Agriculture and Food Research Initiative
“Enhancing Tribal Health and Food Security in the Klamath Basin of Oregon and California by Building a Sustainable Regional Food System” is an integrated research, extension and education program also known as the Klamath Basin Tribal Food Security Project. Its long-term goal is to achieve a sustainable food system in the Klamath Basin that results in healthy communities, healthy ecosystems and healthy economies among the Karuk, Yurok and Klamath Tribes and becomes a model for other tribal and rural communities.
Through partnerships with tribes, community based organizations, schools, universities, community colleges, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the United States Forest Service (USFS), and Cooperative Extension offices in both California and Oregon, this project aims to achieve the following:
- Assess the historical and existing food system within the Klamath basin including traditional, contemporary and commodity foods systems from production/land management through consumption, with particular emphasis on policy barriers and enablers of a healthy food system;
- Build capacity of local partners and community members through education and extension to improve productivity of local and regional food systems, combat obesity and diabetes, and reduce food insecurity;
- Implement and evaluate locally designed projects to increase access, availability and affordability of healthy foods, including: (a) increased production and processing of fresh fruits, vegetables and meats, (b) improved agro-forestry management to increase supply of traditional foods, (c) testing innovative local food distribution networks such as mobile farmers markets, farm/forest/fish to institution and traditional barter and trade, d) nutrition education and cooking classes;
- Measure the impact of the interventions on youth, elder and community health, attitude toward and consumption patterns of healthy foods; and
- Enhance collaborative and shared learning opportunities through the development of a Klamath basin food security network and library.
This project was supported by the USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture-Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Food Security Grant # 2012-68004-20018.
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This website is supported by the USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture-Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Food Security Grant # 2012-68004-20018.