ABSTRACT
For many Americans, purchasing or acquiring food is a minor inconvenience rather than a major obstacle that must be overcome. In the United States, 17 million households (14.6%) were food insecure in 2008. Confronted with this vulnerability, some communities are attempting to re-localize many food system activities in an attempt to provide for healthier and more sustainable (socially, economically, and environmentally) food alternatives. Despite this rising movement, little research exists that examines which community-level characteristics are associated with a community’s capacity to respond to food insecurity. Using data collected on 540 communities in the Northwest and Midwest, I examine the relationship between community capitals and food options available to residents of small to mid-sized communities. Findings show that communities with values and beliefs conducive for community betterment (cultural capital) coupled with acting on those beliefs through participation in civic groups and networking with outside communities and organizations (social capital) are much more likely to have a variety of sources of food than communities with low levels of cultural and social capitals.
