Johnson C. Smith University News April 2016 State of the Plate findings give Charlotte food for thought Key results announced at March 30 press conference Mecklenburg County households with children are on average more likely to be insecure about the provision and quality of their next meal than families nationally. Dr. Victor Romano, Wellness Director at Johnson C. Smith University, revealed this and other sobering data at a press conference Wednesday, March 30, 2016 on State of the Plate, a food systems assessment of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County. Romano and Katherine Metzo of Elemental Research and Consulting led the study with support from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Food Policy Council. The county's first food access assessment took place in 2010 and focused primarily on identifying food deserts, a geographic distinction that refers to food availability within a low-income community. This time around, Romano and his team substantially expanded the categories to better analyze local food security, based on availability, affordability, and quality within neighborhood environments. The study found many households lack proximity to traditional full-service stores that sell a variety of fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, fresh meat, fresh dairy and processed foods. "No one wants to hear that 35 percent of Mecklenburg County households with kids faced food insecurity in the past year. Numbers like these can be hard to hear, but they can also galvanize people to take action and work together to improve our food system," said Erin Brighton, Executive Director of the Food Policy Council. As a new, urban university, one of JCSU's main missions is advancing the quality of life for the surrounding community, and that includes supporting research like State of the Plate. The University was already combating food insecurity through initiatives such as the Sustainability Village community garden; Golden Bulls Stock Market, an on-campus food pantry for students; and Seed-to Feed and the Act NOW! Project, both programs designed to address youth food access and availability through school curriculums. It was only natural that JCSU's Smith Institute for Applied Research would take a leading role in the State of the Plate study, providing over a dozen student researchers for the year-long study from a swath of disciplines: communication arts, biology, chemistry, community health, social work and accounting. Undergraduate and graduate students from UNC-Charlotte, Queens University and other Charlotte-area universities also participated, taking interviews, sitting in focus groups and performing the data entry required for mapping. Romano, along with Metzo, Food Policy Council Chair Young-Sun Roth and Elliott Royal of the Mecklenburg County Health Department conducted a review of the assessment's key findings at a standing-room only press conference Wednesday, March 30, 2016 in the HealthPlex Education Room on JCSU's campus. Media outlets including WBTV, WSOC-TV, The Charlotte Post and QCity Metro were on hand to record the key findings, as well as report on the solutions put forth. Royal, a food access coordinator for the Mecklenburg County Health Department, spoke about the Healthy Corner Store Initiative, which helps provide resources and education to bring better nutrition into neighborhood food access points. Romano pointed out opportunities to expand access, including creating new retail, enhancing existing retail, moving towards 100% acceptance of SNAP and WIC (Women with Infants and Children) nutrition benefits at full-service groceries, developing innovative programs that increase distribution of high-quality produce, and continuing or expanding programs that educate youth and adults on healthy eating. This research was made possible by funding and support from Wells Fargo, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, Johnson C. Smith University's Smith Institute for Applied Research and The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Food Policy Council. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-592-4820 Skype: sandra.phoenix1 Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/hbculibraryalliance1/ 1438 West Peachtree NW Suite 200 Atlanta,GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (LYRASIS) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.