Home and Wild Food Procurement Associated with Improved Food Security and Nutrition

A recent study published in the Nutrients journal has found that participating in home and wild food procurement activities, such as gardening, hunting, and foraging, has significant benefits for food security and nutrition. The research, led by Meredith T. Niles and colleagues from the University of Vermont, revealed that households engaging in these activities had greater odds of being food insecure, but also had higher fruit and vegetable intake.

As the COVID-19 pandemic swept the globe, many households turned to home and wild food procurement activities to ensure their food security. The researchers found that 61% of respondents engaged in these activities, with the majority gardening. The study, which used data from two statewide representative surveys in Maine and Vermont, found that HWFP engagement was positively associated with fruit and vegetable consumption, with gardening being associated with an additional one cup-equivalent in fruit and vegetable consumption per week.

Furthermore, the researchers discovered that households that hunted were more likely to eat wild game meat and consume red and white meat more frequently compared to households that did not hunt. The study's findings suggest that engaging in home and wild food procurement activities has potential benefits for food security and nutrition, particularly for food insecure households.

Key Takeaways:

• Participating in home and wild food procurement activities, such as gardening and hunting, has significant benefits for food security and nutrition.
• Households engaging in HWFP activities had greater odds of being food insecure.
• HWFP engagement was positively associated with fruit and vegetable consumption, with gardening being associated with an additional one cup-equivalent in fruit and vegetable consumption per week.
• Households that hunted were more likely to eat wild game meat and consume red and white meat more frequently compared to households that did not hunt.
• The study's findings suggest that engaging in HWFP activities has potential benefits for food security and nutrition, particularly for food insecure households.

Sources:

• NewsRx. Investigators at University of Vermont Detail Findings in COVID-19 (Home and Wild Food Procurement Were Associated With Greater Intake of Fruits and Vegetables During the Covid-19 Pandemic In Northern New England In a Cross-sectional Study). Entertainment & Travel. June 21, 2025; p 70.
• Home and Wild Food Procurement Were Associated With Greater Intake of Fruits and Vegetables During the Covid-19 Pandemic In Northern New England In a Cross-sectional Study. Nutrients, 2025;17(10):1627.

Statistics:

• 61% of respondents engaged in home and wild food procurement activities.
• The majority of respondents who engaged in HWFP activities gardened (60%).
• Respondents who gardened had an additional one cup-equivalent in fruit and vegetable consumption per week compared to those who did not garden.
• Households that hunted were more likely to eat wild game meat (70%) and consume red and white meat more frequently (55%) compared to households that did not hunt.
• The study used data from two statewide representative surveys in Maine and Vermont (n = 2001).
• The researchers analyzed the data using linear regression, logistic regression, and ordinal logistic regression models.