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The Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) is a federal assistance program in the United States associated with the Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants and Children (known as WIC) that provides fresh, unprepared, locally grown fruits and vegetables and nutrition education to WIC participants. Women, infants (over four months old) and children that have been certified to receive WIC program benefits or who are on a waiting list for WIC certification are eligible to participate in the FMNP.〔(WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program ), U.S. Department of Agriculture (official website) Accessed 20 October 2011〕 The Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) is a related program that targets low-income seniors, generally defined as individuals who are at least 60 years old and who have household incomes of not more than 185 percent of the federal poverty level.〔(Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program ), United States Department of Agriculture. Accessed 20 October 2011〕 Eligible recipients in both programs receive coupons in addition to their regular benefits which can be used to buy eligible foods from farmers, farmers' markets or roadside fruit and vegetable stands that have been approved by the state agency to accept coupons.〔 As such, both programs have been noted for increasing the accessibility of fresh fruits and vegetables among low-income populations.〔''The Washington Post'' 17 August 2003. Pressler, Margaret. ("Markets, Farmers' Meat and Potatoes" )〕〔''The New York Times'' 21 July 2004. Johnson, Pableaux. ("$20 to Spend, Surrounded by Ripeness" )〕〔''The New York Times'' 3 April 2002. ("A More Balanced Farm Bill" )〕 Together, the FMNP and SFMNP inject an estimated $40 million into farmers' markets annually, and have been instrumental in subsidizing the creation and operation of numerous new farmers' markets in underserved communities, especially in New York City.〔〔(Real Food, Real Choice: Connecting SNAP Recipients with Farmers Markets ), Community Food Security Coalition, Farmers Market Coalition Accessed 1 November 2011〕〔''The New York Times'' 8 October 2004. Medina, Jennifer. ("Bleak Landscapes, Green Produce; Poor Neighborhoods See Rise in Farmers' Markets" )〕 National FMNP funding, however, has remained stagnant for several years. It is currently at $20 million per year, with no signs that this amount is likely to increase in the near future.〔(Food Assistance Programs and Mississippi Farmers Markets Increasing Federal Food Assistance Access at Farmers Markets in Mississippi: Analysis and Recommendations ), 2010 Harvard Law School Mississippi Delta Project Accessed 4 November 2011〕 A nascent body of academic literature has focused on various aspects of the programs including health and nutrition outcomes; barriers to participation; and farmer benefits. ==Context== Low-income consumers often face inadequate food environments ("food deserts") in which the accessibility of healthy foods including fresh fruits and vegetables is severely limited. Few food retail outlets combined with the high cost of healthy food options contribute to poor food selections for many low-income consumers.〔Jetter, Karen M. and Diana L. Cassady. 2006. "The Availability and Cost of Healthier Food Alternatives." ''American Journal of Preventative Medicine'' 30(1): 133:38-44〕〔Morland, K., S. Wing, A. Diez Roux and C. Poole. 2002. “Neighborhood Characteristics Associated with the Location of Food Stores and Food Service Places.” ''American Journal of Preventive Medicine'' 22(1): 23-29.〕 As such, convenience stores, which stock heavily processed, energy-dense foods, along with fast food restaurants are often the main sources of nutrition for residents of many low-income communities.〔Larson, Nicole I., Mary T. Story, Melissa C. Nelson. 2009. “Neighborhood Environments: Disparities in Access to Healthy Foods in the U.S.” ''American Journal of Preventive Medicine'' 36(1): 74-81.〕 Low-income then is associated with lower than average intakes of both fruits and vegetables. Fewer than one in five WIC children consume the recommended quantity of vegetables each day, while fewer than half consume the recommended quantity of fruits. The elderly also suffer from insufficient fruit and vegetable intake.〔(Senior and Woman, Infants, and Children Farmers' Market Programs ), Expectmore.gov (official website) Accessed 10 December 2011〕 Negative health outcomes among low-income consumers including rising obesity rates then have increasingly been linked to unequal access to fresh and healthy food.〔Drewnowski, Adam and SE Specter. 2004. "Poverty and Obesity: The Role of Energy Density and Energy Costs." ''American Journal of Clinical Nutrition'' 79: 6-16.〕 The FMNP and SFMNP represent attempts at increasing the accessibility and consumption of healthy, fresh foods among low-income populations through a comprehensive approach including the distribution of coupons to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables, and nutrition education for program participants.〔〔 The programs are designed to create incentives for participants to seek out fresh produce in venues that highlight its appeal.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Farmers' Market Nutrition Program / Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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