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Title: Edmund Muskie suggests restricting food exports to build an international food reserve
Creator: Muskie, Edmund S., 1914-1996
Date: 1974-09-30
Collection: G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection

Title: Thomas Foley gives the commencement address at Michigan State University and speaks on world hunger, the green revolution, and changes in world population
Creator: Foley, Thomas S.
Date: 1978-06-10
Collection: G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection

Title: Food and the city
Date: 2013-04-02
Collection: G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
Description: A Michigan State University faculty panel discusses the topic "Food and the City" exploring contemporary and historical issues around the topic of food including local and global food sustainability, entrepreneurship, environmental and health implications, and food and history. Melissa Baumann, Associate Dean of the Honors College, convenes the session and moderates. Part of the series "Sharper Focus/Wider Lens" sponsored by: MSU Honors College; Lyman Briggs College; James Madison College;...
Show moreA Michigan State University faculty panel discusses the topic "Food and the City" exploring contemporary and historical issues around the topic of food including local and global food sustainability, entrepreneurship, environmental and health implications, and food and history. Melissa Baumann, Associate Dean of the Honors College, convenes the session and moderates. Part of the series "Sharper Focus/Wider Lens" sponsored by: MSU Honors College; Lyman Briggs College; James Madison College; the College of Arts and Humanities; the Departments of Community, Agriculture, Recreation, and Resource Studies; History; Geological Sciences; History; and Agriculture, Food and Resource Economics.
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Title: U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt addresses delegates of Allied Nations Food Conference
Creator: Roosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945
Date: 1943-06-07
Collection: G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
Description: Franklin D. Roosevelt addresses delegates of Allied Nations Food Conference from the East Room of the White House following the United Nations Conference on Food and Agriculture. He speaks about the importance of agriculture and food and accepts the declaration adpoted at the conference. Introduced by an unidentified reporter.

Title: Gerald Ford gives an address at the United Nations
Creator: Ford, Gerald R., 1913-2006
Date: 1974
Collection: G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
Description: Gerald Ford gives an address at the United Nations stating that to help world peace, the United States will cooperate on oil and food energy.

Title: Interview of Virginia Emrich on her experience running Red Cross recreation clubs in Australia for U.S. troops during WWII. Part 2
Creator: Emrich, Virginia, 1913-2008
Date: 1983-06-11
Collection: Women's Overseas Service League Oral History Project
Description: In the second of two oral history interviews, Virginia Emrich describes her service in the American Red Cross during World War Two. Emrich says that she was sent to Australia in 1944 and then to Manila in June 1945 where she was quartered in a bombed-out building with indoor toilets and showers, but with little privacy. Emrich remembers regularly hearing gunfire and bombs as U.S. troops tried to dislodge the Japanese, setting up a recreation hall for the 11th Airborne Division and regularly...
Show moreIn the second of two oral history interviews, Virginia Emrich describes her service in the American Red Cross during World War Two. Emrich says that she was sent to Australia in 1944 and then to Manila in June 1945 where she was quartered in a bombed-out building with indoor toilets and showers, but with little privacy. Emrich remembers regularly hearing gunfire and bombs as U.S. troops tried to dislodge the Japanese, setting up a recreation hall for the 11th Airborne Division and regularly suffering earthquakes and tropical rains. She says that she was never hungry during her time in the Red Cross, but was often homesick, cold and tired and always sustained by the conviction that she was doing something worthwhile. Emerich says that she was sent to Japan in September 1945 to open recreation clubs for U.S. occupation forces and that although she enjoyed her time in Japan, she finally asked to be shipped home to care for her aging mother.
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Title: Interview of retired Army Lieutenant Colonel Patricia Accountius on her long service in the U.S. Army Medical Specialist Corps
Creator: Accountius, Patricia Lee, 1930-2006
Date: 2003-10-21
Collection: Women's Overseas Service League Oral History Project
Description: Retired Army Lieutenant Colonel Patricia Accountius, talks about her nearly thirty years in the U.S. Army Meidcal Specialist Corps, including her service during the Vietnam War. Accountius says that she joined the Army in 1948 and became a dietician after completing an internship program. She discusses her stateside assignments, serving on Okinawa from 1956-1958, being stationed at Walter Reed Army hospital in 1958, earning a graduate degree and finally being sent to Vietnam in 1966 as a...
Show moreRetired Army Lieutenant Colonel Patricia Accountius, talks about her nearly thirty years in the U.S. Army Meidcal Specialist Corps, including her service during the Vietnam War. Accountius says that she joined the Army in 1948 and became a dietician after completing an internship program. She discusses her stateside assignments, serving on Okinawa from 1956-1958, being stationed at Walter Reed Army hospital in 1958, earning a graduate degree and finally being sent to Vietnam in 1966 as a captain. She says she spent a great deal of time in Vietnam just trying to get food deliveries made on a regular basis, developing menus for hospitals and dealing with the lack of basic food items. After Vietnam, Accountius became Chief Dietician at Walter Reed Hospital for several years, was later assigned to the Pentagon and was finally sent back to Texas in the 1980s as part of the Panama Command. Accountius is interviewed by Ruth F. Stewart and Carol A. Habgood.
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Title: Integrated remote sensing and crop system modeling for precision agriculture across spatial and temporal scales
Creator: Peter, Bradley George
Date: 2019
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: In light of global environmental change, population pressure, and food production demands, there is considerable value in mapping biogeographic crop niche and characterizing crop productivity at multiple scales to enhance the impact of agricultural improvement across Africa. Crop system research has advanced sustainable strategies for intensifying food production; however, questions regarding where to implement innovative technologies are largely unresolved.This dissertation focuses on four...
Show moreIn light of global environmental change, population pressure, and food production demands, there is considerable value in mapping biogeographic crop niche and characterizing crop productivity at multiple scales to enhance the impact of agricultural improvement across Africa. Crop system research has advanced sustainable strategies for intensifying food production; however, questions regarding where to implement innovative technologies are largely unresolved.This dissertation focuses on four geographic questions: (1) Where is the fundamental climate niche of maize, pigeonpea, and sorghum across Africa? (2) Where are marginal lands in Malawi and what are the underlying drivers of marginality? (3) Based on the drivers of marginal maize production, what are geographic scaling options for integration of pigeonpea into maize-based cropping systems? (4) What spatial resolutions are effective for conducting precision agriculture at the farm scale in smallholder systems? Overarching themes within the geographic discipline such as the modifiable areal unit problem and ecological fallacy problem underpin this research. Marginal areas for maize are highlighted at the Africa and Malawi scales and overlain with the optimal climate niche for crops such as sorghum and pigeonpea that offer multiple ecosystem services (e.g., soil rehabilitation through nitrogen fixation). Crop productivity is evaluated at scales relative to policy making delineations in Malawi (i.e., country, district, and extension planning area) to disentangle heterogeneity at local scales that may appear homogeneous at broader scales. At the Malawi farm scale, this research included the use of a small unmanned aerial system (sUAS), national government satellites (e.g., Sentinel-2), and commercial satellites (e.g., SPOT 6). Spectral measurements of crop status were evaluated at multiple spatial resolutions (ranging from 0.07-20-m) to determine what spatial resolutions and what spectral indices are most effective for estimating crop yields and crop chlorophyll.Results of this research include high spatial resolution maps of maize, pigeonpea, and sorghum suitability across Africa, indicating that pigeonpea and sorghum occupy unique agroecological zones throughout the continent (e.g., sorghum in the Sahel region). Similarly, pigeonpea suitability in Malawi occupies a greater land area than the extent to which it is currently cultivated, demonstrating that integration into maize-based cropping systems, particularly where soil is marginal, can have beneficial scaling outcomes. For the smallholder farm scale, problems of clouds and satellite revisit rates have not yet been overcome for precision agriculture. In this regard, sUAS are a promising option for relating spectral signals to on-farm measurements of crop status. Evidence from drone flights conducted at two experimental farms in the central region of Malawi (Nyambi and Ntubwi) suggest that spatial resolutions closer to the plant scale (i.e., 14-27-cm) are most effective for relating spectral imagery to crop status. Moreover, the green normalized difference vegetation index (GNDVI) and green soil adjusted vegetation index (GSAVI) were consistently correlated with crop chlorophyll and yield, illustrating that a broad range of indices should be evaluated for precision agriculture.
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Title: An analysis of rural food distribution in Costa Rica
Creator: Weber, Michael Thomas, 1944-
Date: 1976
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Title: Food deserts? : purchasing patterns and perceptions of food insecure and secure households in a Midwest urban neighborhood
Creator: Thomas, Brian Jasen
Date: 2007
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Title: Determinants of land allocation in a multi-crop farming system : an application of the fractional multinomial logit model to agricultural households in Mali
Creator: Allen, James Edward, IV
Date: 2012
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Effective food security work in developing countries, such as Mali, relies on a thorough understanding of the rural farming system. A common approach is to study land allocation decisions to specific crops. In accomplishing this, one challenge is to model all production outcomes in a multi-crop system. This thesis attempts to overcome this challenge in order to study the determinants of how much of a household's cultivated land it allocates to cotton, maize, sorghum, millet, and secondary...
Show moreEffective food security work in developing countries, such as Mali, relies on a thorough understanding of the rural farming system. A common approach is to study land allocation decisions to specific crops. In accomplishing this, one challenge is to model all production outcomes in a multi-crop system. This thesis attempts to overcome this challenge in order to study the determinants of how much of a household's cultivated land it allocates to cotton, maize, sorghum, millet, and secondary crops. First, incorporating insights gained by the author while serving as Peace Corps Volunteer in Mali, the agricultural household model helps to identify factors that explain land allocation to various crops. This framework is applied to survey data from seven villages in Mali's Koutiala production zone. A fractional multinomial logit econometric model is used to estimate the effect of household and production attributes on shares of cotton, maize, sorghum, millet, and secondary crops simultaneously, the results of which are presented as average marginal effects. Among other results, the analysis shows that ethnic groups not native to the Koutiala area are associated with significantly smaller shares of maize, and that villages with better market access are correlated with much higher shares of millet and smaller shares of maize, sorghum, and especially cotton. These results, along with personal experience, inform recommendations for policymakers, such as the need to reduce transaction costs for coarse grain markets, promote maize and secondary crops as nutritious and marketable goods, and remain mindful of remote villages during the restructuring of Mali's cotton industry.
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Title: The effect of market liberalization on maize milling/retail margins in South Africa
Creator: Ndibongo-Traub, Lulama Nosantso
Date: 2002
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations

Title: Essays on farm fertilizer profitability and demand
Creator: Ariga, Joshua
Date: 2013
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: The 2007/08 increase in world input and output prices put pressure on governments to intervene in markets using various policies including subsidies in an effort to raise agricultural production, incomes, and alleviate poverty and food insecurity. Countries like Russia and China implemented protectionist policies involving export restrictions on fertilizers and cereal outputs in a bid to encourage domestic production and safeguard against high food prices from speculation in futures markets....
Show moreThe 2007/08 increase in world input and output prices put pressure on governments to intervene in markets using various policies including subsidies in an effort to raise agricultural production, incomes, and alleviate poverty and food insecurity. Countries like Russia and China implemented protectionist policies involving export restrictions on fertilizers and cereal outputs in a bid to encourage domestic production and safeguard against high food prices from speculation in futures markets. Such fears also influenced developing countries to subsidize inputs and implement social safety-net programs. Due to the increased interest in agricultural intensification, it is important for policy makers to be informed on the contribution of fertilizer to farm incomes in different agroecological zones so that interventions are tailored to local conditions. Essay 1 uses rigorous econometric methods on a rural household panel dataset to provide insights on the spatial heterogeneity of the effect of fertilizer on yields and household incomes and so the need for location-specific intervention. The results show that using a complementary set of improved technologies (fertilizer and hybrid seed) has significant yield effect. However, under moisture stress conditions, yields are negatively affected for hybrid compared to non-hybrid seed, indicating the importance of using improved technology that is appropriate to specific local conditions. The results show that it is not profitable to use fertilizers in some zones. There is spatial heterogeneity in Marginal Value-to-Cost Ratio (MVCR) and Average Value-to-Cost Ratio (AVCR) estimates. This has implications on government intervention through blanket non-targeted subsidies that do not take into account the local conditions and profitability of using fertilizers. This is an important contribution that can aid subsidy and other agricultural investment efforts in Kenya. For areas facing uncertain weather conditions, policies that aim to encourage fertilizer use have to tackle the production risks. Essay 2 explains results from Essay 1 that show differences in demand even within areas where fertilizer is potentially profitable to use. Essay 2 uses econometric approaches that mitigate bias from endogeneity to analyze factors that influence farmers' decision to use fertilizer. Distance to fertilizer seller is shorter, prices lower, and fertilizer use higher in areas with relatively more rainfall and less moisture stress. There is a complementarity between investments in access to information (extension), other infrastructure, and fertilizer adoption. Indicators of wealth like land size, value of agricultural assets, and using tractor or animal draught for land preparation have a positive and significant effect on the probability of purchasing fertilizer, while higher fertilizer prices have negative effect on use. Therefore, government policy that encourages private investments in the distribution of fertilizers coupled with training on the agronomic aspects and benefits of using fertilizers can be important in raising production. In cases where resources are constrained and fertilizer prices relatively high (as in remote dry areas in low potential regions), intervention in form of targeted subsidies may contribute to adoption of fertilizers.
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Title: Examining the behavioral interactions between urban residents and their food environment : a case study of greater Lansing, Michigan
Creator: Reed, Meghan
Date: 2011
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Access to nutritious food is essential to human survival and the consumption of fresh produce is an important part of a healthy diet. Previous research has found that residents of urban neighborhoods who lack access to fresh produce have greater difficulty maintaining a healthy diet. This thesis considers the interaction between residents of Greater Lansing, Michigan and their food environment. An in-person survey of 185 Greater Lansing residents was conducted during the summer of 2010 at...
Show moreAccess to nutritious food is essential to human survival and the consumption of fresh produce is an important part of a healthy diet. Previous research has found that residents of urban neighborhoods who lack access to fresh produce have greater difficulty maintaining a healthy diet. This thesis considers the interaction between residents of Greater Lansing, Michigan and their food environment. An in-person survey of 185 Greater Lansing residents was conducted during the summer of 2010 at twelve retail stores that sold fresh produce items. Participants were asked questions about their access to transportation, shopping habits, diet, and primary location of residence. Statistical analyses were conducted to examine the relationships between the collected data and calculated models of spatial accessibility. Findings suggest that (1) the perception of Greater Lansing residents is that food shopping is not done in close proximity to the primary residence; (2) there is not a straightforward association between calculated access to and the consumption of fresh produce; (3) supermarkets are the dominant food source for residents; and (4) individuals who receive nutritional assistance are significantly more likely to shop at neighborhood stores and consume a less healthy diet. Understanding how Greater Lansing residents interact with their food environment is essential in finding solutions to the growing obesity and overweight epidemic.
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Title: The multidimensional nature of household food insecurity in rural Zambia : a panel analysis
Creator: Wineman, Ayala
Date: 2013
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Food security is recognized as a multifaceted condition of complex causality that is related to, yet distinct from, poverty and hunger. Given its broad definition, it is no surprise that food security eludes precise measurement. This study considers there to be three components of household food security (quantity, quality, and stability), and attempts to address the "concept-to-measurement" gap in food security by building an index that spans these three dimensions. A panel data set is used...
Show moreFood security is recognized as a multifaceted condition of complex causality that is related to, yet distinct from, poverty and hunger. Given its broad definition, it is no surprise that food security eludes precise measurement. This study considers there to be three components of household food security (quantity, quality, and stability), and attempts to address the "concept-to-measurement" gap in food security by building an index that spans these three dimensions. A panel data set is used for descriptive analysis of food security indicators in rural Zambia in 2000/01, 2003/04, and 2007/08. A multidimensional index of food security for rural Zambia is then developed using principal component analysis. This composite index is used to explore the spatial patterns of food security in Zambia over time, to assess correlates of food insecurity, and to measure the impacts of climate shocks on food security for different types of households, including female-headed households. Results indicate that both seasonal rainfall and temperature have a significant impact on a household's food security score, although not for all individual components of the food security index. The paper concludes with a consideration of the merits and shortcomings of developing a composite food security index.
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Title: Home gardens for improved food security and enhanced livelihoods in northern Sri Lanka
Creator: Galhena, Dilrukshi Hashini
Date: 2012
Collection: Electronic Theses & Dissertations
Description: Food security remains a high priority for the government of Sri Lanka. As a part of the post-conflict rebuilding of Sri Lanka, the government is promoting establishment of home gardens for reducing hunger and malnutrition and improving livelihoods. Since the civil war ended in 2009, the government and non-governmental organizations have established more than 500 home gardens in the Northern region of Sri Lanka. This research was conducted in the Jaffna District of Sri Lanka which was severely...
Show moreFood security remains a high priority for the government of Sri Lanka. As a part of the post-conflict rebuilding of Sri Lanka, the government is promoting establishment of home gardens for reducing hunger and malnutrition and improving livelihoods. Since the civil war ended in 2009, the government and non-governmental organizations have established more than 500 home gardens in the Northern region of Sri Lanka. This research was conducted in the Jaffna District of Sri Lanka which was severely affected by the conflict. The objective of this research was to investigate the role of home gardens in enhancing food security. This research study took a three prong approach. First, the past experiences of home gardens in developing countries were analyzed through a rigorous literature review. Second, the current role of home gardens as a supplemental source of food was analyzed using research data obtained through the survey of 167 home gardens. Finally, the findings of the research were used to develop innovative strategies to enhance home gardens. The global literature supports the positive contributions of home gardens towards enhancing food security in various contexts while pinpointing key constraints. The literature review supports the inclusion and promotion of home gardens as an eco-friendly sustainable agricultural practice to improve food security. The results of the survey of home gardens in Jaffna District indicated that as many as 29 useful plant species were found in home gardens. The home gardens were found to be diverse and were providing supplemental sources of fresh and nutritionally rich food products. The most important constraints identified were weeds, soil fertility, pests, shortage of capital and labor, and timely access to information and advisory services. The home gardeners strongly stated the need for training in specific areas such as bee keeping, composting, maintaining nurseries of planting materials, pest and soil management. Based on the needs and constraints identified by the home gardeners, four programs are proposed a collaborative activity between Michigan State University and University of Jaffna (UoJ). First, a model home garden will be established at the UoJ campus to serve as a research, education and outreach site. Second, a Master Home Gardener Program will be developed involving progressive gardeners to serve as trainers for other home gardeners. Third, a user-friendly manual on best practices in home gardening will be developed to enhance educational programs. Lastly, an innovative program will be launched using mobile phones to empower local home gardeners with up-to-date information on home gardening. Overall, the results of this research study indicate that home gardens are contributing to food security, income generation and livelihoods in the Northern region of Sri Lanka. When total value of produce per home garden was extrapolated to a million home gardens as per the long-term goals of the Sri Lankan government, the economic value was estimated to be nearly US $300 million. Based on these results, it is recommended that the home gardens program should be scaled-up and further expanded in other parts of Sri Lanka.
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