Doctoral Dissertation Research: Economy, Culture, and Community Food Aid

University Of Arizona, Tucson AZ

Investigators

Abstract

The research supported by this award investigates the causes and consequences of interruptions in food assistance programs. Globally, multilateral organizations, nation states, non-governmental organizations, and local-level kitchens support a variety of food assistance programs. The goals of these programs vary widely. Some provide livelihood opportunities, including direct cash or voucher transfers; others focus on emergency food aid or even enhancing the nutritional value of crops and processed foods. But whatever their goals, the foundations of such program are often shaky. Dependent on mixed-source funding and volunteer labor, they frequently taper off or close completely, leaving behind questions about why they arose in the first place, why they are unstable, and what the consequences of their demise might be for households and communities. The research supported by this award addresses these questions through the lens of intensive study of a network of volunteer meal provisioning establishments in a context of economic shift. The research will be carried out by University of Arizona anthropology doctoral student Sarah Renkert, with supervision from sociocultural anthropologist, Dr. Maribel Alvarez. The researcher has located a site in a neighborhood of Lima, Peru, appropriate for the project because it has experienced exactly the sort of change that needs investigation: the unwinding of a formerly robust volunteer system of local-level food provisioning. This particular food system was based on communal kitchens, staffed by female volunteers who provided a government-subsidized hot meal to food insecure residents. These kitchens have been closing in recent years so the researcher has the opportunity to study the entire cycle: the system's rise; the kitchens that remain; and the effects, if any, of the changes on household wellbeing. The researcher will collect data with a combination of social science methods including participant observation; semi-structured interviews with current and former volunteers, clients, and supporting institutions; archival research on the system's history in relation to shifts in the local economy; and a household food security survey. These data will document the system's rise and development, the shift from community-level food aid programs to individual household self-provisioning, and the effects of these changes. Findings from this research will contribute to social theories of volunteerism and welfare in market-based economies, and be critical for policy makers attempting to develop effective programs for food provisioning, including in the United States. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.