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UA Student Presents Research that Helps Low Income Residents to Fresh Produce

by Lauren Krakau

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — An honor’s college student of the UofA’s Dale Bumpers College presented research at the National Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Annual Food and Nutrition Conference in Washington, D.C.

UA Senior, Laura Wasson’s presentation was “Increasing Low-Income Residents’ Access to Fresh Produce Through Local Farm and Food Pantry Collaboration.”

Wasson said her research follows the work of Seeds that Feed, and that it receives produce from local farmers’ market farmers and redistributes it to low-income families who are at risk for food insecurity.

“I surveyed some of their recipients in order to statistically analyze the efficiency of their work and the impact Seeds that Feed has on the nutrition of its customers,” said Wasson. “I found that just one donation from Seeds that Feed has the potential to significantly increase individual’s ability to consume the number of fruits and specific vegetable groups recommended by the USDA.”

Wasson said meeting these recommendations is crucial to a person’s health and Seeds that Feed helps people meet these goals who otherwise struggle to meet them on their own.

According to the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance website, food insecurity affects more than five-hundred and sixty thousand Arkansasans. She said this research is important because food insecurity prevents people from meeting their nutrition needs and the prevalence of food insecurity is a lot higher than we think nationally and locally.

“To me, food and good nutrition is a right to humanity, or at least it should be…but sadly, that is not the reality of our world,” said Wasson. ” I want to do whatever I can to help make it a reality and to help people organizations like Seeds that Feed who are making it a reality.”

Wasson said she was honored to be recognized at this conference.
“The dietetic world is full of so many passionate people taking amazing strides for the health of our nation and our world, and to be able to share my work with the dietetic field affirmed my place in it,” said Wasson.
Wasson’s trip to Washington was supported in part by winning the first-ever Design Solution Challenge sponsored by the Sam M. Walton College of Business.