Dr. Rasul Mowatt, a faculty member in the Department of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Studies at the IU School of Public Health-Bloomington, recently served as the guest editor of the Journal of Leisure Research (JLR) special issue on social and environmental justice.
The journal publishes research findings from original investigations that contribute new knowledge and understanding to the field of recreation and leisure studies. The findings of these cutting-edge research projects are relevant to researchers, students, and practitioners.
The issue featured research by Dr. James Farmer, also of the IU School of Public Health Department of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Studies, in the article "Agrileisure: Farmers' Markets, CSAs, and the Privilege in Eating Local."
In the article, Dr. Farmer and his team discuss how participation in local food systems has recently emerged as an important and overlooked leisure behavior that is critical to community recreation agencies, sustainable development, and overall public health. His study collected motivational, participation, and demographic data from 712 individuals who shop at farmers' markets, subscribe to community supported agriculture (CSA) programs, or do not participate in either.
The results indicated that environmental and nutritional motives were the top two factors affecting farmers' market and CSA participants' engagement, while also highlighting a significant association between the CSA and farmers' market participants and privilege variables. These findings suggest that even as farmers' markets and CSAs are promoted as a means to reduce food insecurity and promote agrileisure opportunities, barriers exist that exclude many from engagement.
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