The National Food Access and COVID research Team (NFACT) is a collaboration of researchers at 19 sites across 16 states exploring the impact of COVID-19 on food access, food security and food systems. 

Letter from the Director

Dear NFACT Collaborators and Supporters,

Following the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, NFACT is excited to share some of their recent publications and briefs, many of which continue to inform the needs and vision set forth at the White House Conference.

Researchers from NFACT sites in Arizona, Chicago, New York and Massachusetts continue to document the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) individuals, as well as their use of important services including food pantries, during the pandemic. These impacts include the disproportionate job loss and disruptions experienced by Hispanic and non-Hispanic white households, which directly linked to food insecurity during the pandemic. A collaborative team from Massachusetts, New York and Vermont also demonstrated what so many of us know- that food insecurity is deeply linked with lack of access to other basic needs- including diaper need. Finally, the Vermont and Maine teams documented the continued challenges of the pandemic two years later- through a 2022 survey detailing the health and food security challenges facing rural New Englanders even two years past the onset of the pandemic.

As decision-makers begin to create action around the White House vision for ending hunger, improving nutrition, and health, NFACT continues to provide key insights into ways to make this possible on the heels of the pandemic.

Sending my best,

Meredith

New Policy Briefs and Publications

Arizona

Researchers from the University of Arizona and Arizona State University collaborated on the brief One year later: The economic consequences of COVID-19 in Arizona.

Chicago and New York City

Published in the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, A Tale of Two Cities During the COVID‑19 Pandemic: Evaluating Food Insecurity in Chicago and New York City examined the early impacts of COVID-19 on food insecurity using a Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) framework. Findings support the observed rise of food insecurity for Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) individuals and its association with health status.

Massachusetts

Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Food Pantry Use and Barriers in Massachusetts during the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic, published in Nutrients, found that Black and Latino adults experienced the highest prevalence of food insecurity and pantry use during the first year of the pandemic. Additionally, Black and Latino adults reported more barriers to, but less stigma around, pantry use compared to White adults.

A collaborative team of NFACT researchers from Vermont, New York, and Massachusetts published Diaper Need During the COVID-19 Pandemic Associated with Poverty, Food Insecurity, and Chronic Illness: An Analysis of a Representative State Sample of Caretakers with Young Children in Health Equity.

Vermont and Maine

A collaborative team from University of Vermont and University of Maine released A 2022 Assessment of Food Security and Health Outcomes during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Based on surveys conducted in spring of 2022, researchers found that the prevalence of food insecurity in northern New England (Vermont and Maine) remains similarly high to early points in the pandemic, likely driven by inflation and food prices, and long-term impacts from the pandemic.

Have an update or idea for the newsletter?

Want to suggest a student or researcher to highlight?

Contact Becca: rebecca.mitchell@uvm.edu

Want to contact NFACT or get involved?

Contact Meredith: mtniles@uvm.edu