Abstract：
A large body of research suggests that neighborhood disparities in food access persist. Emerging evidence suggests that the global COVID-19 pandemic likely exacerbated disparities in food access. Given the potential role that alternative food networks (AFNs) and local food sources may play during times of extreme scarcity, this study examines urban agriculture (e.g., community farms and gardens) as a sustainable strategy to address food insecurity. In-depth qualitative interviews with fifteen community stakeholders revealed several major themes including food insecurity as a feature of systemic racism, food affordability and distance to food as major barriers to food security, and the role of AFNs in creating community empowerment. Our findings indicate that urban agricultural practices help build social capital, inform and educate community members about healthy eating behaviors, and facilitate the distribution of affordable food. Implications for future research and policy targeting sustainable food distribution in marginalized communities of color are discussed.
摘要：
大量研究表明，食物获取方面的邻里差异仍然存在。新出现的证据表明，全球COVID-19大流行可能加剧了食物获取方面的差距。鉴于替代食物网络（AFN）和当地食物来源在极端稀缺时期可能发挥的潜在作用，这项研究考察了城市农业(例如，社区农场和花园)作为解决粮食不安全问题的可持续战略。对15个社区利益攸关方的深入定性访谈揭示了几个主要主题，包括作为系统性种族主义特征的粮食不安全，粮食可负担性和与粮食的距离是粮食安全的主要障碍，以及AFN在创造社区赋权方面的作用。我们的研究结果表明，城市农业实践有助于建立社会资本，告知和教育社区成员健康的饮食行为，并促进负担得起的食物的分发。讨论了针对边缘化有色人种社区可持续粮食分配的未来研究和政策的含义。
