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University of Illinois professor leads $2 million food insecurity project

A University of Illinois professor is leading a $2 million research project to reduce food insecurity.

Craig Gundersen tells Brownfield Feeding America is trying to create more effective ways to get fresh produce to vulnerable households across the country.

“A new way of understanding this is by looking at the role of regional produce cooperatives, there role in distribution and how this can be more effective in terms of helping reduce the food insecurity of vulnerable households and improving their nutrition intakes.”  

Gunderson says he hopes to determine the impact of regional food cooperatives on the food security status of vulnerable households and the amount of fresh produce they give to food banks.

He says it’s the first study rethinking how food is being distributed to food banks.

A grant from the Foundation for Food and Agriculture provided half of the funds. The remainder was matched by the University of Illinois, Target, the Rachael Ray Foundation and Feeding America.