A Mixed-methods Examination of the Geospatial and Sociodemographic Context of a Direct-to-Consumer Food System Innovation
Spatial context may be important to direct to consumer (DTC) programs aimed at improving fresh fruit and vegetable access for low-income individuals. The purpose of this study was to examine the sociodemographic and geospatial context (distance to pickup sites, number and density of proximal food...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Lyson Center for Civic Agriculture and Food Systems
2019-08-01
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| Series: | Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://foodsystemsjournal.org/index.php/fsj/article/view/734 |
| _version_ | 1797719706832994304 |
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| author | Jared McGuirt Marilyn Sitaker Stephanie Jilcott Pitts Alice Ammerman Jane Kolodinsky Rebecca Seguin-Fowler |
| author_facet | Jared McGuirt Marilyn Sitaker Stephanie Jilcott Pitts Alice Ammerman Jane Kolodinsky Rebecca Seguin-Fowler |
| author_sort | Jared McGuirt |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Spatial context may be important to direct to consumer (DTC) programs aimed at improving fresh fruit and vegetable access for low-income individuals. The purpose of this study was to examine the sociodemographic and geospatial context (distance to pickup sites, number and density of proximal food retail outlets, etc.) surrounding community supported agriculture (CSA) pickup locations in relation to low-income customer residential locations, and to synthesize this information with interview-derived perspectives on the challenges and opportunities of the pickup location from DTC producers and customers. This in-depth study examined cost-offset community supported agriculture (CO-CSA) operations across four U.S. states (New York, North Carolina, Vermont, and Washington) and varying pickup sites (n=23), with pickup operational decisions determined by farmers (n=12). Physical addresses of farms, CO-CSA customers, and pickup sites were collected and geocoded. Geographic information systems (GIS) was used to examine road network distances for pickup locations across the study sites. Demographic information at the census block level (e.g., percent racial minority, percent poverty level) was obtained for all study sites. Descriptive statistics were generated for geospatial variables. In-depth interviews with farmers and focus groups with CO-CSA customers were conducted to understand experiences with the CO-CSA in terms of physical access of pickup sites. We found that pickup sites were an average of 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) from customers’ homes, and on average, further than the supermarket (2.9 miles or 4.7 km). Farmers reported their efforts to select convenient pickup locations for low-income customers, though CO-CSA customers expressed mixed levels of accessibility. Spatial inaccessibility and differences in sociodemographic data for customer versus pickup may explain perceived inaccessibility for some customers. These findings may help inform future approaches to plan and evaluate DTC operations targeting low-income individuals by considering geospatial context and stakeholder experiences. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T09:08:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-479fa74971264571b2a2484f03da7e4e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2152-0801 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T09:08:49Z |
| publishDate | 2019-08-01 |
| publisher | Lyson Center for Civic Agriculture and Food Systems |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development |
| spelling | doaj.art-479fa74971264571b2a2484f03da7e4e2023-09-02T15:07:08ZengLyson Center for Civic Agriculture and Food SystemsJournal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development2152-08012019-08-019110.5304/jafscd.2019.091.038A Mixed-methods Examination of the Geospatial and Sociodemographic Context of a Direct-to-Consumer Food System InnovationJared McGuirt0Marilyn Sitaker1Stephanie Jilcott Pitts2Alice Ammerman3Jane Kolodinsky4Rebecca Seguin-Fowler5University of North Carolina at GreensboroThe Evergreen State CollegeEast Carolina UniversityUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel HillUniversity of VermontTexas A&M UniversitySpatial context may be important to direct to consumer (DTC) programs aimed at improving fresh fruit and vegetable access for low-income individuals. The purpose of this study was to examine the sociodemographic and geospatial context (distance to pickup sites, number and density of proximal food retail outlets, etc.) surrounding community supported agriculture (CSA) pickup locations in relation to low-income customer residential locations, and to synthesize this information with interview-derived perspectives on the challenges and opportunities of the pickup location from DTC producers and customers. This in-depth study examined cost-offset community supported agriculture (CO-CSA) operations across four U.S. states (New York, North Carolina, Vermont, and Washington) and varying pickup sites (n=23), with pickup operational decisions determined by farmers (n=12). Physical addresses of farms, CO-CSA customers, and pickup sites were collected and geocoded. Geographic information systems (GIS) was used to examine road network distances for pickup locations across the study sites. Demographic information at the census block level (e.g., percent racial minority, percent poverty level) was obtained for all study sites. Descriptive statistics were generated for geospatial variables. In-depth interviews with farmers and focus groups with CO-CSA customers were conducted to understand experiences with the CO-CSA in terms of physical access of pickup sites. We found that pickup sites were an average of 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) from customers’ homes, and on average, further than the supermarket (2.9 miles or 4.7 km). Farmers reported their efforts to select convenient pickup locations for low-income customers, though CO-CSA customers expressed mixed levels of accessibility. Spatial inaccessibility and differences in sociodemographic data for customer versus pickup may explain perceived inaccessibility for some customers. These findings may help inform future approaches to plan and evaluate DTC operations targeting low-income individuals by considering geospatial context and stakeholder experiences.https://foodsystemsjournal.org/index.php/fsj/article/view/734Direct to ConsumerCommunity Supported AgricultureGeographic Information SystemsSpatial Context |
| spellingShingle | Jared McGuirt Marilyn Sitaker Stephanie Jilcott Pitts Alice Ammerman Jane Kolodinsky Rebecca Seguin-Fowler A Mixed-methods Examination of the Geospatial and Sociodemographic Context of a Direct-to-Consumer Food System Innovation Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development Direct to Consumer Community Supported Agriculture Geographic Information Systems Spatial Context |
| title | A Mixed-methods Examination of the Geospatial and Sociodemographic Context of a Direct-to-Consumer Food System Innovation |
| title_full | A Mixed-methods Examination of the Geospatial and Sociodemographic Context of a Direct-to-Consumer Food System Innovation |
| title_fullStr | A Mixed-methods Examination of the Geospatial and Sociodemographic Context of a Direct-to-Consumer Food System Innovation |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Mixed-methods Examination of the Geospatial and Sociodemographic Context of a Direct-to-Consumer Food System Innovation |
| title_short | A Mixed-methods Examination of the Geospatial and Sociodemographic Context of a Direct-to-Consumer Food System Innovation |
| title_sort | mixed methods examination of the geospatial and sociodemographic context of a direct to consumer food system innovation |
| topic | Direct to Consumer Community Supported Agriculture Geographic Information Systems Spatial Context |
| url | https://foodsystemsjournal.org/index.php/fsj/article/view/734 |
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