Economic

Research

Service

Electronic Publications from the Food Assistance & Nutrition Research Program

Community Food Security

Assessment Toolkit

By Barbara Cohen, IQ Solutions, Inc.

ERS contacts: Margaret Andrews and Linda Kantor

Abstract

This report provides a toolkit of standardized measurement tools for assessing various aspects

of community food security. It includes a general guide to community assessment and

focused materials for examining six basic assessment components related to community food

security. These include guides for profiling general community characteristics and community food resources as well as materials for assessing household food security, food resource

accessibility, food availability and affordability, and community food production resources.

Data collection tools include secondary data sources, focus group guides, and a food store

survey instrument. The toolkit was developed through a collaborative process that was initiated at the community Food Security Assessment Conference sponsored by ERS in June 1999.

It is designed for use by community-based nonprofit organizations and business groups, local

government officials, private citizens, and community planners.

Keywords: Community food security, community assessment, hunger, food assistance programs, emergency food providers, food store access, food affordability, Thrifty Food Plan,

community-supported agriculture.

E-FAN-02-013

July 2002

This report was prepared by IQ Solutions, Inc., under a research contract from the Economic Research Service. The views expressed are

those of the authors and not necessarily those of ERS or USDA.
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit i

Acknowledgements

The development of this toolkit relied on the input and insight of many people. To begin with,

attendees at the Community Food Security Assessment Conference on June 29 and 30, 1999,

volunteered their time during and after the conference. Conferees offered extremely useful ideas

regarding the development of assessment tools and the variety of topics to be included. They also

commented on several drafts of this document. Although they are too numerous to name

individually, the input of this group was invaluable throughout the development of the toolkit.

Elements of the toolkit were based on materials distributed at the conference that were used in the

past for community food security assessments by a number of groups from around the country.

These groups include Adams County (Colorado) Head Start, California Food Policy Advocates,

Community Childhood Hunger Identification Project, Community Food Security Coalition, Detroit

Area Food System (Wayne State University), Food Marketing Policy Center (University of

Connecticut), Hunger Task Force of Milwaukee, Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank,

Knoxville Food Policy Council (University of Tennessee), Madison/Dane County Food System

(University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee), Northern California Food Systems Alliance, and West Coast

Regional Office of Consumers’ Union.

Linda Kantor and Margaret Andrews of the Economic Research Service (ERS) played key roles in

the planning and review of each of the toolkit sections. Others from ERS who offered reviews of

various drafts include David Smallwood, Joanne Guthrie, and Mark Nord. Steven Carlson and Gary

Bickel from the Food and Nutrition Service reviewed the final draft. Among outside reviewers,

comments received on various drafts from Dorie Seavey, Hugh Joseph, and Michael Hamm were

helpful in revising the toolkit. Special thanks go to our summer interns, David Ripplinger and

Emily Lieb, who made valuable contributions to the development of the toolkit by testing the food

store survey and helping to organize the Community Food Security Assessment Conference.

This effort also benefited from a close collaboration with the Community Assessment Working

Group of USDA’s Lower Mississippi Delta Nutrition Intervention Research Initiative (Delta NIRI),

which has been developing methods and procedures for assessing community food security,

nutrition, and health issues in Delta counties/parishes. Materials and experiences were shared

regularly with this group, which was chaired by Bernestine B. McGee. Members of the group

included Margaret Bogle, Susan Goolsby, Dan Hoyt, Rafida Idris, Edith Neal, Edward Parmer, Ruth

Patrick, Alma Thornton, and Kathy Yadrick. Norma Dawkins from the Delta NIRI Focus Group

Operations team shared experiences from developing instruments for gathering information on food

security and food purchasing behaviors.

Thanks also go to Susan Goolsby, Kathryn Norris, Debra Watkins, and other faculty members and

staff of the Center for Applied Research and Evaluation at the Arkansas Children’s Hospital

Research Institute, who field-tested the focus group guides and food store interview protocols in

September 2000. Kadi Row, Judi Bartfeld, and other participants at the Community Food Security

Assessment Toolkit Orientation Workshop sponsored by the University of Wisconsin-Extension on

June 12, 2001, deserve mention for their role in reviewing and critiquing a nearly final draft of the

toolkit.
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit ii

The toolkit was prepared for ERS under contract #53-3K06-7-9. However, the content of the toolkit

does not reflect or represent the views of USDA.
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit iii

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................................1

1.1 Overview of food insecurity and hunger in the United States .................................................2

1.2 What is household food security? ............................................................................................3

1.3 What is community food security?...........................................................................................3

1.4 Purpose and overview of the Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit..........................4

2. Overview of the Assessment Process ............................................................................................7

2.1 What is a community food security assessment?.....................................................................8

2.2 Why conduct a community food security assessment?............................................................9

2.3 Determining your community’s information needs .................................................................9

2.4 Creating a community food security assessment team...........................................................10

2.5 The planning process..............................................................................................................11

3. Data Collection and Analysis Guide...........................................................................................13

3.1 Finding and using data ...........................................................................................................14

3.2 Data collection techniques .....................................................................................................15

3.3 Beginning the data collection process....................................................................................17

3.4 Analyzing and interpreting the data .......................................................................................18

3.5 Basic components of a community food security assessment................................................29

4. Profile of Community Socioeconomic and Demographic Characteristics..............................30

4.1 Purpose...................................................................................................................................31

4.2 Analysis..................................................................................................................................31

4.3 Indicators................................................................................................................................31

5. Profile of Community Food Resources.......................................................................................33

5.1 Purpose...................................................................................................................................34

5.2 Analysis..................................................................................................................................34

5.3 Indicators................................................................................................................................38

6. Assessment of Household Food Security....................................................................................39

6.1 Purpose...................................................................................................................................40

6.2 Analysis..................................................................................................................................42

6.3 Indicators................................................................................................................................42

7. Assessment of Food Resource Accessibility ...............................................................................43

7.1 Purpose...................................................................................................................................44

7.2 Analysis..................................................................................................................................44

7.3 Indicators................................................................................................................................46
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit iv

Table of Contents

(continued)

8. Assessment of Food Availability and Affordability ..................................................................48

8.1 Purpose...................................................................................................................................49

8.2 Analysis..................................................................................................................................51

8.3 Indicators................................................................................................................................53

9. Assessment of Community Food Production Resources ..........................................................54

9.1 Purpose...................................................................................................................................55

9.2 Analysis..................................................................................................................................56

9.3 Indicators................................................................................................................................56

10. Glossary.......................................................................................................................................59

11. References ...................................................................................................................................61

12. Annotated Bibliography of Community Food Security Assessment Studies........................63

Appendix A. Data Tables and Tips for Developing Them ...........................................................73

A.1 Steps To Get You Started When Collecting Existing Data..................................................74

A.2 Tools for Collecting Socioeconomic and Demographic Data..............................................74

A.3 Tools for Assembling a Profile of Community Food Resources .........................................76

A.4 Tools for Assessing Food Resource Accessibility ...............................................................84

A.5 Tools for Assessing Community Food Production Resources.............................................87

Appendix B. Focus Group Guides and Materials .........................................................................93

B.1 Steps To Get You Started When Conducting a Focus Group ..............................................94

B.2 Key Informant Focus Group.................................................................................................98

B.3 Focus Group on Household Food Security.........................................................................103

B.4 Focus Group on Food Shopping Patterns...........................................................................119

B.5 Focus Group on Household Food Assistance.....................................................................127

B.6 Focus Group on Community Food Production Resources .................................................133

Appendix C. Food Store Survey Instruments and Materials.....................................................136

C.1 Steps To Get You Started When Conducting a Food Store Survey ...................................137

C.2 Survey Preparation Guide...................................................................................................137

C.3 Instructions for Data Collection .........................................................................................140

C.4 Instructions for Data Analysis ............................................................................................145

C.5 Food Store Survey Instrument and Materials.....................................................................154
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 1

1. Introduction

► 1.1 Overview of Food Insecurity and Hunger in the United States

► 1.2 What is Household Food Security?

► 1.3 What is Community Food Security?

► 1.4 Purpose and Overview of the Community Food Security Assessment

Toolkit
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 2

1. Introduction

1.1 Overview of food insecurity

and hunger in the United

States

Many U.S. families struggle to meet their

basic food needs despite continued economic

expansion and a strong national nutrition

safety net. A recent U.S. Department of

Agriculture (USDA) study estimated that 10.1

percent of U.S. households—about 9 million

households during 1999—were food insecure;

that is, they did not have access at all times to

enough food for an active and healthy life,

with no need for recourse to emergency food

sources or other extraordinary coping

behaviors to meet their basic food needs.

Included among those were 2.8 percent of

households in which food insecurity reached

levels of severity great enough that one or

more household members were hungry at

least some time during the year due to

inadequate resources for food.

Beyond obvious moral considerations, food

insecurity and hunger of this magnitude imply

public health and economic costs to both

communities and individuals through reduced

cognitive development and learning capacity

in children, impaired work performance and

earnings potential in adults, and lower intake

of food energy and key nutrients leading to

increased medical costs, disability, and

premature death due to diet-related illnesses.

Socioeconomic and demographic factors,

including household size, homeownership,

educational attainment, savings rates, and

access to credit and health insurance, have

been shown to be other important

determinants of food security, independent of

household income. For such households, food

spending is often the most flexible item in the

family budget and the first to get cut when

unexpected changes in income occur, such as

job loss or medical expenses.

In recent years, researchers, policymakers,

and advocates for the poor have suggested

that food insecurity and hunger are also

factors of the broader social, economic, and

institutional characteristics of the

communities in which they occur. Of

particular concern are those factors that affect

the availability, accessibility, and

affordability of food, such as the size and

proximity of retail food stores, the variety,

quality, and price of food available for

purchase, the availability and adequacy of

public transportation systems that support

food access, and the viability and

sustainability of local food production and

marketing infrastructures.

Recent legislative changes associated with

welfare reform and dramatic shifts in Federal

farm supports have created a policy

environment conducive to community-based

initiatives that improve food access for lowincome households and support rural

communities by strengthening traditional ties

between farmers and urban consumers.

Funding for community food projects

included in the 1996 Farm Bill and the

launching of a nationwide Community Food

Security Initiative by the Secretary of

Agriculture in February 1999 have increased

interest in developing tools that can be used to

assess key components of a food secure

community.
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 3

Box 1

What is Household Food Security?

Definitions From the Life Sciences

Research Office

Food security—Access by all people at all

times to enough food for an active, healthy

life. Food security includes at a minimum

 The ready availability of nutritionally

adequate and safe foods.

 An assured ability to acquire acceptable

foods in socially acceptable ways.

Food insecurity—Limited or uncertain

availability of nutritionally adequate and safe

foods or limited or uncertain ability to

acquire acceptable foods in socially

acceptable ways.

Hunger—The uneasy or painful sensation

caused by a lack of food. The recurrent and

involuntary lack of access to food.

1.2 What is household food

security?

The Ten-Year Comprehensive Plan for the

National Nutrition Monitoring and Related

Research Program, part of the National

Nutrition and Related Research Act of 1990

(Public Law 101-445n 1990), directed the

U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health

and Human Services to define and measure

food security and hunger as part of a

comprehensive effort to monitor the dietary

health and nutritional status of the U.S.

population.

The food security measurement and

instrument were developed over several years

as part of the Federal Food Security

Measurement Project, an ongoing

collaboration among Federal agencies,

academic researchers, and commercial and

nonprofit private organizations. Key to the

success of the new measurement effort was

the adoption and standardization of a

conceptual definition of the three terms that

had been developed by the Life Sciences

Research Office (LSRO) of the Federation of

American Societies for Experimental Biology.

(See box 1.)

1.3 What is community food

security?

Community food security is a relatively new

concept with no universally accepted

definition. For some purposes, community

food security can be viewed as an expansion

of the concept of household food security.

Whereas household food security is

concerned with the ability to acquire food at

the household level, community food security

concerns the underlying social, economic, and

institutional factors within a community that

affect the quantity and quality of available

food and its affordability or price relative to

the sufficiency of financial resources

available to acquire it. For more information,

see Linda S. Kantor. “Community Food

Security Programs Improve Food Access,”

Food Review, 2001.

Communities may be considered to be food

insecure if

• There are inadequate resources from

which people can purchase foods.

• The available food purchasing resources

are not accessible to all community

members.

• The food available through the resources

is not sufficient in quantity or variety.

• The food available is not competitively

priced and thus is not affordable to all

households.

• There are inadequate food assistance

resources to help low-income people

purchase foods at retail markets.

• There are no local food production

resources.

• Locally produced food is not available to

community members.
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 4

• There is no support for local food

production resources.

• There is any significant household food

insecurity within the community.

Policies and programs implemented to

improve community food security address a

diverse range of issues, including

participation in and access to Federal food

assistance programs, economic opportunity

and job security, community development and

social cohesion, ecologically sustainable

agricultural production, farmland

preservation, economic viability of rural

communities, direct food marketing, dietrelated health problems, and emergency food

assistance access. Some examples include the

following:

• Food stamp outreach programs that

help increase the number of eligible

households that participate in the Food

Stamp Program.

• Farmers’ markets that boost incomes of

small, local farmers and increase

consumers’ access to fresh produce.

• Community gardens that help public

housing residents and other low-income

consumers supplement their diets with

home-grown produce.

• Asset development programs that assist

low-income families to accumulate funds

for obtaining additional education,

purchasing a home, or starting a business.

• Food-buying cooperatives that help

families save money by pooling food

purchases.

• Community-supported agriculture

programs that can help provide small

farmers with economic stability and

consumers with high-quality produce,

often at below retail prices.

• Farm-to-school initiatives that help local

farmers sell fresh fruits and vegetables

directly to school meals programs.

• Community kitchens that provide job

training to the unemployed while

converting surplus food to meals for the

needy.

When implemented together with a strong

Federal nutrition safety net and emergency

food assistance programs that alleviate food

insecurity and hunger over the short-term,

such community food security initiatives may,

over the long term, increase the economic

resources available to households to purchase

food; strengthen local capacity for food

production, processing, and marketing; and

boost the effectiveness of Federal food

assistance and education programs by

increasing the availability of high-quality,

affordable food within a community.

In this sense, community food security is

most easily understood as a continuum.

Communities are unlikely to be either entirely

“food secure” or entirely “food insecure.”

Rather, they can be placed on a continuum

where the goal is to move from less food

secure to more food secure. Ultimately, the

end goal is a “food secure” community in

which “all people in a community have access

to a culturally acceptable, nutritionally

adequate diet through non-emergency (or

conventional) food sources at all times”(D.

Biehler et al. Getting Food on the Table: An

Action Guide to Local Food Policy, 1999).

1.4 Purpose and overview of the

Community Food Security

Assessment Toolkit

The purpose of the toolkit is to provide a

standardized set of measurement tools for

assessing various indicators of community

food security. It was developed by the USDA

as a resource for community-based nonprofit

organizations and business groups, local

government officials, private citizens, and

community planners. It marks the latest phase

of a new community-focused chapter in

USDA’s ongoing efforts to improve our

knowledge about the nature and magnitude of
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 5

hunger and food insecurity in the United

States.

As part of this effort USDA’s Economic

Research Service (ERS), in conjunction with

the Cooperative State Research, Education,

and Extension Service, the Food and Nutrition

Service, held a Community Food Security

Assessment Conference in June 1999. The

goal of the conference was to guide the

development and implementation of

community food security measurement tools.

The meeting was attended by an

interdisciplinary group of academics and

community practitioners from Government,

universities, research institutes, and nonprofit

organizations. Although their areas of

expertise were diverse—including community

gardening, urban transportation policy,

farmland preservation, food marketing,

hunger prevention, and nutrition assistance—

the group worked to identify methods for

measuring a community’s ability to ensure

that all of its members have access to enough

food for an active, healthy life. The

Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit

was developed with the guidance of the

meeting participants.

Subsequent development of the toolkit

benefited from a collaboration with the

Community Assessment Working Group of

USDA’s Lower Mississippi Delta Nutrition

Intervention Research Initiative. Some of the

tools and instruments were field-tested in

Drew County, Arkansas, by the Center for

Applied Research and Evaluation at the

Arkansas Children’s Hospital Research

Institute. An orientation workshop sponsored

by the University of Wisconsin-Extension

office was held to orient potential toolkit

users from several Wisconsin and Illinois

communities and solicit their feedback on the

toolkit’s usefulness.

It is not our intention in the toolkit to reinvent

the wheel. The toolkit is a product of the

energy and enthusiasm of the conference

attendees, but it also reflects the dedicated

work of assessment studies conducted in

countless cities and counties across the

Nation, as well as how-to manuals created by

other researchers. (See chapter 12, An

Annotated Bibliography of Community Food

Security Assessment Studies.)

The goal is to help you plan and carry out a

community food security assessment process

that does not rely on professionals but allows

you to include a wide variety of participants.

You are guided to look at all resources to

understand the community’s potential not

only for identifying an issue but also for

addressing it successfully.

We have tried to do a great deal of the

legwork for you by identifying sources of data

that can be used in your assessment. The tools

themselves are divided into separate units that

can be used independently of one another. We

recognize that food security issues differ by

community and the combination of tools

needed for an assessment in one community

may be very different from that needed in

another.

The toolkit provides tips, guidelines, and data

collection tools for conducting a food security

assessment of your community. To

accomplish this task, we provide you with a

general guide to community assessment—

from planning to analysis stages. This guide

can be used to familiarize all members of the

community food security assessment team

with the key components of the community

assessment process. The next stage of the

process focuses on community food security

assessment. These chapters of the toolkit

begin with an explanation of the elements of

community food security and how they can be

measured and analyzed. Then you are

provided with a cross-reference between the

indicators or data needed for the assessment

and the corresponding assessment tools and

guides. Appendices A and B include the

necessary data collection tools (tables,
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 6

surveys, and focus group guides) and

instructions on how to use each tool to collect

data. These data collection instruments,

including a food store survey in appendix C,

can be customized to include any of the

variables presented in the toolkit or any

additional variables. There are six basic

assessment components:

• Profile of community socioeconomic and

demographic characteristics

• Profile of community food resources

• Assessment of household food security

• Assessment of food resource accessibility

• Assessment of food availability and

affordability

• Assessment of community food

production resources
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 7

2. Overview of the Assessment Process:

Steps for Getting Started

► 2.1 What is a Community Food Security Assessment?

► 2.2 Why Conduct a Community Food Security Assessment?

► 2.3 Determining Your Community’s Information Needs

► 2.4 Creating a Community Food Security Assessment Team

► 2.5 The Planning Process
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 8

2. Overview of the Assessment Process: Steps for Getting

Started

2.1 What is a community food

security assessment?

What is Community Assessment?

Have you ever wondered how to solve a

problem in your community? What could

be done to build a stronger, healthier

community? A community assessment helps

community members to address their needs

by using their own resources in a systematic

way to identify resources, needs, and

specific challenges or problems. The word

“community” is key to the process. It is a

process led and implemented by community

members, to achieve a community goal.

Typically, the community will gain not only

from the information collected but also from

the assessment process. By integrating

people from different parts of the

community into the team and developing a

joint agenda and a resulting action plan, the

community’s bonds are tightened.

The goal of the assessment is to collect

information to identify gaps and needs in the

community and the resources, services, and

systems that could be used to fill the gaps

and meet the needs of residents. To

accomplish this, you will gather information

that helps you understand the following:

• Status of community residents

• Availability of community resources

• Capacity of community resources

This information can be collated and

presented to inform community residents

and business, civic, and government leaders

of the need for changes and how they can be

accomplished. The information will provide

the basis for a well-constructed action plan

that reflects the community’s goals, resources,

and needs.

What is a Community Food Security

Assessment?

A community food security (CFS) assessment

is a unique type of community assessment. It

includes the collection of various types of data

to provide answers to questions about the

ability of existing community resources to

provide sufficient and nutritionally sound

amounts of culturally acceptable foods to

households in the community. The result of the

assessment is the generation of a community

profile that may highlight the negative and

positive components of the community’s efforts

to satisfy households’ food needs.

According to the Community Food Security

Coalition, components of CFS needs

assessments include information on access to

food; hunger, nutrition, and local agriculture

data; an inventory of community food

resources; and policy perspectives (H. Joseph,

ed. Community Food Security: A Guide to

Concept, Design, and Implementation, 1997).

These components can include factors such as

the following:

• Effectiveness of local infrastructure for

delivering Federal food assistance

programs.

• Adequacy of supermarkets, barriers to food

shopping, modes of transportation,

selection and price, and local markets.

• Income levels and number of persons in

poverty, use of the emergency food system,

and Federal food assistance programs.

• Loss of farmland, farm startups, use of

sustainable production methods, and

availability of locally grown food in local

stores.
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 9

Box 2

Community Food Security

Decision-Making

Examples of decisions by local

policymakers that may affect a

community’s food security:

 Whether the local school district should

participate in the Federal School Breakfast

Program

 Expanding office hours for Federal food

assistance programs such as food stamps

and WIC

 Zoning or allocating space for community

gardens

 Developing noise and nuisance ordinances

that do not unnecessarily discourage local

agricultural production

• Number of community gardens, home

gardens, farmers’ markets, communitysupported agriculture programs; food coops or other alternative food

production/distribution arrangements;

and open space available for food

production.

• Scope of food policies affecting the

community and evidence of integration

of food-related issues into the local

planning process.

2.2 Why conduct a community

food security assessment?

Although the Federal nutrition safety net and

agricultural policies play a key role in

household and community food security,

many decisions that affect a community’s

food security are made at the local level,

such as funding allocations, types of

programs or outreach, who to target, and so

on.

Although still a small part of the decisionmaking process, increasing emphasis is

being placed on the importance of objective,

data-based information as a basis for policy

or programming decisions. With tight

budgets and many competing priorities,

programs increasingly are being required to

document the needs to which they are

responding and the extent to which they are

effective in addressing those needs.

This means that local professionals and

other community members may have an

important role to play in supporting effective

policy and programming decisions regarding

food security issues in their community.

(See box 2.)

The key to community food security

assessment is that it integrates information

from a variety of sources about food security

issues in a community. In an ideal

assessment, information about individual

components of community food security

would be coordinated into a comprehensive

picture of the food security situation in a

community for local decision-makers.

A community food assessment will help you to

(1) understand local food systems, (2) inform

the setting of goals to improve these local food

systems, (3) inform decision-making about

policies and actions to improve community

food security; and (4) establish a long-term

monitoring system with a clear set of

indicators. This last point is important if as a

Nation we will ever decide to compare

communities with respect to food security. The

indicators included in this toolkit represent a

first attempt at defining a unified set of

indicators that could be used across

communities.

We suggest that as users of the toolkit, you

adapt the instruments to include the indicators

most relevant for your community with

additions or deletions of specific indicators or

assessment tools.
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 10

2.3 Determining your

community’s information

needs

The purpose of community food security

assessment is to facilitate decision-making

about programs and policies that affect food

security in your community, not simply to

collect data. The process of data collection

can be very costly and time intensive. It

needs to be based on a plan that focuses on

the efficient use of personnel and other

resources and should be driven by a clear

conception of how the information will be

used. Therefore, before embarking on data

collection, it is important to identify key

questions, to determine the types of

information and analysis needed to answer

those questions, and to identify potential

users of your findings. You may want to

answer the following potential key

questions:

• What are the geographic boundaries of

the community that you are planning to

study?

• Is household food insecurity a problem

within the community, and who is at

highest risk?

• How many people use Federal food

assistance programs?

• Does the community have the necessary

infrastructure to effectively deliver

Federal food assistance programs at the

local level?

• Do all people in the community have

reasonable access to retail food outlets?

• Are there sufficient resources available

to meet the needs of people who need

emergency or supplemental food?

• What types of agricultural resources

exist in the community?

• Are locally grown foods available in the

community’s retail food stores or food

service outlets?

• Are there local policies and ordinances

that affect the community’s food

security (e.g., policies regarding the use of

municipally owned land for community

gardens)?

To help answer these and other questions that

may be unique to your community and to plan a

timely and cost-efficient community food

security assessment, it will be necessary to

form a diverse team of community members to

plan and oversee assessment activities. The

next section provides some guidelines to be

used in selecting the team members and in

developing an assessment plan.

For additional insight into the planning and

team development process needed for a

community food security assessment, you can

consult the Community Food Security

Coalition’s Getting Food on the Table: An

Action Guide to Local Food Policy by Dawn

Biehler, Andy Fisher, Kai Siedenburg, Mark

Winne, and Jill Zachary and Community Food

Security: A Guide to Concept, Design, and

Implementation by Hugh Joseph.

2.4 Creating a community food

security assessment team

One of the features that distinguishes a

community food security assessment from

other research done on a community is that a

community food security assessment is

envisioned, planned, conducted, and used by

people living and working in the community.

Diverse representation in the planning process

is key to a successful outcome. The

involvement of individuals from different parts

of the community may increase access to data;

for example, a representative from the local

food pantry may have unique knowledge of and

access to data on emergency food use in the

community.

Once involved in the planning phase, people

will be more likely to involve their

constituencies in the assessment process itself

and also will better understand and use the
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 11

results to inform policies and programs

related to community food security issues.

A diverse team of 8 to 12 people is ideal for

planning and implementing a comprehensive

community food security assessment.

Ideally, the team should consist of

professionals and others in the community

who have a common interest in community

food security and who have different areas

of expertise. The team also should include

community residents who have direct

experience with food security issues. Here

are some examples of people to recruit for

the assessment team:

• Local government representatives

• Representatives from community-based

organizations (religious organizations,

emergency food providers,

social/neighborhood groups)

• Health, education, and nutrition

providers

• Food retailers and manufacturers

• Community residents

• Farmers

In addition, it would be helpful to have

members who are

• People with strong leadership and

planning skills

• Local research resources familiar with

data collection and analysis (universities,

businesses, or nonprofit organizations

that are involved in assessment

activities)

• People with good oral and written

communication skills

The team-building process may be

facilitated by identifying key members of

each of the desired participating sectors and

gaining their trust and buy-in initially. These

are the people who are most likely to

participate willingly and who can involve

other groups of people in the process as

well.

Although the initiators of the assessment

process may be very enthusiastic about the

project, others may need to be convinced to

participate. When recruiting potential team

members, be prepared to describe the following

factors:

• The importance of the assessment to the

community and its members

• How each member can contribute to the

process regardless of his or her research

skills or food security knowledge

• What the planning team will be doing to

conduct the assessment and the time

commitment involved

• How the results could be used throughout

the community

2.5 The planning process

Once an initial assessment team is assembled,

the first meeting should be used to outline the

initiative and explain possible roles for team

members. This first meeting also should be

used to determine the need for additional

members and a recruitment strategy.

It is important to keep in mind that although

you want to present the overall goal of the

assessment, be sure not to have the entire

process, or all of the goals and objectives,

firmly established before this first planning

meeting. Remember that the most successful

effort will be achieved by involving all team

members in the development of goals and

objectives. Your role is to facilitate the team

through the assessment process, ensuring that it

gains “ownership” of the final product.

Some factors to think about include the

following:

• Key food security issues in your

community

• Key policies that may affect community

food security

• Programming or policy decisions that may

be needed on these issues
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 12

• Key local leaders who make policy and

programming decisions

• Data and information needed to inform

programming and policy decisions

• Deadline for completion of the food

security assessment

• Methods to disseminate the information

Since it will not be possible to include all

key community members on the assessment

team, the team may find it useful to gather

together a group of key community

informants to explore the main issues and

perceptions regarding food security in your

community. The key informant discussion

guide in appendix B provides guidance for

conducting a group discussion.
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 13

3. Data Collection and Analysis Guide:

Deciding What Data To Collect

► 3.1 Finding and using data

► 3.2 Data collection techniques

► 3.3 Beginning the data collection process

► 3.4 Analyzing and interpreting the data

► 3.5 Basic components of a community food security assessment
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 14

Box 3

Data Versus Information

From Monitoring the Nutrition of Your

Community: A “How-To” Manual

Data are raw numbers of values and usually are

not very meaningful until they are analyzed and

interpreted to become information. For

example, the percentage of households

suffering from food insecurity in the

community, especially compared with national

or State averages, is information and says

something about the relative magnitude and

importance of the problem. The raw number of

such households—or data—may be useful by

itself but does not indicate how big the problem

is relative to State or national norms.

3. Data Collection and Analysis Guide: Deciding What Data To

Collect

3.1 Finding and using data

The previous chapters discuss how to plan a

community food security assessment, how to

identify key questions to consider before

embarking on data collection, and what the

basic components of a community food

security assessment are. This chapter gives

you a general overview of the different types

of data and data collection methods you may

use to conduct your assessment.

Data can be found and presented in many

forms. They are used to tell a story.

Quantitative data, for example, can help

describe the extent of a problem by providing

information in precise amounts:

“Ten percent of all single-parent households

headed by someone under 20 years of age

have experienced food insecurity in Alacaster

County in the past year.”

Qualitative data provide a descriptive account

of a situation:

“Food-insecure households in Alacaster

County reported using strategies such as

community gardening, neighborhood group

meals, and borrowing food from neighbors

and family members to help them cope with

food security problems.”

Both qualitative and quantitative data provide

valid information if collected systematically.

This toolkit can help you with this task.

Existing Data

There are two basic types of data—existing

and original. Existing data are data that have

already been collected. They may be either

compiled or uncompiled. Examples of

compiled existing data include county-level

poverty numbers published by the U.S.

Census Bureau. However, community or State

agencies often collect numerous pieces of

useful information that may not be aggregated

and summarized. This is known as existing

uncompiled data. Examples of existing

uncompiled data may include the number of

households served by a local food pantry or

the number of emergency food providers in

the community. (See box 3.)

Both types of existing data will be potentially

useful in conducting your community food

security assessment. But whenever possible,

you should use compiled data—they are

easier to find and use fewer resources. When

compiled data are not available and

uncompiled data exist, you may be able to

compile the data yourself or get assistance

from the agency that collected and stores the

data.

The decision to access existing data must be

made carefully. (See box 4.) Before deciding

to compile existing data, the following

questions must be raised and answered by

your assessment team members:
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 15

Box 4

Using the Most Recent

Existing Data Available

It is important to remember that when using

existing data, it is always preferable to use the

most recent data available. The first data

source that you find may not contain the most

recent data. For example, until data from the

recent 2000 U.S. census is compiled and

released, much of the most accessible existing

socioeconomic and demographic data that you

will find on your community will come from

the 1990 census. In this case, you are strongly

urged to investigate the possibility that more

recent data may be available, for at least some

indicators, at the local level.

• What are the sources of the existing data?

• How suitable are the existing data for the

current project?

• Who will be assigned the task of

collecting the existing data?

• What resources must be set aside before

the data are accessed (e.g., personnel,

duplication fees, computer hardware and

software, transportation costs)?

• Who must be contacted before a trip is

made to an agency to request data?

Original Data

After your review of the available existing

data, you may find that no appropriate

existing data are available to answer some of

the questions you want answered. In this case,

you will have to collect new or original data.

Examples of original data include data from

community residents on household food

security, data from farmers about their

participation in farmers’ markets, data on

types and quantities of food distributed by

food pantries, and data on the price and

availability of food items from supermarkets

or other food stores.

3.2 Data collection techniques

Several different methods are used for

collecting original data. Three of the available

methods are introduced in this toolkit. These

methods include surveys, observation, and

focus groups. Each method has strengths and

weaknesses and is best used in specific

situations. Included in this toolkit are guides

on how to use the specific survey instruments,

and we provide interview, focus group, and

observation forms for your use. However,

before reviewing the specific tools and

guides, it is worthwhile to learn a bit more

about each method. A short description of

each is presented below.

Surveys and Observation

Surveys are used to gather information

consistently and accurately from large

numbers of people. One key element in

conducting a survey is to ensure the

representativeness of the community. This

element and other issues on sampling or

selecting respondents are introduced later in

this section and are discussed in detail as part

of the instructions included with each of the

different data collection instruments. A

survey is a predetermined set of questions or

indicators that are collected either by

interview, written personal responses, or

observation. The responses might be closedended or open-ended. Closed-ended questions

include multiple-choice questions or scales

used for ranking priorities or preferences.

Open-ended questions provide space for the

respondent or observer to answer the question

freely without any cues or categories.

As noted, surveys can be used to collect data

through observation. One example is the

observation of users of a particular resource

or program and noting facts such as their

gender, ethnic or racial characteristics, and

time of use. Another example, and the one

used in the Food Store Survey included in this

toolkit, is the observation of information
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 16

readily available without reviewing records or

aggregated data. The Food Store Survey

includes the observation of food availability

and prices.

Observation is conducted using an

observation guide or survey instrument. The

guide or instrument provides space for

recording information accurately and

consistently. It serves to ensure that all

information is captured in the format required.

Although observation does not require direct

interaction with people, it is important to

request permission from the resource or

program at which the observation will occur.

In addition, observers should be discreet and

as invisible as possible so as not to interfere

with normal resource activity or to bias the

activities being recorded.

Focus Groups

Focus groups are a data collection method

used for studying ideas in a group context.

Unlike surveys, in which the researcher asks a

question and the respondent answers, focus

group techniques rely on interaction within

the group, based on topics supplied by the

researcher.

The people invited to participate in a focus

group should be selected with care. For best

results, the group should be limited to

between 8 and 12 people. Focus group

participants should always have some

connection with the topic being discussed and

should be a relatively homogeneous group.

For example, if the discussion will revolve

around farmers’ use and experiences with

local farmers’ markets, most of the

participants should be farmers who have the

opportunity to participate in these efforts.

However, it also may be useful to include

farmers who have the opportunity to

participate but choose not to do so.

Since it is also important that participants be

representative of the various subgroups within

the targeted population, it is common to

conduct a set of focus groups with different

segments or subgroups of the targeted

population. For example, if a focus group

were to be conducted on residents’

experiences with food security, groups might

be separated by household type—households

without children, households with children,

and households with elderly members. Within

each group would be people representing the

different ethnic or racial groups living in the

community. If the community is spread over a

large geographic area, different groups might

be conducted with participants in different

community locations. This diversity will

ensure that the information collected in the

focus groups will represent the diversity

within the targeted population.

Screeners can be used to help with the

selection process. A screener is a set of

questions that categorize the population

groups you wish to include in your focus

group. For example, if the group is to include

people from a mix of ethnic groups and

income levels and only those who participate

in food assistance programs, you might ask

people about their ethnic/racial identity,

income, and participation in USDA food

assistance programs. A screener is typically

very short and also is used to provide the

potential participant with information about

the purpose of the focus group.

Focus groups are conducted by a facilitator

using a focus group guide. A focus group

guide typically includes questions that are

open-ended and will provoke discussion

among the participants. There is never a right

or wrong answer, and all participants are

encouraged to recount their experiences or to

present their points of view without criticism

or comment from the group. In addition to the

facilitator, a person should observe the group

taking notes and should tape-record the

discussion. The role of the recorder includes

observing the dynamics of the group and the

unspoken expressions displayed by
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 17

participants. Sometimes focus groups

incorporate a short written survey. This

survey can be used in the beginning to slowly

introduce the topic of interest while also

collecting specific person-level information.

After the session is concluded, the recorder

prepares a summary of the group discussion

and unspoken observations (See Appendix B:

Focus Group Guides and Materials).

3.3 Beginning the data

collection process

Finding and Training Data Collectors

Ideally, you should have several people

available to collect the data. The actual

decision on how many to assign to this task

will depend on the resources that you have

available, the previous experience of the team

members, and members’ desire and ability to

collect data.

Once you have determined how many people

are available for data collection tasks, you

may want to determine which staff members

are best suited to the collection of existing

data and which are best suited to the

collection of original data, each of which

places unique requirements on the data

collector. In box 5, we list some of the

qualities that we view to be important in each

type of data collector.

Each person selected to collect data must

receive training before beginning the task.

The training should be of sufficient length to

prepare the individual for his or her role in the

assessment and to ensure the individual’s

level of comfort. It is difficult to quantify the

time required for training because of the

differences in individuals’ past experience

with data collection, educational levels, and

attitudes toward the importance (and sanctity)

of research.

What will be included in the training? The

individual must be allowed to become

acquainted with the survey forms and tables

and must have some hands-on experience in

completing them. To provide you with some

guidance on planning the training session, we

have listed some of the activities that might

be included.

Training Session Activities

• Introduce data collectors to each other and

describe the role of the data collection

process in profiling community food

security.

• Encourage data collectors to review all

data collection forms to gain an

understanding of the relationship of each

form to the outcome of the assessment.

• Make assignments for the collection of

data.

• Allow data collectors the opportunity to

review the forms for which they are

responsible.

• Encourage survey data collectors to

administer the forms to one another. For

those assigned to the task of completing

data tables, encourage individuals to

access data from some suggested Internet

sites or from available agency reports.

• As a group, review the completed forms

and discuss ways to improve the data

collection.

• Respond to questions and concerns raised

by the group.

Box 5

What Makes a Good Data Collector?

The collector of

existing data should be

The collector of

original data from

people should be

— Detail oriented — Amiable

— Persistent — Fond of people

— Computer literate — Multilingual

— Goal oriented — A keen listener

— An unbiased

listener

— Observant
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 18

Note: Training should not be considered

complete until trainees actually have the

opportunity to use the data collection tools in

a simulated practice session.

Selecting Respondents

Sampling is a technique that is commonly

used in social science research before the

collection of data. It allows the researcher to

save time and money by limiting the number

of programs or participants who must be

interviewed or observed during data

collection.

This does not mean that you are allowed to

pick and choose among available participants

to arrive at a workable number. Rather, when

drawing a sample, you will follow a series of

steps to select a sufficient number of potential

respondents to represent all available

respondents. Thus, your sample will be a

representative sample of the available

population, allowing you to draw conclusions

that may be extended to the entire

community.

The strategy of selecting a representative

sample and devoting resources to obtaining

data from as many respondents in that sample

as possible produces results that are superior

to a half-hearted attempt to include everyone.

In other words, a 75 percent response from a

random sample of 100 is better than a 25

percent response from a population of 1,000.

There are several ways to create a sample. In

the largest of studies, such as those conducted

on a national basis, researchers often rely on

special computer software to draw samples of

respondents who will represent specific

characteristics of the population. In smaller

studies, researchers will consult a Table of

Random Numbers.

Specific instructions for selecting a sample

and determining sampling size are given as

needed with the data collection tools listed in

section 5.3 and included in appendix A.

3.4 Analyzing and interpreting

the data

Once the data are collected, they will be

analyzed and used to develop a general

picture of community food security. This

section presents an overall discussion of the

types of analytic approaches that can be used

with a community food security assessment.

The analytic approach used will reflect the

purpose of the assessment. For example, if the

goal is to understand how the community

compares with the Nation, the analysis will

focus on comparisons with national standards.

If the key is to develop an action plan, the

analysis and presentation will be community

specific and will use graphic display. If the

purpose is to develop a baseline of

information, then a spreadsheet compilation

may be all that is required.

The analysis will be both quantitative and

qualitative. The quantitative analysis will

focus on measuring specific profiles of

community characteristics, whereas the

qualitative analysis will be used to describe

some of the community dynamics. Qualitative

analyses will use information collected

through focus groups and other interviews.

Presenting the results of a community

assessment to parties involved in the

assessment process, key policymakers, and

the broader public is an integral part of the

process. Given the variety of audiences

interested in the results, the presentation

should be easy to understand. Thus graphic

displays, maps, and tables should be used to

present the data whenever possible.

Statistical Profiling

A statistical profile of the community uses the

data collected to describe various community

aspects. These include the demographic,

socioeconomic, and food security

characteristics of community residents as well

as the availability, accessibility, and
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 19

utilization of food-related resources and

programs. Statistical profiles can be onedimensional, presenting information for the

whole community, or multidimensional,

presenting data for the whole community as

well as for its various subgroups. Statistical

profiles can be based on percentages or raw

numbers. The selection of the type of statistic

to be used in a profile will depend on how

information is available through existing

sources, the size of the population being

described, and the intended use of the data.

An example of statistical profiling is provided

below using data from Drew County,

Arkansas (table 1). A statistical description

of the demographics of the population was

developed by collecting information from the

Census Bureau’s Internet site

[http://factfinder.census.gov]. (Unfortunately,

at the time of printing, data from the 2000

census was not yet available for Arkansas).

These data were then entered into the table

format that is included in appendix A as table

2.
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 20

Table 1. Demographic Profile of Drew County, Arkansas (1990 census data)

Demographic Characteristic Census Data

Table Number

Total Population DP-1 17,369

Gender

 Male DP-1 8,350

 Female DP-1 9,019

Household Structure

 Total households DP-1 6,342

 Persons per household DP-1 2.63

 Family Households 4,699

 Married-couple families DP-1 3,641

 Other family, male householder DP-1 196

 Other family, female householder DP-1 862

 Nonfamily Households 1,643

 Householder living alone DP-1 1,500

 Householder 65 years and over DP-1 770

Race/Ethnicity

 White DP-1 12,530

 African American DP-1 4,754

 American Indian DP-1 27

 Asian/Pacific Islander DP-1 23

 Other DP-1 35

 Hispanic origin (of any race) DP-1 92

Age

 < 5 years DP-1 1,214

 5–17 years DP-1 3,615

 18–20 years DP-1 1,086

 21–24 years DP-1 1,079

 25–44 years DP-1 4,852

 45–54 years DP-1 1,744

 55–59 years DP-1 734

 60–64 years DP-1 699

 65–74 years DP-1 1,238

 75–84 years DP-1 861

 85 years and over DP-1 247
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 21

Presenting the data

Once a statistical profile is complete the data

can be presented in a variety of formats. The

format chosen should reflect the intended

purpose of the presentation. The following

figures present a description of the population

of Drew County by age. Figure 1 uses a bar

graph to show comparisons of the number of

people in each age group.

Figure 2 uses a pie chart to present the relative proportions of different age groups within the

population.

0

500

1,000

1,500

2,000

2,500

3,000

3,500

4,000

4,500

5,000

Number of People

Figure 1: Age profile of Drew County, Arkansas

 < 5 years

 5-17 years

 18-20 years

 21-24 years

 25-44 years

 45-54 years

 55-59 years

 60-64 years

 65-74 years

 75-84 years

 85 years and over

Figure 2: Age profile of Drew County, Arkansas

7%

21%

6%

6%

29%

10%

4%

4%

7%

5% 1%

 < 5 years

 5-17 years

 18-20 years

 21-24 years

 25-44 years

 45-54 years

 55-59 years

 60-64 years

 65-74 years

 75-84 years

 85 years and over
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 22

Comparative Analysis

To understand how your community

compares with national standards or those of

similar communities, you may want to do

some comparative analyses. The first step is

to compare data collected and prepared in the

statistical profile with recognized standards.

This task will be easier in some instances than

others. Comparative statistics for national,

State, or county data can be found from

several sources. Demographic data can be

found on the Census Bureau’s Web site.

Other data can be found through published

papers and reports available from the U.S.

Department of Agriculture, other Federal

Government agencies, local government

agencies, and related organizations.

National databases, such as Census Bureau

databases, will have similar data available for

the U.S. population as a whole. Often they

also will have State data available. Although

data will be available from other

communities, comparisons across

communities can be tricky. Communities

differ greatly in size and general

characteristics. If cross-community

comparisons are desired, it is wise to consult

with a statistician or research analyst who can

help you identify appropriate communities

with which to compare your results.

Comparisons also can be done over time. If

you repeat your assessment on a regular basis,

you can compare the results over time to mark

your progress. Descriptive analysis of

community factors such as policy, economic

and political changes will be necessary to

understand some of the underlying factors

responsible for notable changes. For example,

to understand how your community compares

with the Nation with respect to poverty status,

you can collect poverty data from the Census

Bureau for both your county and the United

States.
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 23

Figure 3 compares poverty data for Drew County, Arkansas with the U.S. national average.

12.8

23

17.9

31.6

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Percent

Comparative Poverty Rates

Figure 3: Comparison of U.S. and Drew County Poverty Rates

U.S. Poverty Rate 

Drew Cty Poverty Rate

U.S. Child Poverty Rate

Drew Cty Child Poverty Rate

Data can also be presented narratively, as in the paragraphs in Box 6.

Box 6

Narrative Presentation of Comparative Data

In Drew County, 4,025 of the population of 17,369 people (23 percent) live below the poverty

level. Of these, 1,493 are related children younger than 18 years of age. Among all children in the

county (4,728 children), this figure represents a child poverty rate of 31.6 percent.

Comparatively, in the United States, 31,742,864 people, or 12.8 percent of all people, live in

poverty. Of these, 11,161,836 are children. This figure represents a poverty rate among children

of 17.9 percent.
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 24

Community Mapping

Community mapping is an age-old technique

that we recall as a map with pins or flags

attached indicating the location of specific

places or characteristics. This method, now

often applied using computer-generated maps

and technology, superimposes data variables

onto a picture of a geographic area for the

purpose of examining geographic variation in

the data. It allows a community to pinpoint

particular problem areas to identify problems

with access to resources or services. A

community map may be useful in identifying

a physical barrier that influences the use of

resources. For example, a river may impact

food accessibility if all stores are on one side

of the river and there is no public

transportation available to cross the bridge to

the area with the greatest poverty rate. More

simply, a map helps to display the availability

of resources within the most affected areas of

the community.

As the team conducts the community food

security assessment, it will be useful to map

all resources and services identified, including

food stores, emergency food providers,

farmers’ markets, food cooperatives, and

Government food assistance programs. To

help you develop these maps, location

information tables are included in the toolkit

where addresses can be recorded. Additional

information from the Census Bureau can be

used to map various community and

population characteristics. (See box 7.)

The map will draw attention to the need for

specific services and/or resources and will

help to identify areas in which few services

are within easy access of the families who

need them. The process of mapping

community-based resources may reveal

problems with certain community locations

and may give insight into the best locations

for creating new or expanded services. The

mapping process begins with a baseline map.

Some computer-generated community or

county maps are available from the Census

Bureau. More sophisticated mapping

programs are available in individual software

packages (e.g., MapInfo) or on Web-based

applications (e.g., Mapquest or

Yellowpages.com). However, mapping can

also be done without the use of computer

programs. A community map should be

available from the local Chamber of

Commerce, police or fire departments,

schools, and government agencies. Symbols

can be placed on the map to indicate different

community resources, and overlays or

shading can be developed to present

demographic and food security-related

characteristics by location.

Maps also can be used for displaying

comparisons of a slightly different nature.

You might choose to compare your county

with another with respect to the number or

distribution of people living in poverty or the

number of grocery stores in the county. Using

the Census Bureau’s American Factfinder

Web page, you can request maps that already

have some of these data comparisons between

counties within a State and throughout the

Box 7

Developing Maps From Census Data

1. Go to www.census.gov on the Web

2. Click on American Factfinder at the

bottom of the left sidebar.

3. Click on Thematic Maps.

4. Click on “Change Selections.”

5. Next to “Select the type of area,” click

on the arrow and select County.

6. Next to “Select State,” click on the

arrow and select your State.

7. A box will appear below “select

geographic area” with the names of

counties in your State. Select your

County.

8. Click on Show Map.
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 25

United States. Figure 4 shows poverty rates by county for the State of Arkansas.

Figure 4: Percent of Persons Below the Poverty Level in 1989, Arkansas by County

Focus Group Analysis

Analyzing focus group data systematically

requires that the discussion be recorded in a

prescribed format. This task can be

accomplished by creating a data-recording

format that correlates directly to the relevant

focus group guide. Each question should be

situated on a separate page, and key phrases

and comments indicating strong opinions,

commonly held opinions, and issues that

present the most diverse responses should be

noted. Silences and notable reactions of the

group should also be noted.

Before the data are analyzed, it can be useful

to listen to the taped session since it is

inevitable that some nuances will be missed

during the session. Then, key findings should

be summarized. These findings will include

the issues discussed that most participants

agree on or disagree on and the issues that

created the most energetic discussion,

represented a common experience, and so on.

It may be helpful to use bullets to highlight

the key points and to present a few direct

quotations from the discussion that support

your summarized point. If a series of focus
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 26

groups has been conducted, you can compare

and compile the results.

Selected quotations recorded from a focus

group session on food assistance programs are

provided in Box 8 (questions 3 and 4 from the

Moderator’s Guide for a Focus Group on

Household Food Assistance in appendix B):

Box 8

Sample Focus Group Analysis

What would you say are the best features of the food assistance programs you use? That is, what

makes them really work for you? (Probe for staff attitude, location, easy access....)

• I’ve been getting WIC coupons for my three children, and the people who work there are really

like family. They know all of us and always give us good information on what to eat. They also

help me figure out where I can get other help.

• I agree—WIC staff are great. They make going there to pick up the coupons very interesting. I

always learn something new. It also helps that they are in the same building as my children’s

doctor. I like to just make one trip.

• Yes, I agree too. (Everyone in the group nods in agreement.) WIC staff make it easy to get the

coupons, and the food is a real help to our family. The people where I go for my stamps aren’t

the same, but it’s nice to have the choice with food stamps. (Again, lots of agreement.)

• I think food stamps are so important to my family. Without them I wouldn’t be able to get

enough food for my kids and me. And I like having a choice of foods I want to buy. Now that I

get my food with a special card, I don’t even feel badly when I go to the supermarket. (Lots of

excited talking about how happy people are to have the benefit card that looks like a credit card.)

What are some problems you have had when using or trying to use the food assistance programs?

• I don’t like having to go to the food stamp office. It always takes me a long time to get my

business done, and the people there are not very nice and helpful. I have to take two buses, and I

always miss one of them and end up waiting for a long time.

• Oh, I know what you mean. I used to have to take the bus. Now my neighbor has a car and she

will let me know when she’s going and I can go too. Without her it might not be worth it to go

down there.

• Why can’t they move the office to a better place? (Unanimous agreement!)

• Well, for me the hardest thing is knowing that I need help from anyone! I’m still embarrassed

when I go to the store for food and have to use my food stamp card. People here know that’s

what it is. The other day someone actually stopped me and asked me if it was for food stamps.

Can you believe it?

• (Digression as everyone talked together about how embarrassing food stamps can be and how

inconsiderate other people are of their feelings.)
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 27

Box 8

Sample Focus Group Analysis (continued)

• A problem I have is that the foods that they tell me about in the WIC program are never available

in my store, or they are so old I don’t want to buy them. So then I have to pay someone to take

me to the supermarket that has everything. But that takes me a long time to get to.

The following writeup would be used to summarize the discussion as presented above:

The group included 7 women and 5 men, all of whom had some current or past experience with food

assistance programs. Of the 12 participants, 8 were white, 2 were African American, and 2 were

Hispanic. In general, there were no differences noted by gender or race/ethnicity. People appreciate

the value of the food assistance programs in helping to bring food into their homes. Features that

enhance or detract from their experience with food assistance programs include staff attitudes, office

location, availability of food in local stores, and stigma.

Some of the most important features of food assistance programs appear to be the following:

• Staff attitudes and willingness to help participants beyond handing them benefits

• Location of the program office

• Value of the food benefits for the family

• Having a choice of foods to purchase with the benefit

• Getting benefits in a way that doesn’t stigmatize people

Participants were very vocal about the importance of the way that program staff treat them. The

kindness and reinforcement received from staff at the WIC program were particularly noted by

many, as summarized by one participant:

I’ve been getting WIC coupons for my three children, and the people

who work there are really like family...they know all of us and always

give us good information on what to eat. They also help me figure out

where I can get other help.

There was also great excitement when discussing the benefits of having a “food stamp credit card”

and the problems associated with having other people know that you are receiving some type of food

assistance.

Now that I get my food with a special card, I don’t even feel badly

when I go to the supermarket.

Well, for me the hardest thing is knowing that I need help from anyone! I’m still embarrassed when I

go to the store for food and have to use my food stamp card. People here know that’s what it is. The

other day someone actually stopped me and asked me if it was for food stamps. Can you believe it?
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 28

Box 8

Sample Focus Group Analysis (continued)

Other problems highlighted by the group include the following:

• Remote location of the food stamp office

• Negative staff attitudes

• Difficulty in getting to the office using public transportation

• Not having desirable food available in local stores
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 29

3.5 Basic components of a

community food security

assessment

Before deciding exactly what data to gather, it

is important to know something about the

types of data that can help describe the food

security situation in your community and

sources of data and their availability. It is also

important to know the core components

underlying a community food security

assessment. The comprehensive community

food security assessment described in this

toolkit includes six basic components:

• Profile of community socioeconomic and

demographic characteristics

• Profile of community food resources

• Assessment of household food security

• Assessment of food resource accessibility

• Assessment of food availability and

affordability

• Assessment of community food

production

After meeting with your assessment team to

set goals for the assessment and gathering

input from key informants in the community,

you might decide that a comprehensive

assessment is unnecessary or too expensive

and find that you want to focus your efforts

on one or more, but not all, of these

components. The following sections provide

you with background on each of the different

assessment components and with the data

collection and analysis tools. These tools are

designed to stand alone so that your data

collection and analyses process reflects the

unique food security challenges facing your

community.

These tools include the following:

• Table shells and detailed instructions

for collecting compiled existing data,

including retrieving data from the

Internet and other sources. It also

includes some suggestions for

gathering existing uncompiled data

from local agencies and others in your

community. Sample table shells are

available in appendix A.

• Focus group guides, recruitment

flyers, screening guides, and survey

instruments for key informant,

household food security, food

purchasing, food assistance program

use, and community food production

resources focus groups.

• A survey instrument for gathering data

on the price and availability of foods

at local food retailers.
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 30

4. Profile of Community Socioeconomic

and Demographic Characteristics

► 4.1 Purpose

► 4.2 Analysis

► 4.3 Indicators
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 31

Box 9

Collecting Data on Trends Over

Time and Comparisons With

National and State Data

Gathering data for demographic and

socioeconomic indicators or other types of

data allows you to describe changes in the

data over time. Such time series data can be

useful for putting data in context and

showing how policy and environmental

changes impact the phenomenon being

measured.

For example, collecting data for multiple

years on the percentage of people living in

poverty may help assess the impact of

existing policies on poverty. If detailed data

are recorded on various potential

influencing policies and factors (such as

changes in welfare program regulations), it

may be possible to identify associations

between the changes in poverty rates and

implemented policies.

4. Profile of Community Socioeconomic and Demographic

Characteristics

4.1 Purpose

The first step in the development of a

community food security assessment is the

gathering of information on the residents of

that community. The questions guiding this

part of the assessment include

• Who are the people in the community?

• What are their demographic

characteristics?

• What is their economic status?

It is advisable to rely on existing data for the

community profile. This will help you keep

assessment costs low and will provide you

with consistent data that can be used easily

for comparative purposes. (See box 9.) Much

of the data are available at the county and

census tract or ZIP Code level, thus making it

possible to create community characteristic

maps as discussed in chapter 3.

Demographic and Socioeconomic

Characteristics

Demographic and socioeconomic data are

some of the easiest to collect because they are

assembled by Federal, State, or county

agencies. Most are available free of charge on

the Internet or in published form at your local

library or State or county agency. Because

these data have been systematically collected,

they are almost always reliable and valid. See

Appendix A for more specific information on

how to collect these data.

4.2 Analysis

The analysis plan for the profile of

community characteristics will focus on

descriptive analyses, using tables and graphs

to present the data. The most simple analysis

will involve presenting the data as compiled

or using them in graphic displays. A more

detailed analysis would include the

comparison of characteristics to State or

national standards, to prior levels, or to data

collected in other assessment sections.

The intent of this profile is to gather

information to be used for more complex or

detailed analyses that are presented in the

forthcoming assessment components. Thus,

this analysis remains relatively simple and

straightforward.

4.3 Indicators

The following table provides you with a cross

reference for all indicators you will collect for

a profile of community characteristics and the

data collection tools available in appendix A
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 32

from which they can be compiled. A similar

indicator index is included in each of the

following chapters.

Indicator Appendix Data Collection Tool

Demographic Characteristics

 Total Population (Number) A Table 1

 Age A Table 1

 Race/Ethnicity A Table 1

 Citizenship A Table 1

 Household Structure A Table 1

Socioeconomic Characteristics

 Employment Status A Table 2

 Income A Table 2

 Poverty Status A Table 2
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 33

5. Profile of Community Food Resources

► 5.1 Purpose

► 5.2 Analysis

► 5.3 Indicators
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 34

5. Profile of Community Food Resources

5.1 Purpose

To understand the adequacy of community

food resources, you must begin by creating a

profile of all existing resources. The questions

guiding this profile include:

• Are Federal food assistance programs

available to help people purchase food?

• Are people in the community participating

in food assistance programs?

• What resources are available in the

community for purchasing food?

• Are emergency resources available in the

event that residents do not have enough

money to purchase food through normal

channels?

This profile will help you understand how

well equipped your community is to meet the

food-related needs of its residents.

Federal Food Assistance Program

Resources

Each year the U.S. Department of Agriculture

spends billions of dollars to provide food

assistance programs for low-income people.

For these programs to reach those in need,

local communities must have an infrastructure

that can deliver food assistance benefits

effectively. (The Federal food assistance

programs are described in box 10).

Federal Food Assistance Program

Participation

Data on participation in Federal food

assistance and emergency assistance

programs can be useful as a measure of the

number of people or households in your

community that may have difficulty meeting

their food needs. However, such data must be

interpreted with caution because the data

may:

• Underestimate need when not everyone

who needs a service or program uses it

(e.g., by choice, lack of awareness, or

eligibility).

• Overestimate need when counts are

duplicated (e.g., the number of individuals

who visit a specific emergency kitchen in

any given month).

Retail Resources for Food Purchases

Access to supermarkets, grocery stores, and

other food stores can affect significantly the

quality and affordability of food available to

consumers in your community, including the

ability of low-income households to use

Federal food assistance programs, such as

WIC and the Food Stamp Program, that

operate through retail markets. Other places to

purchase food can complement traditional

food retailers. For example, farmers’ markets

and food cooperatives can offer locally grown

fresh fruits and vegetables and can provide

substantial discounts. The data collected in

this profile will provide you with details on

the number, type, and location of all retail

food resources, food cooperatives, and

farmers’ markets.

Emergency Food Resources

Alternative sources of food for people who

may need additional crisis support are known

as locally based emergency food providers.

Emergency food providers include food

pantries, soup kitchens, food banks, and other

community-based food distribution programs.

The information that you will need to collect

will often be available through your local

government offices and agencies; churches,

synagogues, and community centers; or a

special information hotline or outreach

program that may exist in some communities.
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 35

Box 10

Federal Food Assistance Programs: An Overview

Food Stamp Program

The Food Stamp Program is the cornerstone of the USDA food assistance programs serves millions of

Americans each day. Eligible participants receive benefits to purchase food at authorized food stores and

farmers’ markets. Restaurants and group feeding sites can be authorized to accept food stamps for meals

provided to the homeless, elderly, and people with disabilities. Eligibility and benefits are based largely on

household size, income, and assets. More information about the Food Stamp Program is available at

[www.fns.usda.gov/fsp].

National School Lunch Program

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides nutritious lunches to about 27 million children in

96,000 schools each school day. These lunches must meet the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and other

nutrition standards. The NSLP provides cash and commodity support for meals served by public and

private nonprofit elementary and secondary schools and residential child care institutions (RCCIs) that opt

to enroll and guarantee to offer free or reduced-price meals to eligible low-income children.

The NSLP operates as a three-tiered system. For children whose family incomes are below 130 percent of

the Federal poverty guidelines, the meals are free. For children whose family income is between 130 and

185 percent of the poverty guidelines, the program restricts lunch costs to no more than 40 cents. The

NSLP provides a small per meal subsidy for “full-price” meals for children who do not receive free or

reduced-price meals. More than half of the lunches served in the NSLP are free or at reduced price. More

information about the NSLP is available at [www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/lunch].

School Breakfast Program

The School Breakfast Program (SBP) is similar to the NSLP in that it provides for Federal cash and

commodity support for meals served by public and private nonprofit elementary and secondary schools

residential child care institutions (RCCIs) that opt to enroll and guarantee to offer free or reduced-price

meals to eligible low-income children.

The program uses the three-tiered approach (described above) to ensuring that low-income children receive

a free or reduced-cost breakfast as they arrive at school in the morning. Unlike the NSLP, the great majority

(84 percent in FY 2000) of children enrolled in the program receive free or reduced-price meals. More than

half of the children in the United States attend schools that offer the SBP. More information about the SBP

is available at [www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/breakfast].

5.2 Analysis

As with the profile of community

characteristics, the presentation of data

collected for a profile of community resources

will be descriptive. Although the information

can be presented on its own (using maps,

charts, and graphs), for the most part, the

information gathered as part of this profile

will provide the basis for the other assessment

components in this toolkit. For example, data

on the number of food assistance program

sites and participation levels can be used in

the assessment of accessibility or availability.

Thus, it is important that the profile use data

that are as up to date as possible.
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 36

Box 10

Federal Nutrition Assistance Programs: An Overview (continued)

Child and Adult Care Food Program

The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) provides healthful meals and snacks for children

and adults enrolled in a variety of day-care settings. The program reimburses participating day-care

providers for serving meals that meet Federal guidelines. It operates in family or group day-care

homes, child care centers, adult day-care centers for elderly and impaired adults, emergency shelters

that provide meals to homeless children, and after-school programs that provide educational or

enrichment activities. More information about the CACFP is available at

[www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Care/cafp].

Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program (SFSP) for Women, Infants, and Children (the WIC

program) provides food assistance, nutrition risk screening, and related services (e.g., nutrition

education and breastfeeding support) to low-income pregnant and postpartum women and their

infants, as well as low-income children up to age 5. Participants in the program must have a family

income at or below 185 percent of the Federal poverty guidelines and must be judged to be

nutritionally at risk. Nutritional risk is defined as detectable abnormal nutritional conditions,

documented nutrition-related medical conditions, health-impairing dietary deficiencies, or conditions

that predispose people to inadequate nutrition or nutrition-related medical problems. More information

about the WIC program is available at [www.fns.usda.gov/wic].

Summer Food Service Program

The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) provides free meals to children during school vacations in

areas where at least half of the children are from households with incomes at or below 185 percent of

the poverty guidelines. Any child in the operating area may participate without needing to pass an

eligibility test. Local sponsors, who are reimbursed by USDA, operate the program. Sponsors may be

schools, units of local government, public or nonprofit private residential camps, other nonprofit

private organizations, and colleges or universities participating in the National Youth Sports Program.

More information about the SFSP is available at [www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/summer].

The Emergency Food Assistance Program

The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) provides commodity foods to States for

distribution to households, soup kitchens, and food banks. First initiated in 1981 as the Temporary

Emergency Food Assistance Program, TEFAP was designed to reduce inventories and storage costs of

surplus commodities through distribution to needy households. Although some surplus food is still

distributed through TEFAP, Congress since 1989 has appropriated funds to purchase additional

commodities for households. States are also provided funds for administrative costs. More

information about TEFAP is available at [www.fns.usda.gov/fdd].

Commodity Supplemental Food Program

The Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) is a direct food distribution program that serves

the elderly and low-income women and children. Similar to WIC, this program distributes food

packages tailored to the nutritional needs of participants. More information about the CSFP is

available at [www.fns.usda.gov/fdd].
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 37

Box 10

Federal Nutrition Assistance Programs: An Overview (continued)

Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations

The Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) is a Federal program that

provides commodity foods to low-income households, including the elderly living on Indian

reservations, and to Native American families residing in designated areas near reservations.

Many Native Americans participate in the FDPIR as an alternative to the Food Stamp Program,

usually because they do not have easy access to food stores. More information about the FDPIR is

available at [www.fns.usda.gov/fdd].

The WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program

The Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) was established in 1992 to provide WIC

participants with increased access to fresh produce. WIC participants are given coupons to

purchase fresh fruits and vegetables at authorized local farmers’ markets. The program is funded

through a legislatively mandated set-aside in the WIC program appropriation. More information

about the WIC FMNP is available at [www.fns.usda.gov/wic].

Nutrition Services Incentives Program (NSIP)

The Nutrition Services Incentives Program provides cash and commodities to States for meals for

senior citizens. The food is delivered through senior citizen centers or Meals On Wheels programs

located throughout the country. More information is available at [www.aoa.gov/nutrition].
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 38

5.3 Indicators

Indicator Appendix

Data Collection

Tool

Federal Food Assistance Programs—Number and Location

Number and location of Food Stamp Program application sites A Tables 3 and 4

Number and location of WIC clinics A Tables 3 and 4

Number and location of schools with National School Lunch

Program A Tables 3 and 4

Number and location of schools with School Breakfast Program A Tables 3 and 4

Number and location of Child and Adult Care Food Program

(CACFP) providers A Tables 3 and 4

Number and location of Summer Food Service Program sites A Tables 3 and 4

Number and location of TEFAP and CSFP distribution sites A Tables 3 and 4

Number and location of WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program

sites A Tables 3 and 4

Number and location of Food Distribution Program on Indian

Reservations (FDPIR) sites A Tables 3 and 4

Number and location of elderly nutrition programs A Tables 3 and 4

Federal Food Assistance Programs—Participation

Participation in Food Stamp Program A Table 3

Participation in WIC Program A Table 3

Participation in National School Lunch Program A Table 3

Participation in School Breakfast Program A Table 3

Participation in CACFP A Table 3

Participation in Summer Food Service Program A Table 3

Participation in TEFAP distribution A Table 3

Participation in WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program A Table 3

Participation in Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) A Table 3

Participation in Food Distribution Program on Indian

Reservations (FDPIR)

A Table 3

Participation in Meals On Wheels Program A Table 3

Participation in Nutrition Services Incentives Program (NSIP) A Table 3

Retail Stores and Other Places To Purchase Food

Availability of authorized food stamp retailers A Table 5

Number, type, and location of retail food stores A Tables 6 and 7

Number and location of consumer food cooperatives A Table 8

Number and location of farmers’ markets A Table 9

Emergency Food Assistance Providers

Number, location, and times of operation of food banks A Tables 10 and 11

Number, location, and times of operation of food pantries A Tables 10 and 11

Number, location, and times of operation of emergency kitchens A Tables 10 and 11
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 39

6. Assessment of Household Food

Security

► 6.1 Purpose

► 6.2 Analysis

► 6.3 Indicators
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 40

6. Assessment of Household Food Security

6.1 Purpose

Accurate measurement of household food

security can help public officials,

policymakers, service providers, and

community groups assess the need for

assistance, judge the effectiveness of existing

programs designed to help such households,

and identify population subgroups with

unusually severe levels of food insecurity.

The main question driving this assessment is

this: Is household food insecurity a problem

that is directly or personally experienced for a

significant number of people in the

community?

A measurement tool has been developed and

used in numerous surveys, both large and

small, to gather data on household food

security. These data are currently available at

the national and State level but generally not

for individual counties or communities. The

measurement tool itself consists of a standard

set of 18 questions (or a reliable subset of 6

questions)(Bickel, et. al., 2000) about several

general types of household food conditions,

events, and behaviors:

• Anxiety that the household food budget or

food supply may be insufficient to meet

basic needs.

• Perceptions that the food eaten by

household members is inadequate in

quality or quantity.

• Reported instances of reduced food

intake, or consequences of reduced food

intake (such as the physical sensation of

hunger or reported weight loss) for adults

in the household (omitted in the 6

question subset).

• Reported instances of reduced food intake

or its consequences for children in the

household.

These questions form the basis for a highly

sophisticated, scientifically grounded

measurement of the severity of food

insecurity as experienced and reported by

household members. In addition, a simple

scale is easily constructed from the responses

to the 18 questions that allows one to estimate

the number of households that experience

food insecurity and hunger within three broad

ranges or levels of severity:

• Food secure: households with no or

minimal indication of food insecurity.

• Food insecure without hunger:

households concerned about inadequate

resources to buy enough food who have

adjusted by decreasing the quality of their

family diet with little or no reduction in

household food intake.

• Food insecure with hunger: food

insecure households in which one or more

members (mainly adults) have decreased

the amount of food they consume to the

extent that they have repeatedly

experienced the physical sensation of

hunger.

As the terms are defined here, household food

insecurity and hunger are conditions resulting

from financial resource constraints. Hunger,

for example, can occur in many situations,

including dieting and being too busy to eat.

The Federal Food Security Measure, however,

is concerned only with food insecurity and

hunger that occur because the household does

not have enough money or other resources to

buy food. (See box 11.) Hunger, in this sense,

may be seen as a severe stage of food

insecurity, rather than as a distinct or separate

condition from the more general experience

of food insecurity. Moreover, while this

condition is usually associated with poverty, it

is not the same thing as general income

inadequacy. Rather, it is the condition of

deprivation in this one area of basic need.
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 41

The best way to collect household food

security data for your community is to

conduct a representative household food

security survey. This process is described in

USDA’s Guide to Measuring Household

Food Security, Revised 2000 (Bickel et al.). In

preparation for conducting such a survey, or

as a simpler alternative that can nevertheless

help you gather some information on the

experiences that people are having with food

insecurity, and the coping mechanisms used

by community members, we have developed

focus group guides and materials

(appendix B) and a simplified version of the

household food security questionnaire. This

abbreviated survey is not meant to replace a

larger survey effort, but it can provide you

with information on the people participating

in the focus group session. The results should

never be used to characterize household food

security status throughout the community.

Although the relationship between

community food security and household food

security has not been defined clearly, the two

are inter-related. For example, it is clear that

the economic conditions of a community

affect the likelihood that residents will have

adequate financial resources to maintain

household food security. Similarly,

communities in which food is inaccessible or

unavailable are more likely to have a greater

number of households experiencing food

insecurity than other communities. We do not

suggest that household food security status

equates to community food security but rather

that it is an important indicator of a potential

problem.

Clearly, a community cannot be considered

food secure if any of its members are

experiencing food insecurity directly in their

own lives. In this sense when the household

food security measure is used in a

representative survey of the community, it can

provide a solidly quantified “bottom-line”

indicator of the state of food security within

the community, as directly experienced by

community members. This makes it a strong

tool for community needs assessment and

monitoring of the community’s progress over

time in reducing the prevalence of food

insecurity.

Box 11

What Does the Federal Food Security Measure

Tell Us About Individual Food Security?

The Federal Food Security Measure measures the

food security status of household members as a

group and not necessarily the situation of any

particular household member.

In general, conditions of food insecurity are

believed to affect all household members,

although not necessarily in the same way. By

contrast, hunger is a uniquely individual

phenomenon—some members of the household

may be hungry while others are not.

Consequently, when the measure classifies a

household into the more severe level of food

insecurity with hunger, what it tells us is that at

least some member, or members, of the household

are experiencing hunger due to insufficiency of

household resources, but not necessarily all

members. As a result, the estimated number and

percent of households that are food insecure with

hunger need to be interpreted carefully. These are

households with evidence to indicate that some

member (s) has/have been hungry due to lack of

resources at least sometime during the past 12

months, but not necessarily all members and not

necessarily in all, or even most, months.

Excerpted from G. Bickel, et al. Guide to

Measuring Household Food Security, Revised

2000. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and

Nutrition Service, March 2000, p.13.
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 42

6.2 Analysis

The analysis of the focus group data that will

be collected to assess household food security

will be qualitative in nature. It will provide

the community with insights into the situation

but not specific numbers of how many

households experience household food

insecurity.

6.3 Indicators

The indicators below include those that are

incorporated into the abbreviated survey and

coping mechanisms that are discussed in the

focus group sessions.

Indicator Appendix Data Collection Tool

Household food security indicators

B

Focus Group on

Household Food

Security

Coping actions to obtain food (e.g., getting food from

food pantries or soup kitchens or using other

techniques to make the existing amount of food last

longer)

B

Focus Group on

Household Food

Security
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 43

7. Assessment of Food Resource

Accessibility

► 7.1 Purpose

► 7.2 Analysis

► 7.3 Indicators
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 44

7. Assessment of Food Resource Accessibility

7.1 Purpose

Ensuring access for low-income households

to food retailers and other food resources in

the community depends on both the existence

of food stores and other food resources at

reasonable distances from low-income

households and the ability of such households

to physically get to these resources using a

private vehicle or public transportation.

These resources include retail food stores,

farmers’ markets, food cooperatives, and food

assistance programs. The collection of this

information will include the use of existing

data and a variety of surveys as described

below. Four key questions frame this

assessment:

• Are food resources located near lowincome neighborhoods?

• Is public and/or private transportation

available between the resources and lowincome neighborhoods?

• What barriers influence people’s use of

community food resources?

• Does the community have the

infrastructure necessary to deliver Federal

food assistance benefits effectively?

7.2 Analysis

Exhibit 1 presents the framework for this

assessment. It introduces key questions,

possible answers, and the implications of

those answers. The highlighted areas

indicating the presence of a specific type of

problem are meant to alert community leaders

to a potential community food insecurity

problem.

Are Resources Geographically Accessible?

The purpose of this question is to determine

how accessible food resources are to lowincome households. To answer this question,

you will use the information on location of

food resources and community demographics

by neighborhood or small area. This

information was collected in the community

characteristics profile and the profile of food

resources (Chapters 4 and 5). At this point,

you may have developed maps with this

information at the county level. To determine

the accessibility of food resources, you can

create a map that indicates food resource

locations and neighborhood demographics.

The assessment begins by using existing

information to determine whether food

resources (retail food stores, farmers’

markets, food cooperatives, and food

assistance programs) are located near lowincome neighborhoods. If they are located

near low-income residential areas, then the

assumption is that food resource accessibility

is unlikely to be a problem. However, it is still

important to find out whether there are

barriers that make the use of these resources

difficult. This information will be collected

directly from community residents in focus

groups. If people discuss other communitybased factors that make it difficult for them to

use food resources, a food resource problem

might exist. If no barriers are evident, such a

problem is unlikely.
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 45

Are food resources accessible

to low-income residents?

Is public or personal

transportation available?

Are personal transportation

resources available?

Accessibility problem unlikely Potential accessibility problem

Are there other barriers to use

of food resources?

Food resource problem

unlikely

Potential food resource

problem

Exhibit 1. Food Resource Accessibility

Assessment

Yes No

No

No

No Yes
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 46

In the event that food resources are not located

near low-income residential areas, you will want

to determine whether public transportation (i.e.,

bus, train, etc.) is available. If so, then it can be

assumed that accessibility is not a problem.

However, if public transportation is not available,

it is necessary to determine whether low-income

residents have adequate personal transportation

resources available to help them get to stores and

food programs before determining whether

accessibility is a potential problem. In either case,

it is important to check for other barriers to use of

these resources.

Are There Barriers to Access?

Data collected directly from low-income

households can be used to determine whether

there are barriers, in addition to transportation

issues, that make it difficult for such

households to access food resources. These

barriers might include the following:

• Inconvenient hours

• Poor customer service

• Lack of information

• Stigma

• Distance to resources

• Insufficient food or food benefits

available or offered

Collecting data on the community’s Federal

food assistance administration and problems

encountered by low-income households in

accessing these resources can

help your community. This data collection

can both identify potential barriers that may

cause eligible households to miss out on

needed benefits and earmark areas for

improvement in food assistance delivery

systems.

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service recently

published The National Nutrition Safety Net:

Tools for Community Food Security. The

purpose of the toolkit is to help communities

assess whether they have the necessary

infrastructure to effectively deliver Federal

food assistance benefits. The toolkit contains

a set of checklists to help you determine

various ways to strengthen the delivery of

Federal food assistance benefits in your

community. The toolkit is available at

[www.fns.usda.gov/fsec].

7.3 Indicators

To answer the questions posed in this

assessment, several pieces of information

must be collected and analyzed. Although

some of the data will best be collected from

existing data files, data on shopping patterns,

transportation barriers, and other factors that

may make it difficult for households to access

food resources are best collected from

individuals in those households. A randomly

selected household survey may provide the

most reliable data on barriers, but it is costly

and difficult to administer. Therefore, we

suggest that data on barriers be collected

through focus groups.
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 47

Indicator Appendix Data Collection Tool

Neighborhood Characteristics

Total number of persons by ZIP Code A Table 12

Number of persons living below the poverty line by ZIP

Code

A Table 12

Number of total occupied housing units by ZIP Code A Table 13

Transportation Characteristics

Number of vehicles per occupied housing unit by ZIP Code A Table 13

Number, type, routes, frequency, and per ride cost of public

transportation resources (buses, trains, subways)

A Table 14

Number, type, routes, frequency, and per ride cost of

paratransit resources (store shuttles, taxis, etc.)

A Table 15

Transportation available for food shopping B Focus Group on Food

Shopping Patterns

Shopping Patterns and Barriers

Food shopping patterns/sources B Focus Group on Food

Shopping Patterns

Obstacles to food shopping (travel, time, cost, distance) B Focus Group on Food

Shopping Patterns

Barriers to use of food assistance programs B

Focus Group on

Household Food

Assistance

The National Nutrition

Safety Net toolkit
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 48

8. Assessment of Food Availability and

Affordability

► 8.1 Purpose

► 8.2 Analysis

► 8.3 Indicators
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 49

8. Assessment of Food Availability and Affordability

8.1 Purpose

In addition to food resource accessibility,

community food security also depends on the

availability and affordability of a variety of

food items sold through retail and other food

resources. Households participating in the

Federal Food Stamp Program receive benefits

that are used to purchase food from food

retailers authorized by USDA to accept food

stamps. Maximizing the effectiveness of

Federal food assistance programs requires that

sufficient quantities of healthful foods are

available in the marketplace at prices lowincome households can afford.

The key questions for this assessment include

• Is a variety of food available in retail

stores?

• Are the available foods affordable to lowincome households?

• Can the Thrifty Food Plan (TFP) market

basket be purchased from these retailers at

or below the TFP cost threshold set by

USDA?

The assessment begins by using a food store

survey to determine whether retail stores used

by low-income residents offer a variety of

affordable foods (see Appendix C: Food

Store Survey Instruments and Materials). The

survey is based on a food list that provides all

of the foods needed to prepare a week’s worth

of recipes and menus developed for USDA’s

TFP for a reference family of four. (See box

12.) The survey is based on USDA’s TFP

because the plan is a national standard for a

nutritious diet at a minimal cost and is used as

the basis for food stamp allotments.

Because the TFP is based on a single week’s

menus and recipes, it is not meant to be

representative of any individual household’s

food needs or habits. Rather, it is intended to

serve as a standard for assessing the

availability and affordability of a standardized

TFP market basket across food stores.

The measure of variety will be determined

using a TFP market basket of food to

determine whether availability is a problem.

Whether or not a variety of foods are

available, it is also important to determine

whether the food that is available is

affordable. Thus, the store survey also will be

used to collect information on the prices of

food available in retail stores. A community

may have a wide variety of available food (no

availability problem), but the food may be too

expensive for low-income residents

(affordability is a potential problem). On the

other hand, a community may have a poor

variety of food, but the available food may be

affordable to all residents.

The following diagram presents the

framework for this assessment. It introduces

key questions, different response patterns, and

their implications. The highlighted elements

provide community leaders with a way of

determining whether a potential community

food insecurity problem exists.
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 50

Is a variety of food

available in retail stores?

Potential availability

problem

Availability problem

unlikely

Are the available foods affordable

to low-income households?

Potential affordability

problem

Affordability problem

unlikely

Exhibit 2. Food Availability and Affordability Assessment

Box 12

USDA’s Thrifty Food Plan

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Thrifty Food Plan (TFP) serves as a national standard

for a nutritious diet at a minimal cost. It is one of four official USDA food plans, which also include

the Low-Cost Plan, the Moderate-Cost Plan, and the Liberal Plan. The TFP is used by the Federal

Government to provide food and economic information to consumers preparing food on a limited

budget. It also serves as the basis for food stamp allotments.

The TFP represents a set of market baskets, each applicable to 1 of 12 age-gender groups. Each

market basket contains a selection of foods in quantities that reflect current dietary recommendations,

actual consumption patterns, food composition data, and food prices. The current TFP, revised in

1999, is the first to incorporate the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (1995, 4th edition) and serving

recommendations from USDA’s Food Guide Pyramid.

The monthly and weekly cost of the TFP market baskets and the other USDA food plans is calculated

by USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP) and updated to current dollars on a

monthly basis using the Consumer Price Index for specific food items. These cost estimates assume

that all meals and snacks are purchased at stores and prepared at home.

To help households implement the TFP, the market basket for a TFP reference family of four (male

and female ages 20 to 50 and two children ages 6 to 8 and 9 to 11) has been converted into three sets

of weekly menus, recipes, and food lists. Each weekly menu consists of seven daily menus, with three

meals and usually one snack per day. The menus and food lists meet the cost criterion of the TFP

market basket. Convenience was considered whenever possible but was a secondary objective in

developing the menus and recipes. A sample of eight, four-person, food stamp households purchased

the foods and tested the menus and recipes for acceptability.

For more information, visit www.usda.gov/cnpp/FoodPlans/TFP99/index.htm on the Web.

Yes No

Yes No
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 51

8.2 Analysis

Once you have collected data on food prices

and availability using the Food Store Survey

instrument, you will need to analyze the data

and present it in a form that is understandable,

meaningful, and easy to use. This section

describes the process that you will use to

analyze the data collected in the Food Store

Survey and answer key questions for this

assessment, including

• Is a variety of food available in retail

stores?

• Are the available foods affordable to lowincome households?

Food Availability

To determine whether an adequate variety of

food is available in your community, you will

need to calculate the number and share of

missing items in each store and across all

stores. For each store type (e.g., supermarkets,

convenience stores), you will learn how to

calculate the following indicators:

• Total number of missing items per store

• Average number of missing items per

store

• Percentage of items missing per store

• Items most frequently missing

• Percentage of items missing per store in

each food category (fresh vegetables,

fresh meats, canned and frozen

vegetables, condiments, etc.)

• Percentage of missing items compared

with the national average

Detailed instructions for performing these

calculations are included in Appendix C.

Comparisons Across Stores

Comparing the availability of foods across

stores is helpful for determining whether

stores in certain parts of your community may

differ in the number and types of foods

available. You may want to make the

following comparisons:

• Total number of items missing in each

store

• Percentage of items missing in each store

• Percentage of items missing in each food

category

Comparisons With National Data

Comparing your results with national data

allows you to determine whether food

availability is more or less of a problem in

your community than in the United States as a

whole. The best source of national data on

food availability is the Authorized Food

Retailer’s Characteristics and Access Study,

published by USDA’s Food and Nutrition

Service (FNS) in February 1997.

This report is based on food availability data

collected from a nationally representative

sample of 2,400 authorized food stamp

retailers in six store type categories:

supermarkets, large groceries, small groceries,

convenience stores and/or grocery-gas

combinations, specialty stores (e.g., meat and

produce markets), and other stores (e.g.,

general stores, co-ops, produce routes).

Separate data on food availability are

available for rural, urban, and mixed areas

and for different income levels.

For each store, information was gathered on

the variety and availability of products in a

142-item market basket designed to include

foods from all of the major food groups. Items

were selected on the basis of their importance

in food expenditures of low-income

households.

These foods were aggregated into the

following food groups:

• Fresh meat

• Processed meats

• Fresh poultry

• Fresh seafood

• Packaged meat
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 52

• Fresh produce

• Packaged produce

• Dairy products

• Eggs

• Cereals

• Bakery products

• Dinner mixtures

• Other foods

Food availability was measured as the

percentage of the total market basket of foods

offered in a particular store type. Results from

the survey are as follows:

Supermarkets 95%

Large grocery stores 81%

Small grocery stores 51%

Specialty stores 20%

Convenience stores 50%

Grocery/gas combinations 53%

Other stores 29%

All stores 54%

Assume that you surveyed five supermarkets

in your community and that these

supermarkets were missing 15 percent of the

total items on average; that is, 85 percent of

foods surveyed were available. This compares

negatively with 95 percent nationwide. It is

important, however, when making such

comparisons, to note that the market basket

used in the FNS study differs in some

important respects.

The list of food items in the Food Store

Survey (appendix C) reflects current Federal

Dietary Guidelines and Food Guide Pyramid

recommendations. As a result, it includes

many lowfat versions of frequently consumed

foodstuffs, such as turkey ham, lean ground

beef, and yolkless noodles, that were not

included in the FNS market basket. To the

extent that such items may be less likely to be

available in supermarkets than their higher fat

counterparts, the percentage of missing items

would likely be higher using the Food Store

Survey than the FNS market basket.

However, differences in availability across

store types would likely be comparable

whether the FNS market basket or our Food

Store Survey is used.

Food Prices

Along with availability, the Food Store

Survey can also be used to determine whether

the foods available for sale are affordable to

low-income households and to look at

differences in food prices in different parts of

your community. For each store type, you will

learn how to answer the following questions:

• What is the average price of individual

food items across all stores?

• What is the average price per unit of each

food category across all stores?

• How does the average price for an

individual food item differ across stores?

• How does the average price for an entire

food category differ across stores?

• What is the cost of the entire toolkit

market basket?

• How does the cost of the toolkit market

basket vary across individual stores and

store types?

• How does the cost of the toolkit market

basket cost vary across different food

categories?

• How does the cost of the toolkit market

basket compare with the TFP reference

price?

• How does the gap between the toolkit

market basket price and the TFP reference

price differ across stores?

Detailed instructions for calculating prices

and costs from the food store survey are

included in appendix C.

Presenting the Data

It may be helpful to present these and other

data using either a chart or map. (For

information on how and when to use charts or

maps, see chapter 3). A bar chart would be a
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 53

useful way to present information on the percentage of missing items across stores.

8.3 Indicators

Indicator Appendix Data Collection Tool

Availability of food C Food Store Survey

Cost of food C Food Store Survey
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 54

9. Assessment of Community Food

Production Resources

► 9.1 Purpose

► 9.2 Analysis

► 9.3 Indicators
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 55

Box 13

What are some different types of community

food production resources?

Community gardens: A community garden is any

shared space where people come together to grow

vegetables, flowers, or any plants. Through

community gardening, individuals can produce

fresh vegetables, beautify their neighborhoods, and

make changes in their own communities in tangible,

effective ways. Community gardens have a long

history of success in all sorts of areas, even in the

most dense cities. Whether planting a few seeds in a

window box or organizing the transformation of a

trash-filled vacant lot into a space for an entire

neighborhood to grow food, community gardening

can be a worthwhile and plausible project for many

people. The most direct benefit of community

gardening is the production of fresh, nutritious

produce; however, many gardens become centers

for education, food assistance programs, local

marketing, and small business development.

Community-Supported Agriculture: Communitysupported agriculture (CSA) is a partnership of

mutual commitment between a farm and a

community of supporters, which provides a direct

link between the production and consumption of

food. Supporters cover a farm’s yearly operating

budget by purchasing a share of the season’s

harvest. CSA members make a commitment to

support the farm throughout the season and assume

the costs, risks, and bounty of growing food along

with the farmer or grower. Members help pay for

seeds, fertilizer, water, equipment maintenance, and

labor. In return, the farm provides, to the best of its

ability, a healthy supply of seasonal fresh produce

throughout the growing season.

9. Assessment of Community

Food Production Resources

9.1 Purpose

Local agricultural and food production

resources can play an important role in

community food security. (See box 13.) When

implemented together with a strong Federal

nutrition safety net and emergency food

assistance programs that alleviate food

insecurity and hunger over the short term,

strengthening your community’s agricultural

system can, over the long term, boost the

effectiveness of Federal food assistance and

education programs. This goal can be

accomplished by increasing the availability of

high-quality, affordable food within a

community, offering small farmers an

opportunity to maintain economic viability by

supplying the local market with fresh foods,

strengthening economic and social ties

between farms and urban residents, and

channeling a larger share of residents’ food

spending back to the local economy.

This section discusses the data needed to

conduct an assessment of community food

production. Key questions include

• Does the community have food

production, value-added processing, or

food distribution resources?

• Do low-income households have the

opportunity to participate in community

gardens or other food production

activities?

• Are there any school-based gardening

programs?

• Are locally produced foods sold through

local food retailers and restaurants?

• Does the local school district purchase

foods from local producers?

• Are locally produced foods used by other

institutional food service outlets, such as

colleges, prisons, and hospitals?
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 56

9.2 Analysis

Exhibit 3 presents the framework for this

assessment. It introduces key questions,

possible response paths, answers, and the

implications of various answers. The

highlighted elements indicate the presence of

a specific type of problem and alert

community leaders to the possibility of a

potential food insecurity problem. For this

assessment, there is one potential problem—

the viability of local food production, which

includes local food producers, community

gardens, community-supported agriculture,

farmers, dairies, and fisheries. After

determining whether such resources exist in

your community, you will want to explore

further to find out whether they are supported

by the community (politically and financially)

and whether the locally produced food is

available and affordable to all community

members, including low-income residents.

Negative answers to any of these key

questions indicate a potential food production

problem.

The assessment of community food

production will begin with a profile of

existing local food production resources. It

then progresses to ask whether local food

producers are supported and used by the

community. The political and economic

support of community members and

organizations plays a large role in the success

of local food producers. To assess the

community’s commitment to local food

producers, you can conduct focus groups with

community household members, key

representatives from community

organizations, and food retailers.

The analysis also can use mapping techniques

to identify the location of food production

resources and to compare this information

with food markets and other community

retailing sites (farmers’ markets, co-ops, etc.)

as well as to community transportation

resources, to determine whether all residents

have access to community-produced foods.

9.3 Indicators

The majority of the data on local food

production resources can be found from

existing data resources. Data on local food

production and marketing infrastructures (i.e.,

the linkages between local food producers,

food processors, food retailers, and other

marketing outlets like local schools, prisons,

and hospitals) will be most easily explored

through conversations with farmers and others

involved with the local food system in the

focus group on community food production.

You also can interview food service managers

with the local school district, prisons, and

hospitals.
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 57

Are there local food production resources?

(Community gardens, local producers, community-supported agriculture,

farmers, dairies, fisheries)

Potential food

systems problem

Are they politically and

financially supported by

the community?

Is locally produced food

available and affordable to

all community members?

Food systems

problem unlikely

Potential food

systems problem

Exhibit 3. Community Food Production Assessment

Yes No

Yes No No Yes
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 58

Indicator Appendix Data Collection Tool

Food Production Resources

Number and location of community gardens A Table 16

Number and location of school-based gardens A Table 17

Number and location of community-supported agriculture programs A Table 18

Number and location of farms A Table 19

Number and location of dairies and fisheries A Table 19

Number and location of food manufacturers and distributors A Tables 20 and 21

Political and Community Support

Linkages between local food producers, food processors, food

retailers, and other marketing outlets B

Focus Group on

Community Food

Production Resources

Political support for local food producers B

Focus Group on

Community Food

Production Resources

Economic support for local food producers B

Focus Group on

Community Food

Production Resources

Frequency of use by individuals B

Focus Group on

Community Food

Production Resources

Frequency of use by community organizations B

Focus Group on

Community Food

Production Resources

Frequency of use by food retailers B

Focus Group on

Community Food

Production Resources
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 59

10. Glossary
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 60

10. Glossary

Community food security assessment: The collection of data that will determine whether

households in the community have access to nutritionally adequate, sufficient, and culturally

acceptable foods to satisfy their dietary needs.

Community profile: A detailed description of the community and it resources that may be

developed after all data collection activities have been completed.

Existing data: Previously compiled data.

Data collection instruments: Forms used to collect data to answer research questions. They may

include survey forms, interview protocols, observation sheets, and recording forms used in the

extraction of data from records.

Data collection tools: The documents (e.g., survey forms, recording forms, interview questions,

observation recording sheets) used to structure the collection of data.

Data or data elements: Pieces of information relevant for the assessment.

Entitlement programs: Government programs that provide cash, commodities, or services to all

qualifying low-income individuals or households.

Food security: The state in which all persons obtain a nutritionally adequate, culturally acceptable

diet at all times through nonemergency sources, including food from local production. Food security

broadens the traditional concept of hunger, embracing a systemic view of the causes of hunger and

poor nutrition within a community while identifying the changes necessary to prevent their

occurrence. Food security programs confront hunger and poverty.

Household food security: The status of a household with reference to its access to nutritionally

adequate and culturally acceptable foods in sufficient amounts to meet the needs of all household

members.

Indicators: Categories of information for which data are being collected (e.g., number of household

members, ethnicity of household members, employment status).

Primary data: Primary data are those data that are collected first hand (i.e., by a researcher,

scientist, etc.)

Secondary data: Secondary data are data that have been collected by another entity and may be

available through a report, publication, or database.

Toolkit: A self-contained package containing all materials necessary for meeting some purpose.
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 61

11. References
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 62

11. References

Anderson SA (ed). “Core Indicators of Nutritional State for Difficult-to-Sample Populations.”

Journal of Nutrition 1990; 120(11S):1557-1600.

Bickel G, Nord M, Price C, Hamilton W, Cook J. Guide to Measuring Household Food Security,

Revised 2000. Alexandria, VA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service;

March 2000.

Biehler D, Fisher A, Siedenburg K, Winne M, Zachary J. Getting Food on the Table: An Action

Guide to Local Food Policy. Venice, CA: Community Food Security Coalition; March 1999.

Joseph H (ed). Community Food Security: A Guide to Concept, Design, and Implementation.

Venice, CA: Community Food Security Coalition; 1997.

Kantor LS. “Community Food Security Programs Improve Food Access.” Food Review 2001;

24(1):20-26.

Macaluso T. “The Extent of Trafficking in the Food Stamp Program: An Update.” Alexandria, VA:

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Office of Analysis and Evaluation;

March 2000.

Mantovani R, Daft L, Macaluso T, Welsh J, Hoffman K. Authorized Food Retailers’

Characteristics and Access Study. Alexandria, VA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and

Consumer Service, Office of Analysis and Evaluation; February 1997.

The National Nutrition Safety Net: Tools for Community Food Security. Alexandria, VA: U.S.

Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service; January 2000.

Nutrition and Your Health: Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 4th edition. Washington, DC: U.S.

Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services; 1995.

Wolfe WS, Brenner B, Ferris-Morris M. Monitoring the Nutrition of Your Community: A “HowTo” Manual. Ithaca, NY: Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University; 1992.
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 63

12. Annotated Bibliography of Community

Food Security Assessment Studies
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 64

Access Denied: An Analysis of Problems Facing East Austin Residents in Their Attempts to

Obtain Affordable, Nutritious Food

A comprehensive analysis of national, state, and local data, with the purpose of describing East

Austin residents’ problems regarding access to nutritious and affordable food. Information was

gathered from a variety of primary and secondary sources, including food stores; national, State,

and local census data; the Texas Department of Human Services; and the Progressive Grocer

supermarket database.

Sustainable Food Center, Austin, Texas, 1995.

Contact: Sustainable Food Center

1715 East 6th Street, Suite 200

Austin, Texas 78702

(512) 472-2073 (voice)

(512) 472-2075 (fax)

Adams County Head Start: Community Assessment

Identifies the needs of Head Start eligible children and families, evaluates current practices, assesses

the resources available to enhance the program, and examines unmet needs. Research consists of a

compilation of demographic and economic statistics from a variety of State and local sources,

including local school districts, the Adams County Department of Social Services, the Colorado

Department of Education, and nonprofit groups. In addition, a focus group interview was conducted

with representatives from these agencies, as well as Head Start staff, parents, and representatives

from other local service agencies, to discuss perceptions of the health, nutritional, educational, and

social services needs of Head Start children and their families.

Adams County, Colorado Head Start, March 1999.

Contact: Head Start of Adams County, Colorado

Administrative Offices

7111 East 56th Avenue

Commerce City, Colorado 80022

(303) 286-4141 (voice)

(303) 286-4130 (fax)

A Citizen's Guide to Food Recovery

A resource guide on food recovery and gleaning programs. Outlines the key components of

successful food recovery and gleaning projects, discusses available nonprofit and government

resources for food recovery and gleaning activities, and provides a directory of public and private

organizations—from the national to the local level—that are involved in food recovery and gleaning

activities.
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 65

Contact: Charlene Price

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Economic Research Service

1800 M Street, NW

Washington, DC 20005

(202) 694-5384 (voice)

(202) 694-5662 (fax)

ccprice@ers.usda.gov

Community-Based Food System Monitoring System, Knoxville, Tennessee

A food system monitoring system based on five food security goals of the Knoxville Food Policy

Council: the sustainability of local food production, the economic vitality of the food system, the

quality of the food system, nutrition education, and the availability of adequate and nutritious food

supply to all. Researchers identified indicators for each goal, investigated the degree to which

variables were available to measure each indicator area, and selected indicator areas that could be

objectively measured with available resources. Secondary data were gathered from a variety of

sources and summarized in a printed report and Internet database.

Haughton B. Department of Nutrition, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, October 1997.

Contact: Betsy Haughton, Ed.D., R.D., L.D.N.

Director of the Public Health Nutrition Program

College of Human Ecology

University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Knoxville, TN 37996-1900

(423) 974-5445 (voice)

(423) 974-3491 (fax)

haughton@utk.edu

Community Food Security (CFS): A Guide to Concept, Design, and Implementation

A comprehensive guide to the various components of community food security, defining concepts,

planning processes, needs assessment, collaborations and coalitions, project implementation,

interagency and multisector projects and strategies, entrepreneurship and community economic

development, funding issues, and long-term program support. It also provides an overview of four

of the existing CFS initiatives.

Joseph H (ed.). Community Food Security Coalition, 1997.

Contact: Andy Fisher, Coordinator

Community Food Security Coalition

P.O. Box 209

Venice, CA 90294

(310) 822-5410 (voice)

(310) 822-1440 (fax)

asfisher@aol.com

www.foodsecurity.org
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 66

or Hugh Joseph, Ph.D.

Tufts University, School of Nutrition Science and Policy

126 Curtis Street

Medford, MA 02155

(508) 628-5000, x5442 (voice)

(617) 738-7777 (fax)

hjoseph@pearl.tufts.edu

The Detroit Area Food System: Statistics and Trends

Used secondary data to assess three components of the Detroit area food system—food in

community economic development, food in community health, and food in neighborhood

revitalization. Primary data were collected in pilot studies on household food security and food

availability in Detroit’s food stores.

Pothukuchi K. Department of Geography and Urban Planning, Wayne State University, revised

draft, June 1999.

Contact: Kami Pothukuchi, Ph.D.

225 State Hall

Detroit, MI 48202

(313) 577-4296 (voice)

(313) 577-0022 (fax)

k.pothukuchi@wayne.edu

Fertile Ground: Planning for the Madison/Dane County Food System

An analysis of the Madison/Dane County food system, describing the conventional food system as

it operates in the county and evaluating the system within the community food security framework

employed in the Seeds of Change report. Contains an analysis of secondary data on environment,

economic, and government indicators, as well as indicators of community supported agriculture

(CSA) and community gardens. Includes primary data collection and analysis in the form of “food

asset mapping”; a food price survey; focus group interviews with low-income adults and children to

understand barriers to food access; a food-related strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats

(SWOT) analysis of the neighborhoods; and a survey of food-related businesses.

Allen M, Born B, and Herbach G (eds.). Department of Urban and Regional Planning, University of

Wisconsin-Madison, 1997.

Contact: Jerome L. Kaufman, Ph.D.

Department of Urban and Regional Planning

University of Wisconsin-Madison

Music Hall 206

Madison, WI 53706

(608) 262-1004 (voice)

jkaufma@facstaff.wisc.edu
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 67

From Field to Table: Linking Sustainable Agriculture with Local Communities in Northern

California

Used quantitative and qualitative methods to assess the local food system in Berkeley. Community

members were interviewed at all levels of the local and regional food system, including farmers,

food retailers, and consumers. Survey tools developed for the project include a residential survey, a

farmers survey, a food store survey, and a liquor store survey.

Pinderhughes R. Urban Studies Program, San Francisco State University.

Contact: Raquel Pinderhughes, Ph.D.

San Francisco State University

1600 Holloway Avenue, HSS 263

San Francisco, CA 94132-4155

(415) 338-1178 (voice)

(415) 338-2391 (fax)

raquelrp@sfsu.edu

Homeward Bound: Food-Related Transportation Strategies in Low Income and Transit

Dependent Communities

A literature review of food access issues from both a food systems and transportation planning

perspective, including a review and analysis of established private and public food access programs

and case studies of emerging innovative food access programs in low-income communities.

Gottlieb R, Fisher A, Dohan M, O’Connor L, and Parks V. UCLA Pollution Prevention Education

and Research Center & The Community Food Security Coalition, 1996.

Contact: Robert Gottlieb, Ph.D.

Professor, Chair

Department of Environmental Science and Studies

Occidental College

Los Angeles, CA 90041

(323) 259-2500 (voice)

gottlieb@oxy.edu

or Andy Fisher, Coordinator

Community Food Security Coalition

P.O. Box 209

Venice, CA 90294

(310) 822-5410 (voice)

(310) 822-1440 (fax)

asfisher@aol.com

www.foodsecurity.org
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 68

Hot Peppers & Parking Lot Peaches: Evaluating Farmers’ Markets in Low Income Communities

An evaluation based on eight case studies of farmers’ markets in the United States. Researchers

identified the general characteristics of successful farmers’ markets in low-income communities.

Methods included a survey of consumers in two California communities on their attitudes and

perceptions about farmers’ markets and extensive in-person and phone interviews with farmers,

farmers’ market managers, and other organizers.

Fisher A. Community Food Security Coalition, January 1999.

Contact: Andy Fisher, Coordinator

Community Food Security Coalition

P.O. Box 209

Venice, CA 90294

(310) 822-5410 (voice)

(310) 822-1440 (fax)

asfisher@aol.com

www.foodsecurity.org

Household Food Security in the United States in 1995: The Food Security Measurement Project

A description of the methods and findings of the Food Security Supplement to the Current

Population Survey (CPS) of the United States Bureau of the Census in 1995. The Food Security

Supplement is the basis for comprehensive household measures of food security in the United States

and has been adapted into the USDA Core Food Security Module. It is an 18-question survey used

to classify households into 4 levels of food security status: (1) food secure, (2) food insecure

without hunger, (3) food insecure with moderate hunger, and (4) food insecure with severe hunger.

USDA, Food and Nutrition Service, Office of Analysis and Evaluation, September 1997.

Contact: Steve Carlson

U.S. Department of Agriculture

Food and Nutrition Service

3101 Park Center Drive

Alexandria, VA 22302

(703) 305-2134 (voice)

(703) 305.2576(fax)

steve.carlson@fns.usda.gov

Hunger Task Force of Milwaukee: Milwaukee Food System Assessment Study (FSAS)

Comparative Study of Food Pricing and Availability in Milwaukee

An assessment of the availability and prices of selected food items in retail food outlets located

within and outside a target area in inner-city Milwaukee. Stores were classified by their location in

relationship to the target area and by their size. More than 50 food items were selected for
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 69

examination (using a market basket approach). The store survey also collected data on other store

characteristics, such as produce quality and overall store cleanliness.

Johnson K, Percy S, and Wagner E. Urban Research Center, September 1996.

Socio-Spatial Relationships and Food Programs in Milwaukee’s Food System

An evaluation of spatial relationships within Milwaukee’s food system using analytic geographic

information systems (GIS) mapping techniques and demographic and statistical methods. Includes a

socioeconomic and demographic profile and spatial analyses of Milwaukee’s emergency food

assistance providers, food stamp retailers, and food assistance centers.

Varela O. Center for Urban Initiatives and Research, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee,

November 1996.

Food Insecurity in Milwaukee: A Qualitative Study of Food Pantry and Meal Program Users

An exploration of the food needs of clients of food pantries and meal programs in Milwaukee.

Using focus groups, researchers conducted intensive interviews to identify clients’ unmet food

needs, the extent to which those needs are satisfied by emergency food programs, obstacles they

have faced in accessing the emergency programs, and food acquisition patterns.

Varela O, Johnson K, and Percy S. Center for Urban Initiatives and Research, University of

Wisconsin-Milwaukee, February 1998.

Perceptions and Experiences of Consumer Access to Food in Milwaukee's Inner City Neighborhood

Researchers used a phone survey of residents and households in Milwaukee’s inner-city

neighborhoods to examine food-shopping patterns, eating patterns, use of food and nutrition

programs, and levels of hunger and food insecurity.

Varela O, Haider-Markel D, and Percy S. Center for Urban Initiatives and Research, University of

Wisconsin-Milwaukee, March 1998.

Contact: Tim Locke

Director of Community Development

Hunger Task Force of Milwaukee

201 South Hawley Court

Milwaukee, WI 53214

(414) 777-0483 (voice)

(414) 777-0480 (fax)

tlocke@hotmail.mailcity.com

Improving Access to Food in Low-Income Communities: An Investigation of Three Bay Area

Neighborhoods

An investigation of barriers to nutritious and affordable food experienced by people living in three

San Francisco Bay area low-income communities—The Tenderloin, Bayview/Hunters Point, and

Fruitvale. Sites were selected on the basis of income/poverty, race/ethnicity, degree of community

organization, and replicability, with some consideration given to demographic characteristics such
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 70

as age, household composition, and the circumstances of food acquisition for residents of the

neighborhood. The project consisted of initial interviews and meetings with key government leaders

and nongovernment organizations, members of the food industry, and residents representing distinct

subpopulations within the neighborhoods. Researchers conducted 11 focus group interviews and 45

resident surveys in the 3 neighborhoods. They also conducted a market basket survey to compare

prices at food retailers in and near two of the neighborhoods. The third part of the study consisted of

a comprehensive literature review of all aspects of community food security systems, as well as

summaries of meetings and interviews with community food security experts nationwide.

For the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr., Fund, by the California Food Policy Advocates, January 1996.

Contact: Kenneth Hecht, Executive Director

California Food Policy Advocates

116 New Montgomery Street, Suite 530

San Francisco, CA 94105

(415) 777-4422 (voice)

(415) 777-4466 (fax)

kennethhecht@cfpa.net

www.cfpa.net

Nutrition and Health Status in the Lower Mississippi Delta of Arkansas, Louisiana, and

Mississippi: A Review of Existing Data

The premier publication of the Lower Mississippi Delta Nutrition Intervention Research Initiative

(Delta NIRI), a multiyear collaborative research study of health and nutrition intervention needs in

the lower Mississippi Delta region of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. [Using secondary data,

the report examines a variety of socioeconomic, demographic, and health and nutritional indicators

in the Delta region, including the availability of community services and health care resources,

health and nutritional status, food and nutrition program resources, food and nutrient intake, eating

patterns, and household food security.

USDA Agricultural Research Service, 1997.

Contact: Margaret Bogle, Ph.D., R.D.

Executive Director

Delta NIRI Project

Agricultural Research Service

U.S. Department of Agriculture

10825 Financial Centre Parkway, Suite 309

Little Rock, AR 72221

(501) 954-9152 (voice)

(501) 954-9596 (fax)

mlbars@delta.ach.usms.edu

Seeds of Change: Strategies for Food Security for the Inner City
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 71

The product of a year-long UCLA study that examined various components of community food

security in the inner city (and specifically in Los Angeles). Components measured include nutrition

education, public health, hunger advocacy, economic and community development, food retailing,

local agriculture (sustainability, food production, direct marketing, and so forth), urban ecology, and

public policy. Researchers examined these components at the local, regional, State, and national

levels. Methods used include an extensive literature review of more than 1,000 policy, industry, and

academic documents; interviews with key figures in the public and private sectors; and original

research in the form of primary data collection, geographic information systems (GIS) analysis, and

analysis of U.S. census data.

Ashman L, de la Vega J, Dohan M, Fisher F, Hippler R, and Romain B. Graduate School of

Architecture and Urban Planning, University of California, June 1993.

Contact: Andy Fisher, Coordinator

Community Food Security Coalition

P.O. Box 209

Venice, CA 90294

(310) 822-5410 (voice)

(310) 822-1440 (fax)

asfisher@aol.com

www.foodsecurity.org

Supermarket Access in Cambridge: A Report to the Cambridge City Council

Used a market analysis of secondary data to evaluate food access in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Discusses strategies for mapping access to supermarkets, identifying underserved areas, and

evaluating potential sites for new supermarkets. For each potential site, a site analysis was

conducted that identified the location and owner, site conditions, applicable zoning, availability,

neighborhood character, location in relation to the underserved area, and transportation routes.

Researchers also conducted a Cambridge market basket food survey to examine food product

availability and prices in different areas of the city.

Community Development Department, Cambridge, Massachusetts, December 1994.

Contact: City of Cambridge

Community Economic Development Department

City Hall Annex

57 Inman Street, 3rd Floor

Cambridge, MA 02139

(617) 349-4616 (voice)

(617) 349-4669 (fax)

The Thin Red Line: How the Poor Still Pay More

A study of the problems faced by low-income consumers in accessing basic consumer needs, such

as decent affordable housing, quality food, health care, and banking and credit services. With

relation to food needs, researchers conducted a total market basket survey, which examined the

price of a monthly market basket for a family of four in different market areas. They also assessed
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 72

market demand in low-income and middle-income communities by considering consumers’ driving

time to food markets.

Troutt D. The West Coast Regional Office of Consumers Union, June 1993.

Contact: Consumers Union

West Coast Regional Office

1535 Mission Street

San Francisco, CA 94103-2512

(414) 431-6747 (voice)

(415) 431-0906 (fax)

The Urban Grocery Store Gap

An assessment and analysis of the urban grocery store gap in 21 large U.S. cities. The study used

secondary data from the 1990 U.S. Population Survey as well as market data from the Progressive

Grocer supermarket database. The report examines the relationship between demographic

characteristics and supermarket characteristics at the ZIP Code and city levels.

Cotterill R and Franklin A. Food Marketing Policy Center, University of Connecticut, April 1995.

Contact: Ron Cotterill, Ph.D.

Food Marketing Policy Center

Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics

University of Connecticut

1376 Storrs Road, U-21

Storrs, CT 06269-4021
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 73

Appendix A

Data Tables and Tips for Developing

Them

► A.1 Steps To Get You Started When Collecting Existing Data

► A.2 Tools for Collecting Socioeconomic and Demographic Data

► A.3 Tools for Assembling a Profile of Community Food Resources

► A.4 Tools for Assessing Food Resource Accessibility

► A.5 Tools for Assessing Community Food Production Resources
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 74

Appendix A. Data Tables and Tips for Developing Them

A.1 Steps To Get You Started When Collecting Existing Data

This section includes table shells and step-by-step instructions for retrieving existing

socioeconomic, demographic, and program participation data. Some of these data have already been

compiled by Federal, State, or local agencies and are publicly available on the Internet (See Chapter

3: Data Collection and Analysis Guide). When using existing data, it is always preferable to use the

most recent data. Note the date of the data available on the Internet. You are strongly urged to

investigate the possibility that more recent data may be available on a local level from community

agencies and organizations. These data, if properly collected, may be suitable for your use in

completing the tables that have been provided. The instructions included in this section also provide

suggested sources for obtaining local existing data.

A.2 Tools for Collecting Socioeconomic and Demographic Data

The U.S. Census Bureau collects demographic and socioeconomic data from households every 10

years, with some information updated more frequently. You should begin by gathering demographic

and socioeconomic information from the Census Bureau’s Internet site.

1. Go to www.census.gov.

2. Click on American Factfinder in the left sidebar.

3. In the top box labeled Show me, select Age and Sex.

4. In box labeled for, select a County.

5. Under this box, scroll to select the State in which your community is located.

6. After selecting your State, a box will appear in which you can scroll to select your county.

7. Repeat by selecting new profiles (Poverty and Income and Labor Force and Occupations).

8. Review the census data that you retrieved to fill in the suggested data on the table shells. Include

any additional indicators that might be helpful in your community.
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 75

Table A.1. Demographic Profile of Your County (Based on 1990 Census)

Demographic Characteristics

Census Data

Table Number

Total Population DP-1

Gender

 Male DP-1

 Female DP-1

Household Structure

 Total households DP-1

 Persons per household DP-1

 Family Households

 Married-couple families DP-1

 Other family, male householder DP-1

 Other family, female householder DP-1

 Nonfamily Households

 Householder living alone DP-1

 Householder 65 years and over DP-1

Demographic Characteristics

Census Data

Table Number

Race/Ethnicity

 White DP-1

 African American DP-1

 American Indian DP-1

 Asian/Pacific Islander DP-1

 Other DP-1

 Hispanic origin (of any race) DP-1

Age

 < 5 years DP-1

 5–17 years DP-1

 18–20 years DP-1

 21–24 years DP-1

 25–44 years DP-1

 45–54 years DP-1

 55–59 years DP-1

 60–64 years DP-1

 65–74 years DP-1

 75–84 years DP-1

 85 years and over DP-1
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 76

Table A.2. Household Economic Profile of Your County (Based on 1990 Census)

Economic Characteristics

Census Data

Table Number

Median Household Income DP-4

Poverty Status

Number of people of all ages below poverty level DP-4

Number of related children under 18 years in poverty DP-4

Number of related children ages 5 to 17 in families in

poverty

DP-4

Employment Status (total persons 16 years and over)

 In labor force DP-3

 In armed forces DP-3

 Civilian DP-3

 Employed DP-3

 Not employed DP-3

 Not in labor force DP-3
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 77

Box A-1

State and Local Agency Contacts for Federal Nutrition Assistance Programs

Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

www.fns.usda.gov/wic/menu/contacts/state/statealpha.htm

Food Stamp Program

www.fns.usda.gov/fsp

National School Lunch Program; School Breakfast Program; Child and Adult Care Food

Program; Summer Feeding Program

www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Contacts/StateDirectory.htm

Emergency Food Assistance Program; Commodity Supplemental Food Program; Food

Distribution Program on Indian Reservations

www.fns.usda.gov/fdd/MENU/CONTACTS/StateDistributingAgencies/fdsda1.htm

Nutrition Services Incentives Program; Meals on Wheels

Area Office on Aging

www.aoa.govfactsheets/enp.html

WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program

www.fns.usda.gov/wic/MENU/CONTACTS/farm/farm.htm

A.3 Tools for Assembling a Profile of Community Food Resources

Federal Food Assistance Program Resources

Federal programs are funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) at the Federal level

but administered locally by State and county agencies. The State or local agency responsible for

administering the various food assistance programs varies by State. To collect data on the Federal

food assistance programs, you should begin by contacting these State and local government

agencies. USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) regional offices may be able to provide you

with some program, information or local contacts for specific programs. You can find the regional

offices’ addresses and telephone numbers at www.fns.usda.gov/cga/Contacts/RegionalContacts.htm

on the Internet. In addition, program contacts in your State can be located at the USDA FNS

Internet sites listed in box A-1. Data on the availability of Federal food assistance programs in your

community should be available by contacting the State and local offices in your community.
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 78

Table A.3. Federal Food Assistance Programs

Food Assistance Program

Program Participation

(Total for All Sites)

Number of Enrollment

Offices and/or Program Sites

in Community

Food Stamp Program

Special Supplemental Nutrition

Program for Women, Infants,

and Children (WIC)

National School Lunch Program

School Breakfast Program

Child and Adult Care Food

Program (CACFP)

Summer Food Service Program

The Emergency Food

Assistance Program (TEFAP)

WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition

Program

Food Distribution Program on

Indian Reservations (FDPIR)

Meals On Wheels

Nutrition Services Incentive

Program (NSIP)

Data source:

Name of data collector:

Date of data collection:
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 79

Table A.4. Location of Federal Food Assistance Programs

Food Assistance Program

Address, Telephone, and Contact Person

Name

Food Stamp Program: Enrollment sites

Special Supplemental Nutrition Program

for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC):

WIC clinics

National School Lunch Program:

Participating schools

School Breakfast Program:

Participating schools

Child and Adult Care Food Program:

Participating providers

Summer Food Service Program:

Enrollment sites

Emergency Food Assistance Program:

Distribution sites

WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program:

Farmers’ markets accepting coupons

Food Distribution Program on Indian

Reservations: Distribution sites

Meals On Wheels: Programs

Nutrition Services Incentives Program:

Congregate meal sites

Data source:

Name of data collector:

Date of data collection:

Retail Food Resources

There are several sources of data on retail food stores in your community:

• USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Authorized Food Stamp Retailers database

• Yellow pages, hard copy or online; Mapquest

USDA Authorized Food Stamp Retailers Database

Because your community food security assessment is concerned primarily with low-income

households, the best available data on retail food stores will come from USDA’s FNS, which

maintains a database of food stamp retailers authorized to accept food stamps. This database

contains the store name, store location, store type, and total food stamp redemptions. Box A-2

explains retail store classifications.

This USDA authorized food stamp retailers database is available for your community at your local

FNS field office. Call your FNS regional office for more information. The phone numbers for FNS

regional fields offices can be founds at

http://www.fns.usda.gov/cga/Contacts/RegionalContacts.htm.
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 80

Table A.5. Availability of Authorized Food Stamp Retailers

Food Store Type Number of Retailers Annual Food Stamp

Redemptions ($)

Supermarkets

Groceries

Convenience and gas/grocery

combinations

Specialty stores

Other food stores

Data source:

Name of data collector:

Date of data collection:

Yellow Pages

Your local Yellow Pages directory on the Internet can be another valuable source of information on

retail food stores. The Yellow Pages directory contains information on store name, store address

and phone number, and a map of the store’s location.

Access your local Yellow Pages directory of retail food stores using the directions below:

1. Go to www.yellowpages.com.

2. Type in Food Stores.

3. Select your State and City.

4. Select the store type desired. (Selecting Grocery Stores will get you to a list of supermarkets.)

Mapquest

Mapquest is another source of online information that can be used to list or to map the location of

the retail food stores in your community.

Find retail food stores in your community using the directions below:

1. Go to www.mapquest.com.

2. In the boxes at the left, under locator—FIND A MAP, enter the name of the major city or town

and your State.

3. Hit the MAP IT button.

4. Find Shopping under the map.

5. Select show all locations and Supermarkets and click on Update Map

6. Select Big Map under the Zoom In and Zoom Out vertical bar on the right.

7. The map that appears will show all the supermarkets in the county and close by counties.

8. Click on each icon to find location information for each store.
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 81

Table A.6. Availability of Retail Food Stores Using the Yellow Pages or Mapquest

Food Store Type Number of Retailers

Supermarkets

Convenience stores

Cooperative food stores

Candy, nut, and confectionery stores

Dairy products stores

Fruit and vegetable markets

Meat and fish (seafood) markets

Miscellaneous food stores

Retail bakeries

Data source:

Name of data collector:

Date of data collection:

Location of Food Resources

To allow for mapping store locations by type of store and other community variables, it will be

necessary to collect information on store addresses. Addresses for stores authorized to accept food

stamps are included in the USDA retail database. Store addresses can also be found through a

review of the local yellow pages or information available through the local chamber of commerce or

other such community business representative organization.

Box A-2

Retail Store Classifications

Supermarkets—offer a full range of foods

$2 million or more in annual gross sales (including nonfood items)

Groceries—offer a full range of foods

Annual gross sales (including nonfood items) less than $2 million

Convenience stores and grocery/gas combinations—offer a limited range of foods, usually

excluding fresh foods. These stores are generally aimed at supplementing larger stores and providing

convenience in terms of proximity to shoppers and hours.

Specialty stores—specialize in one or two product lines, such as produce, meats, or baked goods

Other food stores—includes health food stores, co-op food stores, produce routes, produce stands,

general stores, and combination stores that sell food in addition to other goods
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 82

Table A.7. Location of Food Resources

Store Type Store Name Address Zip Code Phone

Data source:

Name of data collector:

Date of data collection:

Consumer Food Cooperatives

The following sources will help you to identify consumer food cooperatives in your community:

• Common Ground Food Co-op Directory

• World Share

• National Cooperative Business Association

Information on consumer food cooperatives can also be obtained from the Yellow Pages as

described in the previous discussion on retail food sources.

Common Ground Food Co-op Directory

The Common Ground Food Co-op in Champaign, Illinois, publishes a Canadian and U.S. Food Coop Directory. Although USDA has not reviewed the directory for accuracy, it may be a useful

resource for locating food cooperatives in your community. To access the directory, follow the

directions below:

1. Go to www.prairenet.org/co-op/directory.

2. Select a State.

World Share

World Share (Self-Help and Resource Exchange) is a nonprofit social business serving a

multinational network of organizations strengthening their communities by helping people to help

themselves and others.

To retrieve a listing of World Share’s regional affiliates in the United States, follow the directions

below:

1. Go to www.worldshare.org.

2. Select SHARE in the U.S.A.

3. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the SHARE locator.
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 83

National Cooperative Business Association

The Cooperative Web Site of the National Cooperative Business Association presents information

about cooperatives to help people understand how they can use the cooperative model to improve

their lives and their communities. The site provides information on the number and type of food

cooperatives in the United States, including retail cooperative food stores, cooperative buying clubs

or preorder co-ops, and cooperative food warehouses. It also provides contact information for

cooperative food warehouses that will provide help in organizing a food co-op or joining an existing

food cooperative in your community. To access the site, follow the directions below:

1. Go to www.cooperative.org.

2. Select Food.

Table A.8. Food Cooperatives

Food Cooperative

Type (Share affiliate,

warehouse, retail) Address

Data source:

Name of data collector:

Date of data collection:

Farmers’ Markets

There are several ways to identify the farmers’ markets in your community. You should begin with

the USDA Web site, which is updated annually. Because the information contained on the USDA

Web site may not be the most recent, you may wish to verify the information by calling local

resources, including your local extension service (see Government blue pages), State farmers’

market representative, or local Chamber of Commerce.

To access the USDA Web site, follow the directions below:

1. Go to: http://www.usda.gov.

2. Click on Agencies.

3. Click on Agricultural Marketing Service.

4. Click on Farmers’ Markets.

5. Click on Find a Farmers’ Market in your State.

6. Click on your State.
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 84

Table A.9. Farmers’ Markets

Farmers’ Market Address Zip Code

Data source:

Name of data collector:

Date of data collection:

Emergency Food Assistance Resources

Because no comprehensive national list of food pantries, soup kitchens, or homeless shelters is

available, such data are best obtained from local sources. The best place to start is with your local

food bank or food rescue organization, which likely supply food distributed by food pantries, soup

kitchens, and homeless shelters in your community. Data may also be available through your county

human or social services department; churches, synagogues, and community centers; local reference

librarian; or a special information hotline or outreach program that may exist in some communities.

To find a list of food banks and food rescue programs in your community follow the directions

below:

1. Go to USDA’s Gleaning and Food Recovery home page at

www.fns.usda.gov/fns/menu/gleaning/recover.htm.

2. Select the publication Waste Not, Want Not: Feeding the Hungry and Reducing Solid Waste

through Food Recovery.

3. Select the Adobe Acrobat PDF file.

4. Go to appendix B (page 34) Food Recovery and Gleaning State Resource List.

5. States are listed in alphabetical order.

Table A.10. Emergency Food Assistance Providers

Type of Emergency Food Program Number in Community

Food pantries

Soup kitchens

Shelters with meals for residents

Mobile kitchens

Food banks

Food rescue programs

Data source:

Name of data collector:

Date of data collection:
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 85

Table A.11. Emergency Food Program Locations and Hours of Operation

Provider Name Address Phone

Contact

Person

Hours Of

Operation

Data source:

Name of data collector:

Date of data collection:

A.4 Tools for Assessing Food Resource Accessibility

Location of Low-Income Neighborhoods

The U.S. Census Bureau collects data on the number of persons living in poverty. These data are

available at the national, State, county, ZIP Code, and census tract levels. In most cases, ZIP Codelevel data should be sufficient for purposes of determining food resource accessibility.

Unfortunately, the most recent data available at the county level or lower are from the 1990 census;

however, data from the 2000 census should be available in the near future.

To access the census data by ZIP Code:

1. Go to http://www.census.gov.

2. Select Gazetteer under the Geography option.

3. Type in the ZIP Code that you want data for.

4. Click on Search.

5. Click on STF3B (Lookup 1990 census ZIP Code data).

6. Select tables P1 (Persons) and P117 (Poverty status in 1989 by age).

7. Go to top of page and click on Submit.

8. Select HTML format.

9. Click on Submit.

To calculate the percentage of persons in poverty, divide the number of persons in poverty by the

total number of persons in the ZIP Code area.
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 86

Table A.12. Persons in Poverty by ZIP Code

Zip Code

Total Number

of Persons Persons in Poverty

Percentage of Persons in

Poverty

ZIP Code 1

ZIP Code 2

ZIP Code 3

ZIP Code 4

ZIP Code 5

ZIP Code 6

Data source:

Name of data collector:

Date of data collection:

Private Transportation Resources

The U.S. Census Bureau collects data on private vehicle ownership by households. These data are

collected at the national, State, county, ZIP Code, and census tract levels. In most cases, ZIP Codelevel data should be sufficient for purposes of determining food resource accessibility. To find data

on private vehicle ownership in your community, follow the directions below:

1. Go to http://www.census.gov.

2. Select Gazetteer under the Geography option.

3. Type in the ZIP Code.

4. Click on Search.

5. Click on STF3B (Lookup 1990 census ZIP Code data).

6. Select tables H4 (Occupancy Status) and H37(Tenure by Vehicles Available: Occupied Housing

Units).

7. Go to top of page and click on Submit.

8. Select HTML format.

9. Click on Submit.

Table A.13. Private Transportation Resources

ZIP Code

Total Occupied

Housing Units

Number of Housing Units

Owning at Least One Vehicle

ZIP Code 1

ZIP Code 2

ZIP Code 3

ZIP Code 4

ZIP Code 5

ZIP Code 6

Data source:

Name of data collector:

Date of data collection:
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 87

Public Transportation Resources

The American Public Transportation Association maintains links to local and State transportation

Web sites, many of which provide detailed information on transit routes for your county, city, or

municipality. For those communities for which data is not available, contact information is provided

for your State transportation department. To access your State or local transportation Web site,

follow the directions below:

1. Go to http://www.apta.com.

2. Select United States Transit from the left sidebar menu labeled Web Sites.

3. Select your State.

4. Select your county, city, or municipality.

Table A.14. Public Transportation Resources

Public Transportation

Resource

Origin and Destination

of Route

Days and Frequency

of Operation

Cost Per

Ride

Bus 1

Bus 2

Bus 3

Bus 4

Train or subway 1

Train or subway 2

Train or subway 3

Train or subway 4

Data source:

Name of data collector:

Date of data collection:

Paratransportation Resources

Some data on paratransportation availability and routes may be available from your local or State

transportation Web site as listed above. Other sources may include your local Yellow Pages, area

agency on aging, and human or social services department.

Table A.15. Paratransit Resources

Paratransit Resources Routes

Days and Frequency of

Operation

Cost Per

Ride

Private paratransit services

(supermarket vans, elderly

transportation service)

Door-to-door transportation services

(excluding private taxicab services)

Data source:

Name of data collector:

Date of data collection:
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 88

Federal Food Assistance Program Administration

A recently released toolkit from USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service titled The National Nutrition

Safety Net: Tools for Community Food Security is intended to help your community determine

whether it is making full use of Federal food assistance programs. The toolkit contains a set of

checklists you can use to assess how well your community uses USDA’s food assistance programs.

These checklists will help you spot potential barriers to participation that may cause eligible people

to miss out on benefits. Examples from the checklist include the following:

9 Does the food stamp office in your community make it convenient for working families to apply

for food stamps by providing evening and weekend hours and by informing working people of

their possible food stamp eligibility? Does any group or coalition in your community help the

local food stamp office reach out to potentially eligible people?

9 Does the school lunch program in your community take advantage of direct certification for

certain students, reducing paperwork for both families and schools? Do your schools integrate

student meal programs with nutrition education activities, helping children develop healthy

lifelong eating habits?

To download the FNS toolkit from the Internet, follow the directions below:

1. Go to http://www.fns.usda.gov/fsec.

2. Scroll down to the publication The National Nutrition Safety Net: Tools for Community Food

Security.

3. Select Click Here to browse through a Web-based version or Click Here to download a PDF

file of the entire publication.

A.5 Tools for Assessing Community Food Production Resources

This section discusses the tools needed to assess your community’s local food production resources

and marketing infrastructures, including the following:

• Local food production resources

3⁄4 Community gardens

3⁄4 School-based gardens

3⁄4 Community-supported agriculture programs

3⁄4 Farm type and acreage

3⁄4 Crop production

3⁄4 Dairies, fisheries, and livestock production

3⁄4 Food manufacturers and distributors

• Local food production and marketing infrastructures

3⁄4 Linkages between local food producers, food processors, food retailers, and other

marketing outlets like local schools, prisons, and hospitals

Local Food Production Resources

Data on local food production resources will need to be patched together using a variety of sources.

USDA collects data on farm indicators at the county level, including total farm acreage, change in
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 89

farm acreage, and crop production. The Department’s National Agricultural Library maintains a list

of community-supported agriculture programs around the country. Data on community and schoolbased gardens is not yet available from national-level sources and will have to be assembled using

local informants.

Community Gardens

To develop a list of community gardens in your community begin by calling your local county

cooperative extension service office. To find contact information for your county cooperative

extension service, begin by contacting the State office at your local land-grant university:

1. Go to www.reeusda.gov.

2. Click on State Partners.

3. Click on Your State using the map provided.

4. Select the State Extension Service, for example, “University of Massachusetts Extension” or

“Wisconsin Cooperative Extension.”

5. Follow directions for contacting your county extension office. (This procedure will vary by

State.)

At the national level, the American Community Gardening Association is developing a Web site

that will provide a list of community gardens across the country. The address for this site is

www.communitygarden.org/information/index.html.

Table A.16. Community Gardens

Name of Community Garden Address Phone Contact Person

Data source:

Name of data collector:

Date of data collection:

School-Based Gardens

Data on school-based gardens will be most easily gathered by contacting your local school district

or principals at individual schools in your community.
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 90

Table A.17. School-Based Gardens

Name and Type of School Address Phone Contact Person

Data source:

Name of data collector:

Date of data collection:

Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) Programs

USDA’s National Agricultural Library, Alternative Farming Systems Information Center (AFSIC),

maintains a list of community-supported agriculture programs nationwide. To access the list, follow

these directions:

1. Go to www.usda.gov.

2. Select Agencies, Services, and Programs from the top menu bar.

3. Select National Agricultural Library under the Research, Education, and Economics

heading.

4. Select Services and Programs from the left-side menu bar.

5. Select Alternative Farming Systems Information Center.

6. Click on Community Supported Agriculture Information.

7. Click on State-by-State listing under Finding a CSA Farm Near You.

8. Click on the name of your State.

Table A.18. Community-Supported Agriculture Programs

Name of Farm and CSA

Program Address Phone Contact Person

Data source:

Name of data collector:

Date of data collection:
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 91

Commercial Agricultural Resources

USDA collects data about farms, livestock producers, dairies, and their characteristics in years

ending in 2 and 7 (i.e., 1992 and 1997) in the Census of Agriculture. These data are available at the

national, State, and county level. Some examples of the type of data that might be appropriate for

your community are listed in Table 19. Additional detail is available in the Census of Agriculture

for your county. To retrieve the Census of Agriculture data, follow the directions below:

1. Go to http://www.usda.gov.

2. Select Agencies.

3. Select National Agricultural Statistics Service under the Research, Education, and

Economics heading.

4. Select Census of Agriculture.

5. Select Profiles (for key indicators for your State and county) in PDF format.

6. Identify your State on the U.S. map.

7. Select your County or Select Complete Volume (for complete data on your State and county)

in PDF format.

8. Select your State from the second box titled State and County Geographic Area Series—

State and County.

Table A.19. Commercial Agricultural Resources

Farm Type Number of

Farms Acreage Market Value of ProductsSold

All farms

Crop production

Oilseed and grain farming

Vegetable and melon farming

Fruit and nut farming

Other crop farming

Cattle ranching and farming

Dairy cattle and milk production

Hog and pig farming

Poultry and egg production

Sheep and goat farming

Animal aquaculture

Other animal production

Data source:

Name of data collector:

Date of data collection:

Fisheries

The U.S. Department of Commerce Fish and Wildlife Service collects data on fishery resources

nationwide. To gather information on fishery resources in your community follow the directions

below:
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 92

1. Go to: http://www.fws.gov.

2. Select Fisheries.

3. Select Fisheries again on the next page.

4. Select National Fish Hatcheries and Fishery Stations Map.

5. Select the box labeled Region (region number) RO. For example, for Region 5 (Northeast

Region), you would select the box “Region 5 RO.”

6. Select your State.

7. Select the Fisheries Office nearest you.

Food-Related Manufacturing Establishments

The U.S. Bureau of the Census collects data on food manufacturers nationwide in years ending in 2

and 7 (i.e., 1987, 1992, 1997) in the Economic Census. These data are available at the national,

State, and county levels on the Internet. Examples of the types of food manufacturing categories

that are available in the Economic Census are listed in Table A-20. Additional industry categories

are available for your community. Data may also be available locally from your Chamber of

Commerce.

To retrieve the Economic Census data from the Internet, follow the directions below:

1. Go to www.census.gov.

2. Select Economic Census listed under Business.

3. Select Manufacturing on the right sidebar.

4. Select your State for a PDF file of State and County data.

5. Go to Table 1 for State-level data or Table 3 for County-level data.

Table A.20. Food Manufacturing Establishments

Manufacturing Type Number of Establishments

Food and kindred products, all

Meat products

Poultry and egg processing

Dairy products

Cheese, natural and processed

Preserved fruits and vegetables

Canned fruits and vegetables

Frozen fruits and vegetables

Grain mill products

Cereals and other breakfast foods

Data source:

Name of data collector:

Date of data collection:
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 93

Food Wholesalers or Distributors

The U.S. Census Bureau Economic Census series provides data on food and other types of

wholesalers at the national, State, and county levels. Examples of food categories are listed in Table

21. Additional food categories are available for your community. The Economic Census data are

available for years ending in 2 and 7, i.e. 1987, 1992, 1997, etc. Data are provided for three types of

food wholesalers or distributors:

• Large distributors—more than 100 employees

• Medium distributors—20-99 employees

• Small distributors—1-19 employees

To retrieve these data from the Internet, follow the directions below:

1. Go to www.census.gov.

2. Select Economic Census listed under Business.

3. Select Manufacturing on the right sidebar.

4. Select your State for a PDF file of State and County data.

5. Go to Table 1 for State-level data or Table 3 for County-level data.

Additional data on food distributors located in your community may be available from the Chamber

of Commerce.

Table A.21. Food Wholesalers or Distributors

Type of Distributor

Total

Number

Number of

Small

Distributors

Number of

Medium

Distributors

Number of

Large

Distributors

Groceries and related

products, all

Groceries, general line

Packaged frozen foods

Dairy products

Poultry and poultry products

Confectionery

Fish and seafood

Meat and meat products

Fresh fruits and vegetables

Data source:

Name of data collector:

Date of data collection:
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 94

Appendix B

Focus Group Guides and Materials

► B.1 Steps To Get You Started When Conducting a Focus Group

► B.2 Key Informant Focus Group

► B.3 Focus Group on Household Food Security

► B.4 Focus Group on Food Shopping Patterns

► B.5 Focus Group on Household Food Assistance

► B.6 Focus Group on Community Food Production
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 95

Appendix B. Focus Group Guides and Materials

B.1 Steps To Get You Started When Conducting a Focus Group

People who collect data frequently conduct focus groups (or group interviews) to obtain insight into

the personal views, practices, and experiences of a targeted audience. The membership of the group

that is convened is clearly specified. The questions that are raised during a focus group all pertain to

a particular topic or research question.

For each of your focus group sessions, you will ask 8 to 12 people in your community to take part in

a group discussion about their experiences relating to particular topics. All members of the focus

group will be asked to respond to a series of questions. There are no correct or incorrect answers to

the questions.

Before you convene your focus group session, you must consider the following:

• Who will conduct the focus group? Focus groups are best if conducted by someone trained in

facilitating group discussions. The person should be a good listener and should be able to

identify key issues for deeper exploration, to engage all participants in the discussion, and to

keep the discussion on track within the time limits. The facilitator should be empathetic but

must remain objective throughout the focus group session.

• Where do I hold a focus group? Focus groups should be held in a safe and accessible central

location. It is best if public transportation is available, but at a minimum parking should be

available for participants. The environment should be a neutral one that allows participants to

comfortably express themselves without receiving any visual or other reminders of a need for

caution. Thus, when conducting a session on food assistance, it would not be wise to hold the

session in a welfare office where food stamps are distributed. Examples of neutral locations may

be a church or local community group meeting room.

• What type of room setup works best? Traditionally, focus groups are held in a conference

room setting. It should have a table that is sufficiently large to allow participants to face each

other when they speak.

• What do I need in the room for the focus group? The following equipment may be used for

the focus groups:

— Cassette tape recorders with a jack for an external microphone

— External microphones (e.g., omni directional/boundary microphone)

— Extension cords for tape recorders

— Cassette audiotapes (4 per session)

— Duct tape

— Easel

— Flip chart pad

— Markers

— Pens and note pads

— Batteries for tape recorders (as backup)
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 96

— 3-prong electrical adapters

— Sign-in roster

— Blank name tent cards

• Whom will I include in the focus group? A focus group is most successful if the participants

have enough in common to be willing to speak freely but have different experiences to offer.

For example, if you are conducting a focus group on people’s shopping experiences, you will

want to include people who are responsible for the household food shopping, but people who

may live in different neighborhoods and therefore shop at different stores. In a group discussing

the community’s local food system, you will want to include different types of food producers

and distributors.

• How many participants shall I have? Although focus group participation is generally

restricted to 8 to 12 respondents, you may vary this according to your needs. Just remember—if

the number of respondents is too small, you may not get the desired free flow of responses. If it

is too large, your moderator may have to play the role of “traffic cop,” restricting private

conversations and spontaneous responses.

• How do I find participants? Participants may be recruited using many different methods. You

can stop people at a central location and ask them to answer a short questionnaire to see if they

meet your criteria. This strategy, however, is very time consuming. It is easier to focus on

finding the type of people you want in your group by recruiting people from specific locations

where your target audience is likely to be. For example, if you want to speak to people who

make the grocery and food decisions in low-income households, you should try to recruit people

from supermarkets where low-income households are likely to shop. You might chose to stand

at the store and recruit people, or you might place a flyer on the checkout counter that provides

people with very general information about the topic, the need for participants, and an incentive

to participate. A phone number for more information should be included. Another way to recruit

people is to identify a neighborhood that you want to recruit people from and to either go house

to house to ask people to participate or find phone numbers for the households and call them to

request their participation.

• Can someone from the community help me with recruitment? Identifying a community

liaison with connections to the groups of people you want to reach can be very helpful. This

person can help you identify the best methods for recruitment in a community, and he or she

also may be able to identify appropriate participants and because of an existing relationship,

enlist their participation with greater ease. When using a community liaison, it is important to

work together to establish recruitment parameters and to use an official screener so that personal

biases do not influence the recruitment process.

• How do I select participants? To help you select participants, screeners provide a set of

questions that identify the people who meet your criteria. The screener starts with a introductory

script to use when first speaking to potential participants. It describes the group’s purpose very

generally and then asks for a person’s willingness to answer a few questions. The questions are

worded to automatically screen out people if they do not meet the specific criteria. Each group

discussion requires the development of a new set of criteria and thus a new screener. For some

discussions, food assistance program participation will be essential, whereas for others, income
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 97

and shopping store usage may be the most important criteria. Screeners have been developed for

each focus group as needed. It is important to note that for some groups, screeners are not

necessary. For example, key informants can be selected through a more direct method simply by

determining who the people are in the community who would be most knowledgeable about the

topic and who represent a selected group of organizations. Screeners are used when the

participants are supposed to represent a much larger population group within the community.

• How do we show our appreciation to participants? Participants are the key ingredient to a

successful focus group and deserve to be thanked in several ways. Along with offering a light

meal or refreshments at a focus group meeting, it is also customary to reimburse participants for

their time. The amount will depend on your community, the sponsoring organization’s budget,

and the difficulty you have in recruiting participants. Participant reimbursements can range from

$15 to $50 or more. There are times when monetary payments are impossible, ill-advised, or

undesirable. Participants in these situations may instead receive vouchers to be used at specific

stores (grocery stores may be applicable in this case) or other such indirect payments. The

payment type and amount should be planned before recruitment and should be mentioned to

potential participants to entice them to attend the meeting. Payments must be consistent across

all participants and groups within a community.

• What will be discussed? We have provided you with the questions. See the following focus

group guides. You can also add questions that pertain to your specific community.

• How do I keep the session moving? There are two types of problems that you might have

when conducting groups. One is that people can wander off the topic. It is important to keep

people focused and to tell them up front that you will interrupt them if the discussion is going

too far off topic. The other problem is getting people to discuss issues openly. Sometimes a

question will not provoke people to respond adequately to an issue. You may have to rephrase

the question or probe to get them to explore some related or underlying issues. For example, if

people are silent when asked why they may not participate in a food assistance program, the

probes might include: Is it inconvenient for you to go to apply for the program? Did you ever

have a problem when you applied? Are the benefits enough to provide you with help? It is also

important that participants know that their comments will be in confidence and will be reported

anonymously.

• What can I do to focus the discussion? In addition to using the discussion guide, it is often

necessary to use a blackboard or blank newsprint on an easel to present or develop a list of

topics to be discussed in detail by the group. Prepared lists should be written before beginning

the group. Lists to be developed by the group are written by the facilitator as he or she gathers

information from participants. The interview guides provide suggestions regarding the use of

these lists.

• When do participants answer the surveys? Surveys may be included in some focus group

sessions, although often they are not necessary. When participants arrive, they can be given

short surveys to complete. The surveys should be multiple choice in format and should not

require a great deal of time. These surveys help to focus peoples’ attention on the subject matter

and provide more specific information to the data collectors.
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 98

• How will the session be recorded? Generally, focus group sessions are audiotaped, thus

allowing the sponsoring agency to listen to group reactions after the event. However, note takers

can provide greater insight than can a tape recorder. The tape recording should be reviewed after

the meeting to supplement the notes taken. Tape recorders often do not pick up sound as well as

you might expect; therefore, it is important to consider the notes as the first source of

information with the tape as backup. One or two individuals may be assigned the role of note

taker. If sufficient resources are available, the tape could also be transcribed.

• How should note takers record their notes? Note takers should focus on three things:

1. Observations of the group. Are people excited or lacking in interest? Do people have a lot

to say, or are they reluctant to speak? Are some people dominating the discussion while

others are silent? Is the group cohesive or are there great differences of opinion?

2. Quotes illustrating the varied opinions being presented. There is much value in capturing

the exact words that are used by participants. These words are the actual “data,” the essence

of the meeting. Try to capture as much of the conversation as possible using the exact words

that people speak. These quotes will be included in the final report.

3. Summary of key discussion points. As each question is posed, individuals will offer their

opinions, but there is often some nonverbal communication that also relays the group’s

perceptions, feelings, and thoughts on the issue. These reactions should be captured by the

note taker and summarized along with the general discussion. Note that the group does not

have to reach consensus. The summary can give all sides of the issue.

• How long is the focus group session? A focus group generally lasts about 11⁄2 hours. It is not

desirable to go beyond this time because interest may diminish and fatigue may set in. If you

envision that the questions will take more than 11⁄2 hours to answer, consider eliminating some

questions.

• How do I begin the focus group? The moderator will open the focus group by thanking all

participants for volunteering the time to participate. The moderator assures participants that their

responses will be held anonymous and that the data collected will be used for research/decisionmaking purposes. Then, before beginning to ask the set of questions, everyone introduces

themselves and answers an ice-breaker question (e.g., what is your favorite food?, why do you

like this community?)

• How do I end the focus group? Thank participants for coming and assure them that their

responses will help you in making decisions that will assist households in the community get a

sufficient amount and variety of food to feed their families.
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 99

B.2. Key Informant Focus Group

Date: 

Moderator: 

Number of Participants: 

The key informant focus group will help you to identify areas of concern within your community

and to understand community food security issues from the perspective of community

representatives. The information gleaned from this discussion will be used in shaping the

assessment process to be used in your community. It also will help you begin to form an informal

network that can provide assistance throughout the process and can help in publicizing and using

the results.

Participants can include the following people:

• Clergy

• Political/community officials

• Food assistance providers

• Emergency food providers

• Community nutritionists

• welfare office staff

• Case/social workers

• Advocates

• Low-income household members

Using the categories above, review all the appropriate key players in your community. After

creating a list of all people, select at least one representative from each group above. In addition, try

to select people by gender and race or ethnicity to reflect the community in which you live.

We are including handouts that define key terms and issues to be discussed during the interview or

focus group. We suggest that these materials be provided to people to read at the group session.

In addition, you can use the Discussion Guide for a Key Informant Focus Group during the

interview. It can easily be augmented to reflect the particular concerns within your community.
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 100

HANDOUT B.2-1

What Is Household Food Security?

Definitions From the Life Sciences Research Office

(Anderson 1990)

Food security—Access by all people at all times to enough food for an active,

healthy life. Food security includes at a minimum

 The ready availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods.

 An assured ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable

ways.

Food insecurity—Limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and

safe foods or limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially

acceptable ways.

Hunger—The uneasy or painful sensation caused by a lack of food. The recurrent

and involuntary lack of access to food.
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 101

What Is Community Food Security?

Community food security is a relatively new concept with roots in a variety of disciplines,

including community nutrition, nutrition education, public health, sustainable agriculture,

and anti-hunger and community development. As such, no universally accepted definition

exists.

Community food security can be viewed as an expansion of the concept of household food

security. Whereas household food security is concerned with the ability to acquire food at the

household level, community food security focuses on the underlying social, economic, and

institutional factors within a community that affect the quantity and quality of food available

and its affordability or price relative to the sufficiency of financial resources available to

acquire it.

Policies and programs implemented under the community food security label address a

diverse range of issues, including participation in and access to Federal food assistance

programs, economic opportunity and job security, community development and social

cohesion, ecologically sustainable agricultural production, farmland preservation, economic

viability of rural communities, direct food marketing, diet-related health problems, and

emergency food assistance access.

Communities may be considered to be food insecure if

• There are inadequate resources from which people can purchase foods;

• The available food purchasing resources are not accessible to all community members;

• The food available through the resources is not sufficient in quantity or variety;

• The food available is not competitively priced and thus is unaffordable to low-income

households;

• There are inadequate food assistance resources to help low-income people purchase foods

at retail markets;

• There are no local food production resources;

• Locally produced food is not available to community members;

• There is no support for local food production resources; and

• There is any substantial level of household food insecurity within the community.

HANDOUT B.2-2
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 102

B.2-1 Discussion Guide for a Key Informant Focus Group

Introduction

Thank you for your willingness to take part in this group discussion. The purpose of the discussion

is to explore each of your perceptions regarding the presence of food security in this community.

I’d like to begin by defining food security. The handouts I’ve given you define both household food

security and community food security. Although they are integrally connected, they are also quite

separate situations. For example, a household may be food insecure—household members may not

be able to afford to purchase food from normal retail food outlets and they may have had to take

several different actions to stretch their food or may have gone without food on numerous

occasions. However, in the community, food may be affordable, available, and accessible through

normal markets. That is, community food security may not be a problem, but some households in

the community may be food insecure.

Let’s try to discuss these two issues separately. First, let’s talk about household food security:

1. Do you think that many households in the community have a problem with food security?

What is the extent of the problem?

2. Why do you think that household food security is a problem? (That is, how do you see the

problem manifest itself?)

3. How do people cope with the problem of food insecurity?

4. What are the contributing factors?

5. Now, let’s talk about the community:

6. Do you think that food is accessible, available, and affordable in the community? (Probe to

explain how it is or is not.)

7. Are there differences in different parts of the community?

8. What do you think are the biggest problems related to food security at the community level?

Why do you think these exist?

9. How does the community address food insecurity? What resources are in place to avoid the

problem if it doesn’t exist?

10. What else could be done to improve the community’s problems with food insecurity?

11. Who are the key players?

12. Are alternative food sources easily accessible and used in the community? What are they?

Who organizes them?

13. Finally, I would like to focus on local food-related policies:

14. Are there any local ordinances or other policies that affect food production, distribution, and

consumption? (e.g., zoning rules that affect supermarket development, food purchasing

regulations for local schools or institutions, policies on the use of city-owned land for

community gardens)
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 103

15. Are there any transportation policies that affect food access?

16. Are there any farmland preservation efforts?

17. Are there local funding sources for community food security-related activities?

18. Is there an integration of food-related issues into the community planning process?
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 104

B.3 Focus Group on Household Food Security

Date of Focus Group: 

Focus Group Moderator: 

Number of Participants: 

A focus group on household food security highlights the household-level experience with food

insecurity and related coping mechanisms that may be used. Participants in these groups should

include people at risk of experiencing food insecurity. Thus, the screener uses a rough income-level

question to identify those who are most likely to be at risk because of income level, and a question

on food satisfaction to identify those who apparently are not having any direct problem of food

insecurity. People should be recruited from various segments within the community.

Included in the focus group materials are

• A recruitment flyer to distribute at central community locations

• A screener to use when recruiting focus group participants to ensure that participants will

include people who have some degree of food insecurity

• A short survey and answer sheet to use with focus group participants to introduce the topic and

gather personal information more confidentially than is possible in a group discussion

• A focus group moderator’s guide to help structure the discussion
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 105

DO YOU EVER HAVE PROBLEMS GETTING ENOUGH FOOD

FOR YOUR FAMILY?

DO YOU EVER WORRY ABOUT HOW TO MAKE YOUR FOOD

SUPPLY LAST LONGER?

If you answered yes to either question above and you live in (name of

community), you may be able to join us for a group discussion on food

use in your home.

For more information,

call (put in a name) at

(phone number).

Refreshments and a small participation award will be provided!

RECRUITMENT

FLYER B.3-1
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 106

B.3-1 Screener for a Focus Group on Household Food Security and Coping

Mechanisms

Hello, I’m calling from _____________________. We are conducting some group discussions to

learn about the community’s food resources. Part of that process includes speaking to people in our

community about the food that is used in the household. Are you the person in the household who

does most of the food shopping and preparation? (IF NOT, REQUEST TO SPEAK TO THAT

PERSON. ONCE SPEAKING TO THAT PERSON, REINTRODUCE). Would you be willing to

answer a few questions?

a. Yes Interviewer Initials _____________

b. No (Thank and terminate)

1. Note gender: Male _________ Female _________

2. Have you recently been asked to participate in a group discussion on food assistance, food

security, or anything else having to do with household food use?

a. No

b. Yes (Thank and end discussion)

3. Which of these statements best describes the food eaten in your household in the last 12 months:

a. Enough of the kinds of food we want to eat

b. Enough but not always the kinds of food we want

c. Sometimes not enough to eat

d. Often not enough

4. People do different things when they are running out of money for food in order to make their

food or their food money go further. In the last 12 months, did you ever run short of money and

try to make your food or your food money go further?

a. Yes

b. No

IF Question 3 is “a” AND Question 4 is “b”, thank and end discussion. Otherwise, continue.

5. How many people live in your household?

a. 1 person

b. 2 people

c. 3 people

d. 4 people

e. 5 people
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 107

f. 6 people

g. 7 people

h. 8 or more people

6. Can you please tell me, to the best of your knowledge, what the total, combined income was for

all of the members of your household over the past year—was it:

For 1 person:

a. less than $11,0001

 or

b. more than $11,000 (Thank and end discussion)

For 2 persons:

a. less than $15,000 or

b. more than $15,000 (Thank and end discussion)

For 3 persons:

a. less than $18,000 or

b. more than $18,000 (Thank and end discussion)

For 4 persons:

a. less than $22,000 or

b. more than $22,000 (Thank and end discussion)

For 5 persons:

a. less than $26,000 or

b. more than $26,000 (Thank and end discussion)

For 6 persons:

a. less than $30,000 or

b. more than $30,000 (Thank and end discussion)

For 7 persons:

a. less than $33,000 or

b. more than $33,000 (Thank and end discussion)

For 8 or more persons:

a. less than $37,000 or

b. more than $37,000 (Thank and end discussion)

We are conducting an informal discussion about food use in the household. The discussion will take

place at ____________________ on __________________. The discussion will last for

approximately ________ hours. We will pay you _____ as a way of thanking you for participating

in this discussion. Would you be interested in attending?

 

1

 Income levels should be updated annually. This information can be found at the U.S. Department of Health and

Human Services Internet site, http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty.htm
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 108

a. Yes (Record name, age, address, phone number)

b. No (Thank and end discussion)

Respondent’s Name: 

Address: 

 

 

Phone Number: 
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 109

B.3-2 Short Survey on Household Food Security

A focus group on household food security will provide information on the magnitude of this group

of people’s food insecurity problems, how they cope with them, and their perceptions of how the

community does and can impact household food security issues. However, the focus group will not

provide information on how widespread food insecurity is within the community.

A short survey on household food security is included in this toolkit to use with focus group

participants. The survey serves several purposes but also has some obvious limitations. First of all,

the survey is an indirect way of helping participants to understand what is meant by food insecurity.

Secondly, the survey provides insight into the food security status of the participants, which helps to

put the answers to the focus group questions into context. However, the results should never be used

to categorize the food security of the community. The results of a survey used with only 9 to 12

participants cannot be considered representative of the community.

The survey may best be administered in a group setting using a mixture of techniques. To ensure

that all participants understand the questions, the facilitator can begin by reading each question out

loud to the group. Participants can have a simple answer sheet with the question number and

corresponding responses. (See the answer sheet provided with the survey.) The facilitator should

emphasize that there are no “right” or “wrong” answers, but simply that the responses given should

come as close as possible to each person’s actual experience. As each question is read, participants

can mark the appropriate answer on the sheet. This can help to eliminate confusion over question

meaning and skip patterns that exist in the survey. When the facilitator is asked questions such as,

“What does ‘balanced meal’ mean,” he or she should reply “whatever it means to you; whatever

you think it means.” (This is the same procedure followed by Census Bureau interviewers in

collecting the national household food security data.

The survey, which is based on the food security survey developed by USDA and used in numerous

national surveys, is quite easy to analyze. Detailed instructions are available in USDA’s Guide to

Measuring Household Food Security, Revised 2000 and available at www.fns.usda.gov/fsec on the

Web. Assuming that participants provide answers to all the questions, the following guidelines can

be used to score household food security status. First, add the number of positive answers (items

with the number “1” circled) from questions 2 to 16. Questions prior to question 2 are preliminary

and not included in the scoring. Households without children answer fewer questions and are thus

scored differently.

Number of Positive Answers Food Security Status

Household With

Children

Household Without

Children

0–2 0–2 Food secure

3–7 3–5 Food insecure without hunger

8–18 6–10 Food insecure with hunger
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 110

B.3-3 Short Survey Household Food Security Instrument

We would like to ask you a few questions about the food eaten in your household in the past 12

months and what you may have done to make sure that everyone in the household had enough food.

Please read/listen to the question and then check the appropriate answer.

(Skip the shaded sections if you do not have children younger than 18 years old living in your

household.)

Part A

Section 1

1. Which of these statements best describes the food eaten in your household in the past

12 months?

Enough of the kinds of food we want to eat ........................... 

Enough but not always the kinds of food we want................. 

Sometimes not enough to eat . 

Often not enough to eat........................................................... 

Don’t know ............................................................................. 

la. Here are some reasons why people don’t always have enough or the kinds of the

foods they want to eat. Please indicate if any of the following is a reason why YOU

don’t always have enough or the kinds of food you want.

Not enough money for food................................................. 

Kinds of food I want are not available................................. 

Not enough time for shopping or cooking........................... 

Too hard to get to the store .................................................. 

On a diet............................................................................... 

No working stove available ................................................. 

Not able to cook or eat because of health problems ............ 

Don’t know or not applicable .............................................. 
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 111

2. People have made several statements about their food situation. For these statements,

please indicate whether the statement was often true, sometimes true, or never true for

your household in the past 12 months.

The first statement is “I worried whether our food would run out before

we got money to buy more.” Was that often true, sometimes true, or never true for

your household in the past 12 months?

Often true............................................................................... 

Sometimes true...................................................................... 

Never true.............................................................................. 

Don’t know............................................................................ 

3. “The food that we bought just didn’t last, and we didn’t have money to get more.”

Was that often true, sometimes true, or never true for your household in the last 12

months?

Often true............................................................................... 

Sometimes true...................................................................... 

Never true.............................................................................. 

Don’t know............................................................................ 

4. “We couldn’t afford to eat balanced meals.” Was that often true, sometimes true, or

never true for your household in the last 12 months?

Often true............................................................................... 

Sometimes true...................................................................... 

Never true.............................................................................. 

Don’t know............................................................................ 

5. In the past 12 months, did you or other adults in your household ever cut the size of

your meals or skip meals because there wasn’t enough money for food?

Yes.................................................................  (Go to Question 5a)

No .................................................................  (Go to Question 6)

Don’t know....................................................  (Go to Question 6)
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 112

5a. [IF YES ABOVE, PLEASE ANSWER] How often did this happen—

almost every month, some months but not every month, or only 1 or 2

months?

Almost every month ............................................................... 

Some months but not every month ......................................... 

Only l or 2 months .................................................................. 

Never....................................................................................... 

Don’t know or not applicable ................................................. 

6. In the past 12 months, did you ever eat less than you felt you should because there

wasn’t enough money to buy food?

Yes .......................................................................................... 

No .......................................................................................... 

Don’t know ............................................................................. 

7. In the past 12 months, were you ever hungry but didn’t eat because you couldn’t

afford enough food?

Yes .......................................................................................... 

No .......................................................................................... 

Don’t know ............................................................................. 

8. In the past 12 months, did you lose weight because you didn’t have enough money for

food?

Yes......................................................................................... 

No ......................................................................................... 

Don’t know............................................................................ 

9. In the past 12 months, did you or other adults in your household ever not eat for a

whole day because there wasn’t enough money for food?

Yes......................................................................................... 

No .........................................................................................  (Go to box 1)

Don’t know............................................................................  (Go to box 1)
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 113

9a. [IF YES ABOVE, PLEASE ANSWER] How often did this happen—

almost every month, some months but not every month, or only 1 or 2

months?

Almost every month ............................................................... 

Some months but not every month ......................................... 

Only l or 2 months .................................................................. 

Never....................................................................................... 

Don’t know ............................................................................. 

Box 1

Do you have children younger than 18 years old in your household?

 No Thank you—you are finished with this survey.

 Yes Please continue with Question 10.

The next questions are about children living in the household who are younger than 18 years old. If

there are no children in your household, do not answer these shaded questions.

10. “We relied on only a few kinds of low-cost food to feed the children because we

were running out of money to buy food.” Was that often true, sometimes true, or

never true for your household in the past 12 months?

Often true............................................................................... 

Sometimes true...................................................................... 

Never true.............................................................................. 

NO CHILDREN YOUNGER THAN 18 .............................. 

Don’t know............................................................................ 

11. “We couldn’t feed the children a balanced meal because we couldn’t afford that.”

Was that often true, sometimes true, or never true for your household in the past

12 months?

Often true............................................................................... 

Sometimes true...................................................................... 

Never true.............................................................................. 

NO CHILDREN YOUNGER THAN 18 .............................. 

Don’t know............................................................................ 
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 114

12. “The children were not eating enough because we just couldn’t afford enough food.”

Was that often true, sometimes true, or never true for your household in the last 12

months?

Often true............................................................................... 

Sometimes true...................................................................... 

Never true.............................................................................. 

NO CHILDREN YOUNGER THAN 18 .............................. 

Don’t know............................................................................ 

13. In the past 12 months, did you ever cut the size of any of the children’s meals

because there wasn’t enough money for food?

Yes......................................................................................... 

No ......................................................................................... 

NO CHILDREN YOUNGER THAN 18 .............................. 

Don’t know............................................................................ 

14. In the past 12 months, did any of the children ever skip meals because there wasn’t

enough money for food?

Yes......................................................................... (Go to Question 14a)

No ......................................................................... (Go to Question 15)

NO CHILDREN YOUNGER THAN 18 .............. (Go to Question 15)

Don’t know............................................................ (Go to Question 15)

14a. [IF YES ABOVE, PLEASE ANSWER] How often did this happen—almost every

month, some months but not every month, or only 1 or 2 months?

Almost every month..............................................

Some months but not every month........................

Only l or 2 months.................................................

Never .....................................................................

Don’t know............................................................

 15. In the past 12 months, were the children ever hungry but you just couldn’t afford

more food?

Yes......................................................................................... 

No ......................................................................................... 

NO CHILDREN YOUNGER THAN 18 .............................. 

Don’t know............................................................................ 

16. In the past 12 months, did any of the children ever not eat for a whole day because

there wasn’t enough money for food?

Yes......................................................................................... 

No ......................................................................................... 

NO CHILDREN YOUNGER THAN 18 .............................. 

Don’t know............................................................................ 
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 115

B.3-4 Answer Sheet for Household Food Security Survey

Please indicate the correct answer for each question by circling the number in the right column

labeled “answer #.” Please circle only one number (answer) for each question except question 1a.

Do not answer the shaded questions if there are no children younger than 18 living in your

household.

Question # Answers Answer #

1. Enough of the kinds of food we want to eat 1

Enough but not always the kinds of food we want 2

Sometimes not enough to eat 3

Often not enough to eat 4

Don’t know 5

1a. Not enough money for food 1

Kinds of food I want are not available 2

Not enough time for shopping or cooking 3

Too hard to get to the store 4

On a diet 5

No working stove available 6

Not able to cook or eat because of health

problems

7

Don’t know or not applicable 8

2. Often true 1

Sometimes true 1

Never true 2

Don’t know 3

3. Often true 1

Sometimes true 1

Never true 2

Don’t know 3

4. Often true 1

Sometimes true 1

Never true 2

Don’t know 3

GO TO NEXT PAGE
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 116

Question # Answers Answer #

5. Yes 1

No 2

Don’t know 3

Answer 5a only if answer to 5 is “Yes.”

5a. Almost every month 1

Some months but not every month 1

Only 1 or 2 months 2

Never 2

Don’t know or not applicable 3

6. Yes 1

No 2

Don’t know 3

7. Yes 1

No 2

Don’t know 3

8. Yes 1

No 2

Don’t know 3

9. Yes 1

No 2

Don’t know 3

Answer 9a only if answer to 9 is “Yes.”

9a. Almost every month 1

Some months but not every month 1

Only 1 or 2 months 2

Never 2

Don’t know 3

Box 1 No children You are done

Children younger than 18 in household Please

continue

GO TO NEXT PAGE
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 117

Question # Answers Answer #

10. Often true 1

Sometimes true 1

Never true 2

NO CHILDREN YOUNGER THAN 18 3

Don’t know 3

11. Often true 1

Sometimes true 1

Never true 2

NO CHILDREN YOUNGER THAN 18 3

Don’t know 3

12. Often true 1

Sometimes true 1

Never true 2

NO CHILDREN YOUNGER THAN 18 3

Don’t know 3

13. Yes 1

No 2

NO CHILDREN YOUNGER THAN 18 3

Don’t know 3

14. Yes 1

No 2

NO CHILDREN YOUNGER THAN 18 3

Don’t know 3

Answer 14a only if answer to 14 is “Yes.”

14a. Almost every month 1

Some months but not every month 1

Only 1 or 2 months 2

Never 2

Don’t know 3

15. Yes 1

No 2

NO CHILDREN YOUNGER THAN 18 3

Don’t know 3

16. Yes 1

No 2

NO CHILDREN YOUNGER THAN 18 3

Don’t know 3
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 118

B.3-5 Moderator’s Guide for a Focus Group on Household Food Security

Thank you for agreeing to be part of a focus group on household food security. For those of you

who have never participated in a focus group, I just want to tell you that it is a research technique

commonly used in social science research to gather data from informed sources. Your answers to

our questions should not be considered “right” or “wrong.” Rather, they are information that you

can supply based on your experiences, observations, or feelings.

We are collecting information about households and their food usage—whether people have

enough, why they may or may not, and what they do about it. We are working with a community

group that wants to understand if our community needs to improve the food resources available for

all people.

Please be assured that all your responses are confidential and will be used for statistical purposes

only. Our summary report will make no references to names.

The purpose of this discussion is to help us understand how serious food insecurity and hunger may

be in our community. Food insecurity refers to not having access to adequate amounts of affordable

foods through normal means, such as buying food at supermarkets or farmers’ markets or even

gardening. Hunger is often the result when there is not enough food in a house for all the household

members. We are conducting this group discussion as part of a larger effort to understand how

much of a food insecurity problem there may be in our community and what we can do about it.

I want to start by saying how difficult it can be to discuss these issues publicly. But almost

everyone, if not everyone, in this group is familiar with these problems. They are nothing to be

embarrassed about. Your candid responses and discussion will be most helpful to us as we try to

develop a community-based action plan.

Before we begin, let’s go around the room and introduce ourselves. But instead of telling us just

your name, why not tell everyone your name, how long you have lived in this area, and what your

three most favorite foods are?

Household Food Security

Let’s start by thinking back to this past year. Give some thought to the times when you either didn’t

have enough food for everyone in your home or worried about whether you would have enough

food.

1. How many people would say that they either ran out or worried about running out of food

during the past year?

2. I’m wondering about the frequency of these things happening. How many people would say that

they either ran out or worried about running out of food every month? Did these things happen

at specific times of the month? Or at certain times of the year?

3. How many people would say that they either ran out or worried about running out of food every

month? Do these things happen at specific times of the month? Or at certain times of the year?

4. Do these events (running out of food or worrying about it) follow any pattern? That is, does

something else happen regularly that causes you to run out of food or to worry about it? (Probe

for: medical emergencies, large bills, helping family members with their needs, changes in job

status)
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 119

5. I’m wondering about what you do if there isn’t enough food. Let’s start by discussing the things

you might do to make the food you have last longer. What are some of these things? (Probe

for: cut amounts of food, cut size of meals, skip meals, water down ingredients, eat cheaper

foods like potatoes or pasta, serve less expensive foods, serve less nutritious foods because they

are cheaper, serve children nutritious foods but eat less or less nutritious foods yourself)

6. People sometimes go to different places to get enough food to go around when they are running

short of money. What types of places have you gone to for food and how often? (Probe for:

food assistance programs, food pantry, soup kitchen, other “free” food resources). Which of

these places works the best for you? Why? Do they each have a different role—do you go to

them at different times or use them differently?

7. You also may have a less formal “help” network, that is, people you know who will lend you

money, give you food, feed you, or let you buy on credit. Can you describe some of these

networks? Do you ever provide this type of support for family members or friends?

8. What would you say is most important in helping you cope with times when food or food

concerns are a major problem?

9. We’ve focused up to this point on household issues and strategies. Switch your thinking a bit to

the community. What do you think the community (government, businesses, people) could do to

make it easier for people to get enough food? Think about how they could work to make food

accessible, available, and affordable.

Thank you!
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 120

B.4 Focus Group on Food Shopping Patterns

Date of Focus Group: 

Focus Group Moderator: 

Number of Participants: 

A focus group on household food purchasing will provide information on shopping patterns and

other resources used by community members to obtain food. It will also provide information on

barriers that impact the use of resources. To gather the most information possible, participants

should include people who shop at various stores or use various alternative food resources

throughout the community.

The materials for this group include

• A recruitment flyer to be posted widely throughout the community (targeting food markets and

resources)

• A screener to use for recruitment purposes to ensure that participants include users of various

types of stores

• A focus group moderator’s guide to help structure the discussion
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 121

RECRUITMENT FLYER B.4-1

HELP US UNDERSTAND THE COMMUNITY WE LIVE IN!

Information Needed on

Food Shopping

Grocery Store Use

Other Local Food Sources

Do you live in (name of community)?

If you are interested in joining

a group discussion,

please call (put in a name) at

(phone number).

Refreshments and a small participation award will be provided!
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 122

B.4-2 Screener for a Focus Group on Food Shopping Patterns

Before beginning the screening process, select three markets that you would like to have

representative shoppers from in the focus group. These should either be in three different

neighborhoods or be three different types of stores (e.g., large supermarket, small grocery, or small

convenience store). Place flyers [see sample] with critical information about the focus group at each

store (after obtaining permission from the store manager), requesting that interested parties contact

the group organizer. Alternatively, flyers can be distributed with each bag of groceries or left at the

checkout counter. These may be more widely read than a flyer posted on a board. As people call,

use the following screener to select participants. Choose approximately one-third of the people for

the group from each store.

Store A ___________________________________

Store B ___________________________________

Store C ___________________________________

Thank you for calling. We are conducting some group discussions to learn about the community’s

food resources. Part of that process includes speaking to people in our community about where they

buy their food, why they go there, and what influences their use of different stores. Are you the

person in the household who does most of the food shopping and preparation? (IF NOT,

REQUEST TO SPEAK TO THAT PERSON. ONCE SPEAKING TO THAT PERSON,

REINTRODUCE.)

1. Note gender: Male Female 

2. Have you recently been asked to participate in a group discussion on food purchasing, food

security, or anything else having to do with household food use?

a. No

b. Yes (Thank and end discussion)

3. How many people live in your household?

a. 1 person

b. 2 people

c. 3 people

d. 4 people

e. 5 people

f. 6 people

g. 7 people

h. 8 or more people
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 123

4. From the following categories, please tell me what your household income was for the past

year:

For 1 person:

a. less than $11,0002

 or

b. more than $11,000 (Thank and end discussion)

For 2 persons:

a. less than $15,000 or

b. more than $15,000 (Thank and end discussion)

For 3 persons:

a. less than $18,000 or

b. more than $18,000 (Thank and end discussion)

For 4 persons:

a. less than $22,000 or

b. more than $22,000 (Thank and end discussion)

For 5 persons:

a. less than $26,000 or

b. more than $26,000 (Thank and end discussion)

For 6 persons:

a. less than $30,000 or

b. more than $30,000 (Thank and end discussion)

For 7 persons:

a. less than $33,000 or

b. more than $33,000 (Thank and end discussion)

For 8 or more persons:

a. less than $37,000 or

b. more than $37,000 (Thank and end discussion)

5. Do you ever shop at

a. Store A ___Yes ___No

b. Store B ___Yes ___No

c. Store C ___Yes ___No

 

2

 Income levels should be updated annually. This information can be found at the U.S. Department of Health and

Human Services Internet site, http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty.htm
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 124

Select approximately equal numbers of people for the group from shoppers at each store.

We are conducting an informal discussion about food shopping for the household. The discussion

will take place at ____________________ on __________________. The discussion will last for

approximately ________ hours. We will pay you _____ as a way of thanking you for participating

in this discussion. Would you be interested in attending?

a. Yes (Record name, age, address, phone #)

b. No (Thank and end discussion)

Respondent’s Name: 

Address: 

 

 

Phone Number: 
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 125

B.4-3 Moderator’s Guide for a Focus Group on Food Shopping Patterns

Thank you for agreeing to participate in this focus group session. For those of you who have never

participated in a focus group, I just want to tell you that it is a research technique commonly used in

social science research to gather data from informed sources. Your answers to our questions will not

be considered “right” or “wrong.” They are merely information that you will supply based on your

experiences, observations, or feelings.

We are collecting information about shopping patterns—the stores you use and why—and about

other places in the community that people might go for food. We are working with a community

group that wants to understand if our community needs to improve the food resources available for

all people.

Please be assured that all your responses are confidential and will be used for statistical purposes

only. Our summary report will make no references to names.

Before we begin, let’s go around the room and introduce ourselves. But instead of telling us just

your name, why not tell everyone your name, how long you have lived in this area, and what your

three most favorite foods are?

Food Stores

Let’s start with some questions about food shopping:

1. There are many different types of stores you can shop at for food—large supermarkets, medium

or small neighborhood grocery stores, warehouse stores, specialty stores (bakeries, butchers,

fish markets), and gas station or convenience stores. I would like to find out about the types of

stores used for the majority of your shopping.

Use a printed list of food stores that all can see. This list should be developed beforehand to include

all the stores in the area. Review the list with the group and categorize the stores into warehouse

stores, large supermarkets, medium grocery stores, small grocery stores, and gas station or SevenEleven type stores.)

Let’s go through this list, and for each type of store, please raise your hand if it is the type of store

you use to buy most of your household groceries? (Next to each store type, write down the number

of people who use it for their shopping.)

2. Now let’s now focus on the stores used by people for the majority of their food shopping. Why

do you use these stores the most? (Go through each store type selected separately and probe

for convenience, variety offered, cleanliness, safety, location, etc.)

3. How do you get to the store? Is transportation for shopping a problem? How long does it take

you to get there?

4. How often do you do a big shopping for food (not counting trips for just a few items)? How

many “fill-in” trips do you make (that is, trips for one or two small items)?
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 126

5. Now think about all the different types of stores that you shop at. Are you satisfied with the

stores you use most frequently? (Probe for quality of food and service, location, cleanliness,

food cost, and variety.)

6. Are there other stores that you would rather use but that you don’t? Why not? (Probe for

transportation difficulty, cost and variety of food, don’t accept food stamps, or hours of

operation.)

7. We are trying to understand why people shop the way they do. What influences the number of

times you shop? (Probe for transportation, storage, availability of stores or food in the stores).

There are several other places to get food for your household. I am curious to know how many of

you use these resources and why or why not.

Alternative Food Sources

8. Let’s start with home grown or produced food. How many of you grow your own food in a

home garden or fish or hunt for your food? Why/why not?

9. How heavily do you rely on these foods in your regular food supply? At which times of the

year?

10. Are there community gardens in your community? (Community gardens are gardens that are

planned and maintained by community members.) How many of you grow food in a community

garden? Why/why not?

11. How heavily do you rely on these foods in your regular food supply? At which times of the

year?

12. Do you regularly get food at no cost from neighbors or others you know who grow or hunt their

own food?

13. Are there farmers’ markets in your community? Does anyone ever go to a farmers’ market to

buy food? Why/why not?

14. Are there food co-ops in your community? A food cooperative or co-op is an organization

owned and controlled democratically by its members. It may be organized as a buyers club or a

store where people who are not members may also shop. Does anyone ever use food co-ops?

Why/why not?

15. Are there any community-supported agriculture programs in your community? Communitysupported agriculture (CSA) is a partnership between a farm and community members.

Members support the farm by paying a set fee that is used to help pay for seeds, fertilizer, water,

equipment maintenance, labor, etc. In return, the farm provides, to the best of its ability, a

healthy supply of seasonal fresh produce throughout the growing season.

16. Does anyone belong to this program? Why or why not?
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 127

General Reflection

17. Now one last question. Imagine that you have the opportunity to do something in the

community to help people have an easier time getting the types of foods that they want or need.

What would you do? If no one makes suggestions, probe for the following:

• Bring stores closer to our homes.

• Try to get the foods we want available in the stores.

• Establish and enforce standards of cleanliness for stores.

• Provide public transportation to the large supermarkets.

• Start a food co-op.

• Start farmers’ markets in the community.

• Create outreach programs for alternative resources.

• Establish a community garden.
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 128

18. B.5 Focus Group on Household Food Assistance

Date of Focus Group: 

Focus Group Moderator: 

Number of Participants: 

The focus group on household food assistance will provide information on residents’ experiences

with food assistance programs. Participants will include people in the community who have

participated in at least one of the following food assistance programs:

• Food stamp program

• WIC

• Free or reduced school lunch or breakfast

• Food pantries/soup kitchens

For each of the programs listed above, the focus group should include at least two people who have

participated in the program or whose family members (children) have participated. The materials

provided to assist you with this group include the following:

• A recruitment flyer to be distributed in locations across the community where program users

might see them

• A screener to be used for recruiting participants who have used an array of programs

• A moderator’s guide to help structure the discussion
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 129

RECRUITMENT FLYER B.5-1

HELP WANTED:

People are needed to participate in a group discussion on food

assistance programs.

If you have ever used or applied for

• Food stamps

• WIC

• Free or reduced school meals

• Food pantries or soup kitchens

and you live in (name of community), you may be able to join us for a

group discussion on food assistance programs.

For more information,

call (put in a name) at

(phone number).

Refreshments and a small participation award will be provided!
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 130

B.5-2 Screener for a Focus Group on Household Food Assistance

Hello, I’m calling from _____________________. We are conducting some group discussions to

learn about the community’s food resources. Part of that process includes speaking to people in our

community about their experiences with food assistance programs like food stamps, WIC, free or

reduced school meals, and food pantries or soup kitchens. Could I speak to the person in the

household who would apply for nutrition assistance? (ONCE SPEAKING TO THAT PERSON,

REINTRODUCE.) Would you be willing to answer a few questions?

a. Yes Interviewer Initials _____________

b. No (Thank and end discussion)

1. Note gender: Male Female 

2. Have you or anyone in your household ever inquired about, applied for, or participated in any of

the following programs:

a. Food stamps ___Yes ___No

b. WIC ___Yes ___No

c. Free or reduced school lunch or breakfast ___Yes ___No

d. Food pantries/soup kitchens ___Yes ___No

If people have NO experience in any way with food assistance programs, thank them and end the

discussion. The group should include people who have had experience with at least one program,

and all programs should be represented by participants.

3. Have you been asked recently to participate in a group discussion on food purchasing, food

security, or anything else having to do with household food use?

a. No

b. Yes (thank and end discussion)

We are conducting an informal discussion about the use of these food programs. The discussion will

take place at ____________________ on __________________. The discussion will last for

approximately ________ hours. We will pay you _____ as a way of thanking you for participating

in this discussion. Would you be interested in attending?

a. Yes (Record name, age, address, phone number)

b. No (Thank and end discussion)

Respondent’s Name: 

Address: 

 

Phone Number: 
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 131

B.5-3 Moderator’s Guide for a Focus Group on Household Food Assistance

Thank you for agreeing to be part of a focus group on your experiences with household food

assistance programs. For those of you who have never participated in a focus group, I just want to

tell you that it is a research technique commonly used in social science research to gather data from

informed sources. Your answers to our questions will not be considered “right” or “wrong.” They

are merely pieces of data that you will supply based on your experiences, observations, or feelings.

We are collecting information about food assistance. We are working with a community group that

wants to understand if our community needs to improve the food resources available for all people.

Please be assured that all your responses are confidential and will be used for statistical purposes

only. Our summary report will make no references to names.

The purpose of today’s discussion is to find out about your experiences with the programs—what

has been most helpful and what has been most problematic. I recognize that everyone may not have

had experiences with each of the different programs, so please be patient when we discuss a

program that you haven’t used. We will begin by talking more generally about food assistance

programs in the community and then focus on specific programs.

Before we begin, let’s go around the room and introduce ourselves. But instead of telling us just

your name, why not tell everyone your name, how long you have lived in this area, and what your

three most favorite foods are?

1. Let me start by asking you to list all the food assistance programs that you have participated in

while living in this community. (WRITE THE LIST ON A BOARD OR NEWSPRINT.) (Probe

to be sure that all major programs are included: food stamps, WIC, school breakfast and lunch,

and elderly meals. Accept the inclusion of emergency food programs such as pantries, food

banks, soup kitchens, and daycare, after school, and summer program snacks and lunches.)

Now I would like to ask you some questions about food assistance in general. At this point, let’s

focus on some specific Government-sponsored programs like food stamps, WIC, and school meals.

Do not include food pantries, banks, soup kitchens, and other community-based emergency food

programs.

2. How important are food assistance programs to your household? What makes them important?

3. What would you say are the best features of the food assistance programs you use? That is,

what makes them really work for you? (Probe for staff attitude, location, easy access)

4. What are some problems you have had when using or trying to use the food assistance

programs?

Now I want to spend a little time focusing on specific programs:

Let’s think about the food stamp program.

5. What are the best features of this program?
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 132

6. What are some reasons why you may not be participating in the program or problems that you

have with the program? (Probe for transportation problems, eligibility, lack of comfort using the

food stamps, the application process, attitudes of food stamp office staff, didn’t know about the

program, etc.)

Now let’s talk about the WIC program:

7. What are the best features of this program?

8. Why have you or family members not participated in WIC, or what problems have you

encountered? (Probe for transportation problems, eligibility, lack of comfort using the WIC

coupons, the limitations of the coupons, the application process, attitudes of WIC office staff,

didn’t know about the program, etc.)

Let’s focus on school breakfast and lunch programs:

9. What are the best features of this program?

10. What problems have you had with these programs, or why haven’t your children participated in

them? (Probe for school not offering the program, eligibility, program costs too much, the

application process, children embarrassed, children unwilling to eat the food, didn’t know about

the program, etc.)

What about meals programs for the elderly, like Meals on Wheels or congregate meal programs?

11. What are the best features of this program?

12. Are there reasons why you or elderly members of your family have decided not to participate in

these programs? (Probe for no available program, didn’t know about the program, don’t like the

food, food isn’t appropriate for health needs, etc.)

I would like to shift the discussion to emergency food programs (soup kitchens and pantries).

13. Has anyone used emergency food providers in the community like (name the emergency food

programs in your community)? (Food pantries, soup kitchens) Why or why not? (Probe for

didn’t need it, not comfortable getting free food, transportation, food quality, program

environment, safety, hours of operation).

14. How much do you rely on emergency food providers for food assistance?

15. Would you seek help at emergency providers before applying for food assistance programs?

Why or why not?
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 133

General Reflection

16. Now one last question. Imagine that you have been given the money and opportunity to do

something in the community to help people use food assistance programs to the best degree

possible. What would you do? If no one makes suggestions, probe for the following:

• Outreach or information programs

• Application assistance programs

• One application for all programs

• Change in hours of program operation

• Transportation improvements

• Training for professional staff on the programs and on the community’s culture
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 134

B.6 Focus Group on Community Food Production Resources

Date of Focus Group: 

Focus Group Moderator: 

Number of Participants: 

This focus group with help you gather information on how local food producers are involved in

helping to ensure that the community is food secure. It will gather information from both the food

producers and others involved in the local food system. These people include the following:

• Local farmers

• Farmers at farmers’ markets

• Community-supported agriculture

• Community gardens

• Local dairies

• Local fisheries

• Local food producers

• County extension agents

• Food systems activists

Participants will be selected from a list of all potential candidates. If the list is 15 people or fewer,

include all people. If it is more than 15 people, select at least one representative from each type of

group available. No more than 15 people should be included in one group discussion. You might

want to speak to everyone by conducting two separate groups, or you might want to randomly

sample people in each category. Start by separating the list into categories. Select the people from

each category by choosing every other person, until the full list is between 12 and 15 people. Have

substitutes ready in case some selected people are unable to attend the group.

Before beginning the focus group, you may want to distribute definitions of food security and other

relevant topics. This step can help to focus the discussion, and participants can refer to the materials

as the moderator uses the guide to discuss issues of community food production as they relate to

community food security. These definitions are included in the toolkit with materials for the key

informant focus group.
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 135

B.6-1 Moderator’s Guide for a Focus Group on Community Food Production

Resources

Thank you for agreeing to participate in this focus group session. For those of you who have never

participated in a focus group, I just want to tell you that it is a research technique commonly used in

social science research to gather data from informed sources. Your answers to our questions will not

be considered “right” or “wrong.” They are merely pieces of data that you will supply based on

your experiences, observations, or feelings.

We have been asked by the community to collect this data so that it can consider ways to improve

the system now being used to ensure that every household gets the foods they require and in the

quantities that they need.

Please be assured that all your responses are confidential and will be used for statistical purposes

only. Our summary report will make no references to names.

I’d like to begin by defining food security. I have handed out some long definitions that define both

household food security and community food security. Although they are integrally connected, they

are also quite separate situations. For example, a household may be food insecure—its members

may not be able to afford to purchase food from normal retail food outlets, and they may have had

to take several different actions to stretch their food or may have gone without food on numerous

occasions. However, in the community, food may be affordable, available, and accessible through

normal markets. That is, community food security may not be a problem, but some households in

the community may be food insecure.

Local food producers help to ensure community food security by producing food locally and

making it available to community members. Today we are going to focus on the local food system,

that is, local food producers and distributors and their relationship with the community.

Before we begin, let’s go around the room and introduce ourselves. But instead of telling us just

your name, why not tell everyone your name, how long you have lived in this area, what you like

most about being involved in food production or distribution, and what you like least?

1. Let’s start by listing all the local food producers, processors, and distributors in the community.

(Probe to include community-level organizations not just industry.)

2. What is your involvement with the local food system? (Probe for selling food through it, buying

food through it, providing financial or other organizational support.)

3. Have there been any major changes in food production resources? (Probe for loss of farmland,

farm startups, use of sustainable production methods.)

4. What types of resources exist to help make locally produced food available to the community?

(Probe for direct marketing outlets [such as farmers’ markets, roadside stands, pick-your-owns]

and contract sales to local food stores, restaurants, schools, colleges, hospitals, or prisons and

CSA programs.)

5. Do you think there is local government support for community efforts such as farmers’ markets,

community-supported agriculture, community gardens, etc.? By this I mean political and

economic support?

6. Who are the major community supporters of the local food system?
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 136

7. Are community residents involved in developing and running the system? How frequently do

they use community food producers or markets?

8. What are the major barriers to making the community food system as successful as possible?

9. Are there any mechanisms in place to make these resources available to low-income residents?

(Probe for subsidized shares in CSA, locating farmers markets near low-income

neighborhoods.)

10. What changes can you suggest that would improve the local food system?
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 137

Appendix C

Food Store Survey Instrument

and Materials

► C.1 Steps To Get You Started When Conducting a Food Store Survey

► C.2 Survey Preparation Guide

► C.3 Instructions for Data Collection

► C.5 Instructions for Data Analysis

► C.6 Food Store Survey Instrument and Materials
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 138

Appendix C. Food Store Survey Instrument and Materials

C.1 Steps to Get You Started When Conducting a Food Store Survey

USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) has developed a food store survey instrument to help

you assess the availability and affordability of food in retail outlets in your community. The

following tools are provided:

• Step-by-step guide to survey preparation

• Data collection instructions

• Data analysis instructions

• Survey instrument

C.2 Survey Preparation Guide

This survey preparation guide contains information on the following topics:

• Store selection

• Sampling procedures

• Informing store managers

Store Selection

The first step in conducting a food store survey is to decide which stores you will include in the

survey. Consult the data that you entered into tables 5-8. These data will tell you the number, type,

and location of food stores in your community and, in some cases, total food stamp redemptions.

They will serve as a basis for your selection of specific stores to be interviewed. Where resources

are limited, it may be a good idea to limit your food store survey to supermarkets and large grocery

stores.

Box C-1

Distribution of Food Stamp Authorized Retailers and Food Stamp Redemptions

by Store Type, 1996–1998

Percentage of All

Type of Store Stores Redemptions

Supermarket 14.9 78.3

Large Grocery 7.0 5.8

Small Grocery 20.0 5.2

Convenience 26.8 3.3

Specialty 9.0 3.7

Gas/grocery 11.9 1.2

Other types 10.4 2.5

Total 100.0 100.0

Source: T. Macaluso, “The Extent of Trafficking in the Food Stamp

Program: An Update,” Office of Analysis and Evaluation, Food and

Nutrition Service, USDA, March 2000.
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 139

Once you’ve decided what type of store(s) to survey, you will have to determine whether you have

the resources to visit all food stores in your community or whether it will be necessary to select a

sample of the stores to visit. ERS estimates that it will take between 30 minutes to 1 hour to conduct

a food store survey depending on the experience level of the data collector and the store size.

If sampling is necessary, determine a total number of stores that you will be able to visit in each

category. Then, follow the sampling instructions provided in the next section.

Sampling Procedures

Assume that the following is an alphabetized of supermarkets and large grocery stores in your

community:

Flanagan’s

Food Lion

Giant

Price Chopper

Piggly Wiggly

Safeway

Shop & Stop

Shop’N Fresh

Shoppers Food Warehouse

Shopper’s World

Super Fresh

The Grocery Mart

There are enough resources to interview only four stores. To determine which stores will be visited

follow the procedure below:

• A count of the stores (from the alphabetized list) indicates that there are 12 grocery stores in

your community.

• Since only 4 are to be included in the sample, 12 is divided by 4. The resulting number, called

the sampling number, is 3.

• Beginning at the top of the list, the providers are counted and marked by three’s.

• Each store marked with a “3” is a provider to be interviewed. The providers in bold below are

those selected for an interview:

Flanagan’s 1

Food Lion 2

Giant 3

Price Chopper 1

Piggly Wiggly 2

Safeway 3

Shop & Stop 1

Shop ‘N Fresh 2

Shoppers Food Warehouse 3

Shopper’s World 1

Super Fresh 2

The Grocery Mart 3
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 140

After you have selected the stores to be surveyed, it would be good to start developing your tracking

system for the survey, especially for recording all the information about stores that have agreed to

participate and the identification (ID) number assigned to them. See the table below.

Table C.1. Store Survey Tracking System

Store name Store type

Store

ID

number

Letter of

introduction

mailed (date)

Followup

phone call

(date)

Data

collected

(date)

Name of

data

collector

Giant Supermarket 01

Flanagans Large

grocery

02

Shoppers

World

Large

grocery

03

Safeway Supermarket 04

Informing the Store Manager

The way in which you approach food store managers to ask permission to conduct surveys in their

stores is key to gaining their compliance. Guidelines for a sample introductory letter are provided

below. However, since each community is unique, you may find that you want to change some or

all of these procedures to those that you think will work best in your community.

The introductory letter...

• Send a letter to the grocery store managers/owners to explain the study and to ask for

permission to survey their grocery store.

• Keep a copy of this letter to present to the manager/owner upon arrival at the store for the

survey.

• For stores that are members of a regional or national grocery chain, call the chain’s headquarters

to find the appropriate person to contact. Write a letter to the representative from headquarters

to explain the study.

• Request that permission to collect the data be sent to you in a letter written on company

letterhead.

• Follow up with a letter to the manager/owner of the individual store to be surveyed. (Include a

copy of the letter from headquarters).

About a week before the survey...

• Follow up on your letters by calling the grocery store manager/owner.

• Reiterate the purpose of the data collection and assure store managers/owners that you are in no

way evaluating the store or its policies.

• Relieve any anxieties that the managers/owners may have about their participation by providing

the following assurances: (1) the store name, policies, and prices will not be published or

publicized; (2) interviewers will not disrupt the normal flow of business by speaking with

customers or employees; and (3) staff involvement in the survey process will be kept to a

minimum.
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 141

• Inform store managers/owners that findings from individual stores will be completely

confidential. Assure them that the information gathered from individual stores will be combined

with that from many other stores and that the final results will be reported in statistical form

only (i.e., percentages and totals). NOTE: Every member of the research team must adhere to

the rules of confidentiality. This means that team members must never divulge names or factual

information about any store survey.

• Arrange for a date and time for the surveyor’s arrival. (If the name of the surveyor(s) is known

at this time, provide the manager with this information as well.)

• Explain the manager’s/owner’s role in the survey process. Ideally, it will be to

— Meet with the surveyor(s) for about 5 minutes before data collection to allow the surveyor to

repeat the purpose of data collection

— Meet with the surveyor(s) at the end of data collection to answer questions about items that

were not found or were unavailable on the day of the visit

C.2 Instructions for Data Collection

Begin your data collection by filling in the information requested on the cover page of the Food

Store Survey form on page 154. The item “Store Type” should be filled in using the definitions in

appendix A, box A-2. The “Store ID Number” should be taken from the store survey tracking

system. (See table C.1 on the previous page.)

Food Availability

The food items on the survey instrument were selected to be representative of foods commonly

eaten by low-income households and to meet Federal dietary guidelines and Food Guide Pyramid

serving recommendations for a family of four (two adults aged 20 to 50 and two children aged 3 to

5 and 6 to 11) for 1 week. It is strongly recommended that no substitutions be made to the listed

food items in order to maintain the integrity of the survey in terms of dietary recommendations,

food groups, and the basic Thrifty Food Plan recipes that were used as a basis for the store survey

list.

However, we recognize that each region or community may have specific food preferences and that

certain items on the survey list may not be available in the community. Box C-1 lists some possible

substitutions for selected food items. Although these substitutions do not reflect official USDA

dietary recommendations, they may, in some cases, allow the survey to better represent food access

in special communities. If the decision is made to make substitutions, it is important that changes be

consistent throughout the community (i.e., information on the same set of items must be collected

from each store). To ensure this consistency, you should revise the list of food items in the survey

instrument provided in the toolkit to reflect these substitutions.

The survey instrument includes the unit of measure that should be selected for each food item. For

example, potatoes are measured in pounds, eggs are measured by the dozen, peaches are measured

in a 29-ounce can. Package sizes were selected to approximate the quantity of each item needed to

prepare the Thrifty Food Plan recipes on which the food list is based. Package sizes were also
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 142

selected to provide consistency across store types in product selection. The purpose of this approach

is to limit measured price difference due solely to differences in the package size of items offered

for sale. Alternatively, a pricing methodology that selects the lowest priced item in a food category,

without regard to package size, will often result in a comparison of small sizes of branded items in

small food stores to large sizes and private-label or generic items in large supermarkets.

Missing Items

If an item is not available in the package size listed, you may substitute another size, but be sure to

note the new package size on the survey instrument in the column titles “Item Weight/Unit

(actual).” If it appears that the item is usually available but out of stock on the day of your visit,

record the price of that item, but note that it was missing by putting the letter “m” next to the price.

You may also find it useful to check the status of such items with the store manager.

If an item is not available at all, in any package size, and is not usually stocked by the store, record

an “NA” in the column labeled “Price.”

Box C-2

List of Food Items and Possible Substitutions for Food Store Survey Instrument

Survey Food Item

Thrifty Food Plan

Food Group

Suggested Substitute(s)

Fresh fruits and vegetables Fruits and vegetables

Apples, any variety Noncitrus fruits and juices

Bananas " Plantains

Grapes (green/red) "

Melon (cantaloupe, honeydew,

watermelon, other)

Citrus fruits, melon,

berries, and juices

Oranges, any variety " Grapefruit

Carrots Dark green/deep yellow

vegetables

Celery Other vegetables

Green pepper "

Lettuce, looseleaf (green/red) Dark green/deep yellow

vegetables

Spinach; romaine lettuce,

collard, mustard, turnip or

beet greens; chard; bok

choy1

Onions, yellow Other vegetables

Potatoes, any variety Potato products

Tomatoes, any variety Other vegetables

Canned fruits and vegetables Fruits and vegetables

Oranges, mandarin, juice or light syrup Citrus fruits, melon,

berries, and juices

Strawberries, frozen;

blueberries, frozen

Peaches, juice or light syrup Noncitrus fruits and juices Pears, juice or light syrup

Mushrooms, pieces Other vegetables Mushrooms, whole

Spaghetti sauce " Salsa

Tomato sauce " Salsa

Frozen fruits and vegetables Fruits and vegetables
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 143

Box C-2

List of Food Items and Possible Substitutions for Food Store Survey Instrument

Survey Food Item

Thrifty Food Plan

Food Group

Suggested Substitute(s)

Orange juice, concentrate Citrus fruits, melon,

berries, and juices

Grapefruit juice

concentrate

Broccoli, chopped Dark green/deep yellow

vegetables

Spinach, chopped, kale

chopped, collard,

mustard, beet, turnip

greens, chopped, frozen

Green beans, any variety Other vegetables Corn; okra; snow peas;

frozen

Green peas, any variety Other vegetables Corn; okra; snow peas,

frozen

French fries, any variety Potato products

Breads, cereals, other grain products Grains

Bread, white, enriched Breads, yeast and quick Flour tortillas, enriched;

pita bread, white,

enriched

Bread, whole wheat, enriched " Corn tortillas, enriched;

whole-wheat pita bread,

enriched

Hamburger buns, enriched " Flour tortillas, enriched;

pita bread, enriched

Dinner rolls, enriched " Flour tortillas, enriched;

pita bread, enriched

French or Italian-style bread, enriched " Flour tortillas, enriched;

pita bread, enriched

Bagels, plain, enriched " English muffins, plain,

enriched

Bread crumbs, plain " Bread crumbs, flavored

Ready-to-eat cereal, corn flakes Breakfast cereals, cooked

and ready to eat

Ready-to-eat cereal, bran

flakes

Ready-to-eat cereal, toasted oats "

Macaroni, elbow style, enriched Rice and pasta Macaroni, any style,

enriched; Asian-style

noodles, enriched

Noodles, yolk-free, enriched Rice and pasta Macaroni, any style,

enriched; Asian-style

noodles, enriched

Popcorn, microwave, unpopped Grain-based snacks and

cookies

Regular popcorn

Rice, white, long grain, enriched Rice and pasta Rice, white, short grain,

enriched

Spaghetti, any variety, enriched " Macaroni or pasta, any

style, enriched; Asianstyle noodles, enriched

Dairy products Milk products

Milk, 1% lowfat Lower fat skim milk and

lowfat yogurt

Milk, skim
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 144

Box C-2

List of Food Items and Possible Substitutions for Food Store Survey Instrument

Survey Food Item

Thrifty Food Plan

Food Group

Suggested Substitute(s)

Milk, whole Whole milk, yogurt, and

cheese

Milk, 2% fat

Cheese, cheddar, any variety Cheese

Cheese, cottage, lowfat "

Cheese, mozzarella, part skim, whole

style, not shredded

" Cheese, mozzarella, part

skim, shredded

Evaporated whole milk Whole milk, yogurt, and

cream

Evaporated skim milk

Meat and meat alternates, fresh Meat/meat alternates

Beef, ground, lean Beef, pork, veal, lamb and

game

Do not substitute regular

ground beef 2

Chicken fryer, cutup or whole Chicken, turkey, and game

birds

Chicken, any style

Chicken thighs, boneless, skinless " Chicken, any skinless,

boneless style

Turkey, ground " Tofu, any style3

Pork, ground Beef, pork, veal, lamb, and

game

Beef, ground, lean2; tofu,

any style

Turkey ham Bacon, sausages, and

luncheon meats

Tofu, any style

Meat and meat alternates, frozen or

canned

Meat/meat alternates

Fish, flounder or cod, frozen Fish and fish products Sole, whiting, catfish,

bass, perch, croaker,

walleye, grouper,

haddock, pollock,

monkfish, rockfish,

snapper

Tuna fish, chunk style, water packed,

canned

"

Beans, garbanzo, chickpeas, canned Dry beans, lentils, peas,

and nuts

Black beans, red beans,

navy beans, canned

Beans, kidney, canned " Black beans; red beans,

canned

Beans, baked, vegetarian, canned " Baked beans with pork,

canned

Fats and oils Other foods

Margarine, stick style Table fats, oils, and salad

dressings

Shortening, vegetable "

Salad dressing, mayonnaise type " Regular mayonnaise

Vegetable oil, any type "

Sugars and sweets Other foods

Sugar, brown (dark or light)

Sugar, powdered Sugars, sweets, and

candies
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 145

Box C-2

List of Food Items and Possible Substitutions for Food Store Survey Instrument

Survey Food Item

Thrifty Food Plan

Food Group

Suggested Substitute(s)

Sugar, white, granulated "

Jelly, grape " Jelly or jam, any flavor

Molasses, any type "

Pancake syrup, any type "

Chocolate chips, semi-sweet "

Fruit drink, refrigerated, any flavor Fruit drinks, soft drinks,

and ades

Fudgesicles, ice milk " Sherbet, any flavor; any

other lowfat frozen

dessert

Spices and condiments Other foods

Baking powder Gravies, sauces,

condiments, spices, and

salt

Baking soda "

Chili powder "

Cinnamon "

Cumin "

Onion powder "

Garlic powder "

Italian herb seasoning " Any herb seasoning

Oregano "

Paprika "

Black pepper, ground "

Salt, any type "

Vanilla, any type "

Chicken bouillon, reduced sodium,

cubes

" Beef bouillon, reduced

sodium, cubes; vegetable

bouillon, reduced sodium,

cubes

Catsup, any type " Salsa

Soy sauce, reduced sodium "

Lemon juice, bottled " Lime juice, bottled

Gelatin, powdered, unflavored "

Chocolate drink mix, powdered "

1

Do not substitute iceberg lettuce, which is considerably less nutrient dense than looseleaf lettuce or the suggested

substitutes.

2

Do not substitute regular ground beef because it has 35 percent more fat than lean ground beef.

3

Do not substitute lean or extra lean ground beef because they are more than twice as high in fat as ground turkey or

tofu.
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 146

Food Pricing

When selecting and pricing items contained on the store shelves, always select the least expensive

food item in the package size listed. To ensure that the item you’re selecting is the least expensive,

we recommend that you do the following:

• If an item is on sale, check to see if the sale price is the cheapest or if there is another item that

is cheaper. Choose the least expensive item. If you choose the sale item, record an “S” beside

the price.

• Always make sure that you look at generic or store brands in selecting the least expensive food

item.

• If you come to a bulk food section, make sure you check the bulk per pound or per unit price to

packaged foods found in other aisles, and select the least expensive.

• If unit pricing is available, always use the unit price code to select the cheapest food item in the

appropriate package size.

• Record the price of the item based on the survey question. For example, if you are asked to

record the price of a pound of green peppers and the store sells them by the piece, you will have

to calculate how many green peppers are in a pound and then convert the “piece price” to that of

a pound.

Closing Procedures

After the data have been collected, make sure that all food items for which you are responsible have

been accounted for. In other words, check to ensure that all items are completed on the survey form.

Checking off food items as you go along is a good way to make sure that you don’t miss anything.

Thank the manager for allowing you to survey the store, and make sure that you have the store

manager’s name so that a letter of thanks can be sent to the manager after you have returned to your

office.

C.4. Instructions for Data Analysis

Analysis of Availability

The first step in analyzing the availability of the toolkit market basket in your community is to code

the data in a systematic format. Use a spreadsheet or columnar paper with the columns designating

each store surveyed and the rows for food items. Under a given store’s column, record the price for

each item observed. If an item was missing in the store mark an “x” in the appropriate row. If you

surveyed more than one store, type, e.g., supermarkets, convenience stores, etc. divide your

completed food store surveys into store, type. Conduct a separate analysis of food availability for

each store type.

1. What is the total number of missing items?

Assume that you visited five supermarkets in your community. To calculate the total number of

items missing from each store, count the number of “x’s” in that store’s column. Let’s assume that

the total number of missing items for the stores surveyed is as follows:
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 147

Store 1: 11

Store 2: 15

Store 3: 13

Store 4: 14

Store 5: 10

2. What is the average number of missing items?

To calculate the average number of missing items across all five stores, add the number of missing

items for all stores and divide by the total number of stores surveyed:

(11 + 15 + 13 + 14 + 10) ÷ 5 = 12.6

The average number of missing items across all 5 stores is 12.6 (the total number of missing items in

each store divided by the total number of stores).

3. What is the percentage of items missing in each store?

To calculate the percentage of items missing in each store, divide the number of missing items per

store by the total number of items on the survey (87) and multiply by 100. For example to calculate

the percent of items missing in Store 1, divide 87 (the total number of items on the survey) by 11

(the total number of items missing in store 1):

(11/87) X 100 = 12.6%

Store 1: 12.6%

Store 2: 17.2%

Store 3: 14.9%

Store 4: 16.1%

Store 5: 11.5%

To find the average percentage of missing items across all stores, add the percentages for stores 1

through 5 and divide by the total number of stores:

(12.6 + 17.2 + 14.9 + 16.1 + 11.5) ÷ 5 = 14.5%

4. How many stores are missing individual food items?

Calculating the individual food items most frequently missing across all stores will tell you whether

the availability of particular food items may be limited in your community. Assume that the most

frequently missing items were mandarin oranges and bread crumbs (missing in four of the five

stores). Fresh melon, lean ground beef, ground turkey, vegetarian baked beans, fudgesicles, and

chicken bouillon cubes were the next most frequently missing items (missing in three of the five

stores surveyed).

5. What is the percentage of missing items in each food category?

Another variable of interest is the number of missing items in individual food categories (fresh

fruits, meats and meat alternates, etc). To calculate the percentage of missing items in each food
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 148

category, first calculate the percentage of missing items in each food category for each store. For

example, to find the number of missing items in the fresh fruit category in store 1, add the number

of “x’s” in the fresh fruits column for store 1. In this case, store 1 was missing only apples, so the

total number of “x” is 1. To find the percentage of missing items in the fresh fruits category in store

1, divide the number of missing items by the total number of items surveyed (five in the case of

fresh fruits). The percentage of missing fresh fruit items in store 1 is 20 percent:

(1/5) X 100 = 20%

Continue for the other stores. When you have calculated the percentage of missing items in the fresh

fruits category for each store, average them as described below to find the percentage of missing

items in the fresh fruits category across all stores:

Store 1: 20%

Store 2: 20%

Store 3: 40%

Store 4: 40%

Store 5: 0%

The percentage of missing items in the fresh fruits category is the sum of the percentage of missing

items in each store divided by the total number of stores, or 24 percent:

(20 + 20 + 40 + 40 + 0) ÷ 5 = 24%

6. How do I make comparisons about missing items across food categories?

Comparing the percentage of missing items from the fresh fruits category with the percentage

missing from other food categories will help you to know whether the availability of whole

categories of food may be a problem in your community. For example, let’s assume that the

percentage of missing items in each food category is as follows:

Fresh fruits 24%

Fresh vegetables 7%

Canned fruit 50%

Canned vegetables 0%

Frozen fruits and vegetables 16%

Breads, cereals, and other

 grain products, fresh 10%

Breads, cereals, and other

 grain products, dry 18%

Dairy products 7%

Meat and meat alternates, fresh 26%

Meat and meat alternates,

frozen and canned 28%
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 149

Fats and oils 10%

Sugars and sweets 13%

Condiments and spices 9%

The following categories were missing the largest share of items:

Meat and meat alternates,

 frozen and canned 28%

Meat and meat alternates,

 fresh 26%

Fresh fruits 24%

You also may want to come up with your own food categories for analysis. Some suggestions

include total fruits and vegetables; total fruits; total vegetables; lean meats, poultry, and fish; dark

green leafy vegetables; and whole grains.

To make these new food categories, add together the following:

Total fruits and vegetables:

Fresh fruits +

Fresh vegetables +

Canned fruit +

Canned vegetables +

Frozen fruits and vegetables

Total fruits:

Fresh fruits +

Canned fruits +

Orange juice (frozen)

Total vegetables:

Fresh vegetables +

Canned vegetables +

Broccoli (frozen) +

Green beans (frozen) +

French fries (frozen)

Lean meats, poultry, and fish:

Ground beef, lean (meat and meat alternates, fresh) +

Chicken, fryer (meat and meat alternates, fresh) +

Turkey, ground (meat and meat alternates, fresh) +

Chicken thighs (meat and meat alternates, fresh) +

Pork, ground (meat and meat alternates, fresh) +

Turkey ham (meat and meat alternates, fresh) +

Fish, flounder or cod, frozen (meat and meat alternates, frozen and canned)

Dark green leafy vegetables:

Leaf lettuce (fresh vegetables) + Broccoli (frozen fruits and vegetables
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 150

Whole grains:

Whole wheat bread (bread, cereals, and other grain products, fresh) +

Toasted oats (bread, cereals, and other grain products, dry) +

Popcorn, microwave (bread, cereals, and other grain products, dry)

Analysis of Food Prices

The first step in analyzing the cost of the toolkit market basket in your community is to record the

prices of individual food items from all store surveys.

If you surveyed more than one store type (e.g. supermarkets, convenience stores, etc.), group your

completed food store surveys into store type. Conduct a separate analysis of food costs for each

store type.

For each store visited, the price of each item can be found in the appropriate row of your

spreadsheet or columnar table. In the example provided, apples cost the following per pound in each

store surveyed:

Store 1: $1.29

Store 2: $0.99

Store 3: $0.99

Store 4: $0.99

Store 5: $0.89

1. What is the average price of individual food items across all stores?

The average price per pound for apples across all stores is the sum of the prices in all five stores

divided by the total number of stores, or $1.03.

($1.29 + 0.99 + 0.99 + 0.99 + 0.89) ÷ 5 = $1.03

2. What is the average price per unit of each food category across all stores?

The average price for each food category in each store is the sum of all of the prices of the

individual food items in each store divided by the total number of items in that food category.

In our example, the average price per pound for the fresh fruits category for store 1 is the sum of the

prices for apples, bananas, grapes, melons, and oranges.

($1.29 + $0.59 + $1.99 + $0.59 + $1.50) ÷ 5 = $1.19
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 151

3. How does the average price for an individual food item differs across stores?

Now that you have calculated an average per unit price for an individual food item and food

category, you can determine how prices for those items differ across stores in different parts of your

community. This can be done by calculating the percentage difference between prices in different

stores.

For example, to calculate the percentage difference in apple prices per pound between store 1 and

store 2, calculate the difference between the two numbers, divide the difference by the price for

store 1, and multiply by 100:

($0.99 – 1.29) ÷ $1.29 X 100 = –23%

In other words, the price per pound of apples in store 2 is 23 percent lower than the price of apples

in store 1.

To calculate the difference between the price of apples in each of the five stores and the average

price of apples across all stores, subtract the average price from the price of apples in each store

then divide by the average price and multiply by 100. For example, when you compare the price of

apples in store 1 with the average price of apples across all five stores, you discover that the price of

apples in store 1 is 25 percent higher than the average price for apples across all stores:

($1.29 – $1.03) ÷ $1.03 X 100 = 25%

The price of apples in store 1 is 25 percent higher than the average price of apples across all stores.

4. How does the average price for an entire food category differs across stores?

Use the same procedure to calculate differences in prices across food categories. For example, to

calculate the percentage difference in the average price of fresh fruits between store 1 and store 2,

calculate the difference between the two numbers, divide the difference by the price for store 1, and

multiply by 100:

($1.03 – $1.00) ÷ $1.03 X 100 = 3%

The price of fresh fruits in store 1 is 3 percent higher than the price of fresh fruits in store 2.

Calculating the TFP cost of the Toolkit Market Basket

Comparing the per unit price of food items or food categories across stores provides you with useful

information about the cost of purchasing a market basket of foods in different parts of your

community and in different store types. However, to determine whether such prices are affordable

to low-income households it is necessary to compare costs in individual stores with a national

benchmark appropriate for low-income households. In this section, you will learn how to compare

the cost of the toolkit market basket with a national reference price for USDA’s Thrifty Food Plan

(TFP).
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 152

Multiply the prices for individual food items by the amount of that food used in the preparation of

the Thrifty Food Plan week 2 food list (Box C-2). For example, the TFP food list calls for the

following amounts of fresh fruits:

Apples 1 lb 4 oz

Bananas 2 lb 2 oz

Grapes 1 lb 8 oz

Melon 1 lb

Oranges 4 lb 12 oz

The TFP cost of purchasing apples at store 1 is the price per pound of the apples multiplied by the

total number of apples on the TFP food list:

$1.29 X 1.250 = $1.61

See box C-4 for instructions on converting pounds and ounces into a decimal point measure.

1 lb 4 oz = (16 oz + 4 oz) ÷ 16 oz = 20 oz ÷ 16 oz = 1.25 lbs

To calculate the TFP cost of purchasing the entire fresh fruit category in store 1 add together the

purchase cost for each item:

Apples $1.61 (.59 x 2.750)

Bananas $1.62

Grapes $2.98 (1.99 x 1.500)

Melons $0.59 (.59 x 1.000)

Oranges $7.12 (1.50 x 4.750)

Total fresh fruit (TFP cost): $13.94

($1.61 + $1.62 + $2.98 + $0.59 + $7.12)

Make the same calculations for the rest of the foods on the survey, and add them to get the total cost

of the TFP market basket in each store. A list of all of the food quantities used in the TFP menu is

provided in box C-3.

To calculate TFP costs for processed products (e.g., a 29-ounce can of peaches), it is first necessary

to divide the recorded price by the package size to get a per unit price. For example, the TFP cost of

canned peaches is the recorded price of a 29-ounce can divided by the package size (29) multiplied

by the number of ounces called for on the TFP food list (26 ).

($1.79 ÷ 29) X 26 = $1.60
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 153

Box C-3

Thrifty Food Plan Food List

Fruits and Vegetables Meat and Meat Alternates

Fresh Beef, ground, lean 3 lb 15 oz

Apples (5 small) 1 lb 4 oz Chicken, fryer 1 lb 13 oz

Bananas (11 medium) 2 lb 12 oz Chicken thighs 2 lb 12 oz

Grapes 1 lb 8 oz Fish, frozen 2 lb

Melon 1 lb Tuna fish, canned 12 oz

Oranges (22 small) 4 lb 12 oz Pork, ground 1 lb 7 oz

Carrots 1 lb Turkey, ground 1 lb

Celery 5 oz Turkey ham 11 oz

Green pepper 4 oz Beans, kidney 15 oz

Lettuce, leaf 9 oz Beans, vegetarian, baked 1lb 9 oz

Onions 1 lb 4 oz Eggs, large 17

Potatoes 10 lb 8 oz

Tomatoes 6 oz Fats and Oils

Margarine, stick 15 oz

Canned Shortening 4 oz

Oranges, mandarin 13 oz Salad dressing, mayo 6 fl oz

Peaches, light syrup 1 lb 10 oz Vegetable oil 9 fl oz

Mushrooms 4 oz

Spaghetti sauce 26 oz Sugars and Sweets

Tomato sauce 8 oz Sugar, brown 1 oz

Sugar, powdered 3 oz

Frozen Sugar, granulated 9 oz

Orange juice, Jelly 8 oz

 concentrate (7) 12-oz cans Molasses 1 fl oz

Broccoli 6 oz Pancake syrup oz

French fries 11 oz Chocolate chips 2 oz

Green beans 1 lb 7 oz Fruit drink 1 gal

Green peas 15 oz Fudgesicles 4

Breads, Cereals, and Other Grain Products

Bagels, plain, enriched (4) 8 oz Condiments and Spices

Bread crumbs 3 oz Baking powder .02 oz

Bread, French 4 oz Baking soda .18 oz

Bread, white, enriched 2 lb Black pepper .16 oz

Bread, whole wheat 1 lb Catsup 1.06 oz

Hamburger buns 8 Chicken bouillon .71 oz

Dinner rolls 4 Chili powder .79 oz

Corn flakes 1 oz Cinnamon .08 oz

Toasted oats 10 oz Chocolate drink powder 1.52 oz

Flour, white 1 lb 7 oz Cumin .05 oz

Macaroni 1 lb 5 oz Onion powder .22 oz

Noodles, yolk-free 1 lb 2 oz Garlic powder .40 oz

Popcorn, microwave 3 oz Gelatin, unflavored 2.25 oz

Rice, white 3 lb 2 oz Italian herb seasoning .03 oz

Spaghetti 11 oz Lemon juice, bottled .54 oz

Oregano .18 oz

Milk and cheese Paprika .11 oz

Evaporated milk 4 oz Salt .13 oz

Milk, 1% 9 qt Soy sauce 2.26 oz

Milk, whole 4 qt Vanilla .52 oz

Cheese, cheddar 2 oz

Cheese, cottage 7 oz

Cheese, mozzarella 1 oz
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 154

Box C-4

Converting Units of Measure

It is important to note that ounces must often be expressed in terms of fractions of a

pound. There are 16 ounces in a pound; therefore, each ounce can be converted

into a fraction of a pound.

To convert ounces into pounds, divide by 16:

1 oz = .063 or (1/16) lb 9 oz = .563 lb

2 oz = .125 lb 10 oz = .625 lb

3 oz = .188 lb 11 oz = .688 lb

4 oz = .250 lb 12 oz = .750 lb

5 oz = .313 lb 13 oz = .813 lb

6 oz = .375 lb 14 oz = .875 lb

7 oz = .438 lb 15 oz = .938 lb

8 oz = .500 lb 16 oz = 1.00 lb

To convert quarts to gallons, divide by 4:

1 qt = .25 gal (1/4)

2 qt = .50 gal

3 qt =.75 gal

4 qt = 1.0 gal
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 155

1. How does the cost of the toolkit market basket compare with the Thrifty Food Plan

reference price?

Compare the total Toolkit market basket cost with the appropriate TFP reference cost. TFP

reference costs are updated monthly by USDA and are available on the Internet at

http://www.usda.gov/cnpp/using3.htm. Choose the reference cost appropriate for the month that you

collected your data. For example, if we collected our data in October 2000, we would use the TFP

reference cost for that month, or $101.50. The appropriate reference cost is based on a family of

four (couple aged 20 to 50 and two children aged 6 to 8 and 9 to 11.

To calculate the percentage difference between the cost of the TFP market basket in store 1 and the

TFP reference price, find the difference between the two numbers, divide by the TFP reference

price, and multiply by 100:

($117.91 – $101.50) ÷ $101.50 X 100 = 17%

The cost of the TFP market basket in store 1 is 17 percent higher than the TFP reference cost,

implying that the store’s prices may not be affordable to low-income households.

2. How does the gap between the market basket price and the TFP allotment differs across

stores?

To calculate the percentage difference in the TFP cost for the toolkit market basket in store 1 and

store 2, calculate the difference between the two numbers, divide the difference by the price for

store 1, and multiply by 100.

3. What is the average TFP cost for an individual food item across all stores?

To calculate the average TFP cost of an individual food item across all stores, add the TFP cost of

that item for all stores and divide by the total number of stores. For example the TFP cost of apples

is the following in each store:

Store 1: $1.29 X 1.250 = $1.61

Store 2: $0.99 X 1.250 = $1.24

Store 3: $0.99 X 1.250 = $1.24

Store 4: $0.99 X 1.250 = $1.24

Store 5: $0.89 X 1.250 = $1.11

To find the average cost:

($1.61 + $1.24 + $1.24 + $1.24 + $1.11) ÷ 5 = $1.29
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 156

4. How does the average price of an individual food item differ across stores?

To determine how the TFP cost for individual food items differs across stores in your community,

calculate the percentage difference between TFP cost for apples in different stores.

For example, to calculate the percentage difference in the TFP apple cost between store 1 and store

2, calculate the difference between the two numbers, divide the difference by the price for store 1,

and multiply by 100:

Store 1 (TFP cost for apples): $1.29 X 1.250 = $1.61

Store 2 (TFP cost for apples): $0.99 X 1.250 = $1.24

($1.61–$1.24) ÷ $1.61 X 100 = 23%

In other words, the TFP cost of apples in store 1 is 23 percent higher than the TFP cost of apples in

store 2.

To calculate the difference between the TFP cost of apples in each of the five stores and the TFP

cost of apples across all stores, subtract the average TFP cost from the TFP cost of apples in each

store and then divide by the average price and multiply by 100. For example, when you compare the

TFP cost of apples in Store 1 with the average TFP cost of apples across all five stores, you

discover that the price of apples in Store 1 is 25 percent of the average TFP cost or

($1.61 – $1.29) ÷ $1.29 X 100 = 25%

The TFP cost of apples in store 1 is 25 percent higher than the average TFP cost of apples across all

stores.

5. How does the average price for an entire food category differs across stores?

Use the same procedure to calculate differences in TFP costs across food categories. For example,

to calculate the percentage difference in the TFP cost of fresh fruits between store 1 and store 2,

calculate the difference between the two numbers, divide the difference by the cost for store 1 and

multiply by 100.

6. How do I account for prices for missing items?

Because most stores will have at least one missing item, it is necessary to make some assumptions

about the prices of items that are missing so that you will have a complete data set with which to

calculate the cost of the market basket and make a valid comparison with the TFP allotment.

The best method is to use the average price for the item that you calculated above. For example,

since the average price for apples across all stores was $0.80, this would be a valid price to use for

those stores that were missing apples.
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USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit

Food Store Survey Instrument

June 2002

Store Name: ___________________________________________________

Store Address: _________________________________________________

 (Street)

_______________________________________________________________

(City/Neighborhood) (ZIP Code)

Store ID#: ____________________ Store Phone#: __________________

Store Type: ____Supermarket ___Convenience ___Other

____ Large grocery ___Gas/grocery

____ Small grocery ___Ethnic/specialty

READ THE FOLLOWING TO THE STORE MANAGER BEFORE CONDUCTING THE

STORE SURVEY:

Thank you for allowing me to spend some time in your store collecting information on the

availability of selected food items and their prices. The information that we are collecting from a

wide variety of stores in the area will help create a profile of food availability and costs in the

community. The information will be only used for this purpose and data collected from all stores

will be combined. No data will be linked to any specific store.

TO THE DATA COLLECTOR:

Please complete the following table by walking through the store and recording the price and weight

of the least expensive item for each food listed. The table includes the unit of measure that should

be selected for each food. For example, potatoes are measured in pounds, eggs are measured by the

dozen. It is important that the prices recorded are for the specific food item in the table with no

substitutions. If a food item is unavailable on the day that you visit the store but is usually in stock,

check with the manager for the normal price. If a food is never in stock, mark the pricing box with

an NA (for Not Available). If a food is on sale, place an “S” next to the price.
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 158

Food Item

Brand/

Variety

Item

Weight/

Unit

(Desired)

Item

Weight/

Unit

(Actual)

Price

(Lowest

Cost)

Fruit—fresh

Apples, any variety

(bagged or loose) Per lb

Bananas Per lb

Grapes (green or red) Per lb

Melon (cantaloupe,

honeydew, or watermelon) Per lb

Oranges, any variety

(bagged or loose) Per lb

Vegetables—fresh

Carrots, unpeeled

(bagged or loose)

1-lb bag

Celery, bunch Per lb

Green pepper Per lb

Lettuce, leaf (green or red) Per lb

Onions, yellow

(bagged or loose) Per lb

Tomatoes (any variety) Per lb

Potatoes, any variety 5-lb bag

Fruit, canned

Oranges, mandarin

(juice or light syrup) 15-oz can

Peaches, any variety

(light syrup) 29-oz can

Vegetables, canned

Mushrooms, pieces 4-oz can

Spaghetti sauce, any variety 26-oz jar

Tomato sauce, any variety 8-oz can

Fruits and Vegetables, frozen

Orange juice, concentrate 12-oz can

Broccoli, chopped 16-oz bag

Green beans—any variety 16-oz bag

Green peas—any variety 16-oz bag

French fries—any variety 32-oz bag
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 159

Food Item

Brand/

Variety

Item

Weight/Unit

(Desired)

Item

Weight/

Unit

(Actual)

Price

(Lowest

Cost)

Breads, Cereals, and Other Grain Products, fresh

Bread, white, enriched 1-lb loaf

Bread, whole wheat 24-oz loaf

Hamburger buns, enriched Package of 8

Rolls, dinner, enriched Package of 12

French or Italian Bread,

enriched Per 1-lb loaf

Bagels, plain, enriched Package of 6

Bread crumbs, plain 10-oz can

Breads, Cereals, and Other Grain Products, dry

Ready-to-eat cereal—

corn flakes 18-oz box

Ready-to-eat cereal—

toasted oats 20-oz box

Flour, white, all-purpose,

enriched 5-lb bag

Macaroni, elbow-style,

enriched 1-lb box

Noodles, yolk-free, enriched 1-lb bag

Popcorn, microwave, any

variety (unpopped) 9 oz package

Rice, white, long-grain,

enriched 5-lb bag

Spaghetti, any variety,

enriched 1-lb box

Dairy Products, fresh

Milk, 1% lowfat 1 gal

Milk, whole 1 gal

Cheese, cheddar, any variety Per lb

Cheese, cottage, any variety 16-oz carton

Cheese, mozzarella, whole 16-oz package

Dairy Products, canned

Evaporated milk, any variety 12-oz can
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 160

Food Item

Brand/

Variety

Item

Weight/ Unit

(Desired)

Item

Weight/

Unit

(Actual)

Price

(Lowest

Cost)

Meat and Meat Alternates, fresh

Beef, ground, lean Per lb

Chicken, fryer, cut-up or

whole Per lb

Chicken, thighs Per lb

Turkey, ground Per lb

Pork, ground Per lb

Turkey ham (packaged

luncheon meat) Per lb

Eggs, grade A, large 1 doz

Meat and Meat Alternates, frozen and canned

Fish, flounder or cod, frozen Per lb

Tuna fish, chunk-style, water

packed 6-oz can

Beans, garbanzo (chick peas),

canned 15-oz can

Beans, kidney, canned 15.5-oz can

Beans, baked, vegetarian 16-oz can

Fats and Oils

Margarine, stick 1-lb box

Shortening, vegetable 3-lb can

Salad dressing, mayonnaisetype 32-oz jar

Vegetable oil, any type 48-oz bottle

Sugars and Sweets

Sugar, brown

(dark or light) 1-lb bag or box

Sugar, powdered 1-lb bag

Sugar, white, granulated 5-lb bag

Jelly, grape 32-oz jar

Molasses, any type 12-oz jar

Pancake syrup, any type 24-oz bottle

Chocolate chips,

semi-sweet 12-oz package

Fruit drink, refrigerated, any

flavor 1 gal

Fudgesicles, ice milk Box of 12
USDA Community Food Security Assessment Toolkit 161

Food Item

Brand/

Variety

Item

Weight/ Unit

(Desired)

Item

Weight/

Unit

(Actual)

Price

(Lowest

Cost)

Other Food Items, optional

Baking powder 10-oz can

Baking soda 16-oz box

Chile powder 3.25-oz jar

Cinnamon 3-oz jar

Cumin 2-oz jar

Onion powder 3.5-oz jar

Garlic powder 4.25-oz jar

Italian herb seasoning 2-oz jar

Oregano 0.56-oz jar

Paprika 2.9-oz jar

Black pepper, ground 4-oz jar

Salt, any type 26-oz carton

Vanilla, any type 6-oz jar

Chicken bouillon, reducedsodium, cubes3.75-oz jar

Catsup, any type 28-oz bottle

Soy sauce, reduced-sodium 10-oz bottle

Lemon juice, bottled 32-oz bottle

Gelatin, powdered,

unflavored

Box of 4

envelopes

Chocolate drink mix,

powdered

32-oz can