The perception that fruits and vegetables are too expensive helps explain why farm workers eat too few of these foods, according to Christy Getz, a Cooperative Extension specialist who focuses on natural resource-dependent workers and communities.

Getz and colleagues at the California Institute for Rural Studies conducted surveys and focus groups with farm workers and found that more than 40 percent ate fewer than three servings of fruit and vegetables per day year round, far below the 9 to 13 servings recommended by the USDA. Respondents gave many explanations for eating little produce, from a lack of time to just not liking the taste, but the researchers’ analysis indicated the real barrier to eating fruits and vegetables was the perception that produce is not affordable. “While income is not directly correlated with fruit and vegetable consumption, the price of fruits and vegetables, and whether they are perceived to be ‘too expensive,’ seems to have a significant impact,” Getz says.

Some of the open-ended responses collected as part of the survey also reflected this conclusion. As one participant put it: “I don’t have money to buy vegetables, so we eat a lot of beans and potatoes.”

California’s San Joaquin Valley, the premier agricultural region in the nation, has the highest prevalence of food insecurity of any region in the state.

“It is sad that laboring in the world’s most productive agricultural fields isn’t enough to ensure that farm workers and their families can eat a healthful and sufficient diet all year long,” Getz says.

comments

post a comment