Food Security

Community and Labor Center's New Study Highlights Farmworkers' Health Challenges

February 3, 2023

Several farmworkers are seen in a field.

A new landmark study by the UC Merced Community and Labor Center shows farmworkers across California are facing serious health challenges on a daily basis. The goal of the Farmworker Health Study was to examine agricultural worker health and well-being, in addition to health care...

Engineering Professor Working to Improve Strawberry Harvesting

Harvesting is said to be one of the most costly and labor-intensive operations in strawberry production. But a UC Merced engineering researcher is looking for ways to make it easier and cheaper....

Grant Helps University Ramp Up Food Rescue Efforts

UC Merced’s desire to fight food insecurity in Merced County and on campus got a big boost recently after being awarded a $492,000 grant from CalRecycle. The university — along with...

Vicky Espinoza presents her story at a recent symposium.

Grad Student Represents Valley at Global Food Security Symposium

Graduate student Vicky Espinoza shared the plight of some San Joaquin Valley families with a wide audience this spring in her role as a Next Generation delegate to this year’s Chicago Council...

Students tend the UC Merced Campus Community Garden.

Campus Earns Kudos for Sustainability Best Practices

UC Merced demonstrated that it’s living up to its reputation for being “green from the ground up” by winning five awards — more than any other University of California campus...

UC Merced volunteers collect food donations during the 2017 We Care Wednesday Community Food Drive at the Merced County Fair. The goal is to collect 10,000 pounds of food.

UC Merced, County Fair Join Forces to Fight Hunger

UC Merced is partnering with the Merced County Fair to support Mercy Medical Center’s “We Care Wednesday” Community Food Drive. Anyone can join the fight against hunger and gain...

Campus Efforts Improve Community’s Access to Healthy Foods

Hunger is a critical issue facing most of the nation and the world, but it’s even closer to home than some might think. At UC Merced, it's an issue that many students face, and one that...

Free Produce Initiative Launches on World Food Day

UC Merced will celebrate World Food Day with its first Pop-up Produce program from 10 a.m. to 2 pm. Oct. 16 on Scholars Lane. The Pop-up Produce event provides students with free, local and organic...

Aerial photograph of green farmland being watered by dozens of sprinklers.

Water Documentary Featuring SNRI Researchers to Premiere in Merced

A full-length documentary highlighting the relationship between water, food security and, ultimately, global security, features UC Merced researchers and is scheduled to premiere Sept. 14 in downtown...

Blum Center Announces 2017 Seed Grant Recipients

UC Merced’s branch of the Blum Center for Developing Economies rebooted this spring with a faculty-led effort to spend two years working on becoming the hub for all food-security-related research and...