examined the drivers and tradeoffs of priorities regarding animal wellbeing and environmental stewardship among 35 U.S. beef, pork, and broiler producers. The study found that each producer operated under a unique context of influences, capturing the subjective experiences of beef, pork, and broiler producers as they balance complex…

A Scoping Review of Consumer Perceptions of Meat Sustainability: A Focus on Animal Welfare and Environmental Impact

Addressing the rising consumer concerns over meat’s sustainability, this thesis aimed to conduct a detailed scoping review to map out over a decade of research on consumer perceptions of meat’s environmental impact and animal welfare, analyzing 512 peer-reviewed articles from 2010 to 2022. The study not only identified regional and methodological variations in research on…

May 1, 2024

Policies to Support College Student Food Security: Legislative Fact Sheets

Students worked with WashPIRG to advance the creation and support of a bill to sustainably address college student food insecurity. The team created three legislative fact sheets highlighting the severity, urgency, and inequity of the current landscape of student food insecurity in King County, Washington state, and the United States as a whole. Community Partner: Beatrice…

Policies to Support College Student Food Security: Legislation in Other Countries

WashPIRG sought support to investigate and present concise information about potential policies from other countries that could be implemented in Washington to support college student food security. The team focused on researching legislation from the top eight countries with the highest food security and lobbied with WashPIRG on their hunger and homelessness legislation. Community Partner:…

Equitable Food Security Policies in the U.S.

Students supported WashPIRG’s work to leverage the food policy system to address growing rates of student food insecurity by analyzing legislation from across the United States to synthesize possible campus hunger reduction frameworks. The team also participated in WashPIRG’s lobbying activities to contextualize their research, and produced 13 summaries for the organization and other stakeholders…

Identifying Funding Structures for the UW Food Pantry

Through extensive research and outreach, students investigated different funding models and support systems used by food pantries across the country to identify potential sustainable funding structures for the UW Food Pantry. Their goal was to help enhance the Pantry’s capacity to support student well-being and academic success, fostering a more sustainable and equitable campus environment….

Funding Food Security for the Local UW Community

Due to rising food insecurity rates on the UW Seattle campus, the UW Food Pantry – which provides low-barrier food access to all UW students, faculty, and staff – asked the team to help locate sustainable funding resources to better address the increase the demand for their services. The team collaborated with the Pantry to…