A new effort by USDA will use the department's nutrition research to tackle problems that are specific to underserved communities.
The pilot project has partnered with Southern University, a historically black land-grant university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Shaped by community input, the project will deliver “science-based, nutrition-related information at the community level, particularly in underserved communities disproportionately impacted by diet-related chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers,” according to a USDA statement.
The project also “strives to improve health equity” by further connecting community members to intermix USDA nutrition research funding with their own lives.
“Through this new hub, we are changing the food landscape by being intentional and thoughtful about ensuring communities have equitable access to the resources they need to enjoy a healthy lifestyle,” said Chavonda Jacobs-Young, USDA's chief scientist and undersecretary for Research, Education and Economics.
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USDA says the project will “connect communities with food and nutrition security and economic vitality programs," and aims to address different nutrition needs in underrepresented communities.
“This hub will not only assist in combating diet-related chronic diseases in underserved communities, but it will also provide our students with the experience needed to build a workforce of nutritionists, researchers and extension agents that will aid in closing the nutrition gap in at-risk communities,” said Orlando F. McMeans, chancellor-dean of the Southern University Ag Center and the College of Ag.
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