Kofi Adu-Nyako Current Research

Project Title:

"Food Safety and Healthy Food Choices: Perceptions and Purchase Behavior of Persons in Black Belt States"

Project Summary:

The Black Belt Region in the U.S. refers to the social and demographic crescent of 623 southern counties that contain a higher than average percentages of African American residents. These counties are highly contiguous and form a belt-like pattern across parts of 11 states (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia). For historical reasons, these counties are largely characterized by rural decline, inadequate education programs and acute problems of poverty, poor health, substandard housing and underemployment. The specific objectives of this study are: (1) to determine the food safety attitudes, awareness and knowledge of persons in the Black Belt; (2) to determine how the knowledge and concerns of participants in food assistance programs is related to their purchase behavior; and (3) to determine the extent to which demographic and socioeconomic characteristics are related to reported food safety and healthy food choices behavior.

Funding Agency:

USDA, Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service

Researchers:

• Dr. Kofi Adu-Nyako
• Dr. Alton Thompson

Other Research Projects:

• Risk Perceptions in determining Hamburger Cooking Behavior.(USDA/ERS project)

• U.S. Agribusiness Attitudes to Expanding to Distant Markets.

• Evaluating Impacts of NAFTA on Southern Agriculture.

• Agricultural Policy and Economic Reforms in Africa.

• Caribbean Technology Development for the next Millennium.