Many studies have been published exploring the question of whether low-income families are able and willing to purchase fresh food and local food.  According to Susan Roberts, author of “Hunger in Iowa 2007,” Food Security means access by all people at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life. Food Security includes, at a minimum: 1. the ready availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods, and 2) an assured ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways (e.g. without resorting to emergency food supplies, scavenging, stealing or other coping strategies).

If you are learning more about these issues, you can read the studies listed in the “Food Access Bibliography” that we just compiled. This annotated bibliography contains research conducted at the national and state (Iowa) levels. We also included links to most of the studies. If you have suggestions for additional resources, please let us know!

Food Access Bibliography pdf