Progress 07/15/24 to 07/14/25
Outputs
Target Audience:The target audience of this project includes the following groups: One Graduate Studentengaged in project activities with a focus on qualitative data collection for food security, gaining valuable research experience to support their academic and professional development. One Undergraduate Students involved in the project through senior-level research, including data analysis and project presentations, preparing them for future careers in agriculture and food security. County Extension Agentscctively participating in qualitative data collection from rural households, leveraging their local expertise to enhance the project's insights and outreach. Key Stakeholders whocurrently aremembers of the Food Policy Council, and faculty from the College of Agriculture at Tennessee State University, who contribute to shaping and implementing food security policies informed by the project's findings. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The project has provided an invaluable opportunity for an undergraduate student from the Department of Agricultural Business and Education at Tennessee State University to validate the conceptual model using data collected by the United Way Greater Knoxville. The student analyzed factors affecting the food security resilience capacity of rural households in Tennessee as part of their senior project. This work culminated in a presentation of the findings at a meeting with food security experts from the Food Policy Council, where constructive feedback was received to improve the results. The revised findings were subsequently presented at the 47th Annual University-Wide Symposium at Tennessee State University. Notably, the student plans to continue this research for their Master's degree in Agribusiness at TSU, starting in Fall 2025. As a graduate student, they will remain actively involved in the project, contributing to the second objective of the study. The project has provided anopportunity for a graduate studentfrom the Department of Agricultural Business and Education at Tennessee State University to actively participate in the monthly meetings of the Food Policy Council at United Way Greater Knoxville alongside the PIs. Through these meetings, the student gained practical insights into real-world food security activities and engaged with a diverse range of stakeholders. Additionally, the student enhanced their research skills by participating in qualitative data collection, including group discussions. These experiences have significantly contributed to the student's qualifications and preparedness for conducting research as part of their master's degree program. The project has also created an invaluable opportunity for the PIs to establish a robust research network with food security experts from a wide range of disciplines. This includes experts from Jackson State University, the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, and various colleges within Tennessee State University. Additionally, the PIs have actively engaged with the Food Policy Council, building connections with local authorities, stakeholders, and extension agents. This involvement has also allowed the PIs to contribute to the Council's initiatives by volunteering in related programs. Furthermore, by presenting research findings at the annual meetings of the Southern Agricultural Economics Association and the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, the PIs have expanded their research network to include other experts in the field. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?To date, tasks and activities have successfully been alignedto achieve Objective 1, which lays the foundation for Objective 2: quantifying the relationship between resilience capacity and food security among rural households in Tennessee post-COVID-19. In the next period, we plan to finalize the quantitative questionnaire and begin data collection and analysis for policy implications. Additionally, the PIs plan to attend the PI meeting for this seed grant project to share research findings with fellow researchers. Furthermore, the PIs intend to present the project's findings at 2026 SAEA annual meeting, 1890 ARD meeting in 2026; and an international food security conference.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
I. RELEVANCE This project addresses the issue of food security resilience among rural households in Tennessee, emphasizing their ability to cope with and recover from food insecurity in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study focuses on analyzing the factors influencing household resilience capacities--absorptive,adaptive, andtransformative--to identify barriers, design interventions, and enhance long-term food security resilience. By integrating and refining existing frameworks, this research aims to develop a comprehensive tool for assessing resilience and guiding targeted interventions. This reporting period focuses on achieving the first objective of the project: analyzing the factors affecting the resilience capacity of rural households in Tennessee post-COVID-19 pandemic. To accomplish this, the project began with an extensive literature review, utilizing Calloway's measurement framework and the FAO's 2016 resilience framework to identify potential factors influencing food security resilience and the coping strategies households employ when facing food insecurity. A conceptual model was then developed to quantify the relationship between resilience capacity and food security among rural households. Finally, a quantitative questionnaire is being developed to collect the necessary data for the model. The outputs of the second and third activities will serve as the foundation for addressing the project's second objective. II. RESPONSE 2.1 Major Activities Completed 2.1.1 Literature Review The literature review focused on theCalloway resilience measurement framework, theFAO's resilience framework, and commonfood security coping strategies. Calloway's Framework: Calloway introducedthree resilience capacities: Absorptive Capacitycombines financial wellbeing, income stability, and housing stability into one measure, making it harder to pinpoint specific areas of need. Separating these into distinct categories was recommended for clearer insights. Adaptive Capacityincludes financial stress and social support but also unrelated items like job skills and internet use, which dilute its focus. Refining it to measure financial confidence and decision-making improves clarity. Transformative Capacityfocuses on long-term resilience through factors like community resources, financial outlook, and neighborhood safety. This measure is well-structured and does not need major revisions. FAO's Resilience Framework: The FAO framework views resilience as adynamic and cyclical process, emphasizing both short-term responses and long-term strategies to overcome shocks. Key insights include: Resilience evolves over time, and households' ability to recover from one shock affects their capacity to handle future challenges. Strategies such as food assistance (short-term) and education (long-term) are essential for resilience building. The framework underscores the importance of capturing fluctuations in well-being and stability over time. Coping Strategies: Households employ both short-term and long-term strategies to address food insecurity. Short-term strategies include cutting meals, using food banks, and relying on social support. Long-term strategies, such as saving money and investing in education or skill-building, reflect efforts to build resilience over time. 2.1.2 Development of a Conceptual Model Insights from the literature review were used to create aconceptual modelfor evaluating food security resilience. This model integrates therevised Calloway measureswith theFAO frameworkand links household coping strategies to the three resilience capacities. Key features of the model include: Separating absorptive capacity intofinancial wellbeing,income stability, andhousing stabilityfor greater specificity. Refining adaptive capacity to focus onfinancial stress,social support, anddecision-making confidencewhile excluding unrelated variables. Aligning transformative capacity with long-term resilience factors likecommunity resources,financial outlook, andneighborhood safety. Emphasizing thedynamic and cyclical processof resilience and how households' recovery from one shock influences their ability to handle future challenges. The model was presented at the1890 ARD Research Symposium (2024)and theNetwork for Transformative Research Workshops (2025). Feedback from researchers and policymakers emphasized the importance of household self-evaluation and the inclusion of a food security resilience index. The model was revised accordingly and validated using food security assessment data from 500 households surveyed by United Way Greater Knoxville. 2.1.3 Development of a Quantitative Questionnaire A quantitative questionnaire has beendesigned to measure resilience capacity and its relationship with food security. Group discussions were conducted with theFood Policy Council in Knoxville, Tennessee, focusing on absorptive, adaptive, and transformative capacities. Participants contributed valuable feedback based on their expertise in food security and direct work with food-insecure households. Additionally, qualitative questions have also beendistributed to rural households, with assistance fromextension agents from Tennessee State University (TSU) and the University of Tennessee (UT). This ensured the questionnaire reflected real-world experiences and was grounded in practical insights. Feedback from stakeholders and households improved the questionnaire's clarity and relevance. 2.2 Summary Statistics and Results The conceptual model highlighted the interdependence of resilience capacities and food security. Key findings include: Resilience Capacities: Absorptive Capacity: Food-secure households scored0.62, while food-insecure households scored0.53. Adaptive Capacity: Food-secure households scored0.67, while food-insecure households scored0.55. Transformative Capacity: Food-secure households scored0.64, while food-insecure households scored0.60. Food Insecurity Prevalence: 53.4% of households experienced food insecurity, with 20.6% reportingvery low food security. Barriers to Resilience: Income instability, limited access to food assistance, high stress levels, and systemic discrimination. Coping Strategies: Short-term strategies included cutting meals and using food banks, while long-term strategies focused on saving money and investing in education. III. OUTCOMES During this reporting period, significant progress was made in analyzing factors affecting resilience capacity. The conceptual model integrated the revised Calloway measures into the FAO framework, providing a comprehensive tool for assessing food security resilience. The model emphasizes the dynamic and cyclical nature of resilience, linking household coping strategies to resilience capacities. Presentations at key events and stakeholder discussions refined the model and informed the development of a quantitative questionnaire, which is now ready for further testing and validation. IV. IMPACT This research will benefit rural households in Tennessee by providing a framework to identify barriers to resilience and prioritize interventions. Policymakers, extension agents, and community organizations can use the conceptual model and questionnaire to design evidence-based programs that strengthen resilience capacities. For example, targeted support forincome stability, improvedaccess to food assistance, and enhancedmental health resourcescan help households better cope with food insecurity. By addressing systemic barriers and promoting long-term resilience, this project aims to reduce food insecurity and improve the well-being of vulnerable rural populations.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Tran, D.L., Illukpitiya, P., Khanal, A., & Lawani, A. (2024). Changes in Rural Households' Food Consumption Patterns Coping with Food Security Post COVID-19 Pandemic in Tennessee. Poster presented at the 2024 ARD Biennial Research Symposium, Gaylord Opryland, Nashville, Tennessee.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Illukpitiya, P., Tran, D.L., Khanal, A., & Lawani, A. (2024). Resilience Capacity of Rural Households Post COVID-19 Pandemic in Tennessee: Food Security Implication. [Poster presentation]. Presented at the 2024 ARD Biennial Research Symposium, Gaylord Opryland, Nashville, Tennessee.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2025
Citation:
Bolton, M., Tran, D.L., Pettigrew, K., Rose, E., Marincic, M., Howe, M., McEwan, J., & Bryant, J. (2025). Food Security Resilience Among Tennessee Households Post-COVID-19: Exploring Absorptive, Adaptive, and Transformative Capacity. [Poster presentation]. Presented at the 47th Annual University-Wide Research Symposium, Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN, March 2427, 2025.
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