Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture

UNI center receives grants to address food systems, access and health issues

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March 11, 2010

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- Projects addressing critical food-system issues are underway at the Iowa Center on Health Disparities (ICHD) at the University of Northern Iowa. The ICHD projects will focus on food system issues that increase access to health-promoting foods, especially to children, improve public health and build a more sustainable and durable food system in Iowa.

The projects are funded by a one-year $137,600 grant from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation of Battle Creek, Mich., and a two-year competitive grant totaling $57,900 from the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University in Ames.

"The destiny of Iowa is greatly dependent on how we nourish ourselves. How Iowa feeds its people, especially children, determines the health, economic, ecological and social capacity to support future generations," said Michele Devlin, UNI professor of health promotion and education and executive director of the ICHD.

"The health of Iowans depends to a significant extent on a food system that makes healthful food the easiest choices. Increasing access to fresh, locally grown foods for all Iowans builds food security, decreases rates of diet-related chronic diseases, especially among children, and boosts local farm economies."

The focus of the W. K. Kellogg Foundation grant is to launch an Iowa Food Policy Council, a diverse statewide cooperative to develop and make research, program and policy recommendations for a food system to support healthier Iowans, communities, economies and environments. Over the next year, the Iowa Food Policy Council will conduct a comprehensive statewide assessment of food systems, food access and health indicators.

The focus of the Leopold Center grant is to convene key food security and public health stakeholders from across Iowa who will examine the disparities in food access and health among Iowans. The Food Access and Health Working Group will address programs and policies that increase access to fresh, nutritious and affordable local food for all Iowans, including vulnerable children and their families. The Food Access and Health Working Group will be integrated in Value Chains Partnerships, an Iowa-based network for food and agriculture working groups coordinated by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture.
Devlin said these projects will strengthen connections between state, regional and community partners and lend key recommendations for research, program and policy opportunities that cultivate a food system that supports healthy Iowans, families, farms and communities.

Established in 1930, the W. K. Kellogg Foundation supports children, families and communities as they strengthen and create conditions that propel vulnerable children to achieve success as individuals and as contributors to the larger community and society. Grants are concentrated in the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean, and southern Africa.

The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture is a research and education center with statewide programs to develop sustainable agricultural practices that are both profitable and conserve natural resources. It was established under the Groundwater Protection Act of 1987 to conduct research into the negative impacts of agricultural practices; assist in developing alternative practices; and to work with Iowa State University Extension to inform the public of Leopold Center findings.

ICHD provides statewide leadership in applied research, training, education, and advocacy on health disparity issues that affect minorities, immigrants, and medically underserved populations in Iowa. For more information, visit www.iowahealthdisparities.org. 

For more info contact:

Michele Devlin at (319) 273-7965 or michele.devlin@uni.edu. 

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