Mapping food security in Arkansas

Various assessments measure food security through a resource-oriented approach. Some scholars have noted that these measurements fall short by overlooking quality of life issues and pose that a capability-based approach could provide a fuller portrayal of food insecurity. A capability-based approach and its focus on personal capability and the ability to function fully may offer insights into identifying and measuring food security (Burchi & De Muro, 2016). This study assessed and mapped food insecurity through current county-based assessments. Food insecurity was then evaluated and mapped through a capability approach lens. Current food security in Arkansas was then explored and compared through existing food security assessments and a newly developed assessment based on a capability-based approach. This study indicated that the traditional Feeding America assessment overlooks quality of life measures, impacts, and conditions. Economic indicators provided one perspective, but the capability-based approach included a broader understanding of the options available to leaders and individuals within the community. Measuring food security through a capability-based lens allowed a more robust understanding of food insecurity beyond resource or economic indicators. This understanding could bridge the gap between economic conditions and social well-being and add a new perspective to under-standing the actual condition of a population concerning food security. This study contributes to the opera-tionalism of the capability approach as the theoretical basis for a food security assessment instrument and its use for identifying communities facing food security challenges.

Automated summary

The study finds that resource-oriented approaches to measuring food security overlook quality of life issues, while capability-based approaches provide a more comprehensive understanding. It assessed and mapped food insecurity using county-based assessments, and compared it with traditional measures and a capability-based approach in Arkansas. The capability-based approach offered a fuller understanding of food insecurity beyond economic indicators.