WSU Study: Men Less Likely To See Food As National Security Issue During Pandemic

As the coronavirus pandemic broke out and spread across the U.S., more and more consumers were interested in the source of their food, as well as those providing it, that according to a recent Washington State University study.

“Respondents generally became more concerned about food being a national security issue and people, our respondents, generally had a higher degree of empathy for H-2A workers, as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak,” said WSU Assistant professor in the School of Economic Sciences Jeff Luckstead.

Luckstead as well as his co-authors asked nine questions of respondents, some asked before the pandemic and then others during the start earlier this year. One result of note, Luckstead pointed out, on average, men not only showed less empathy toward H-2A workers, but were also less likely to see food supply and production as a national security issue. Luckstead added it was surprising how gender played a strong role in how participants responded.

From here, he noted this study can be used to give policy makers insight into low skilled domestic workers, and their attitudes on field work and employment opportunities.

“And the importance of these low skilled domestic workers is they were probably the hardest hit demographic of COVID-19 in terms of layoffs, and unemployment, but they are also have been historically shown not be willing to take field work even though they were hard hit they’re likely to not accept field work as an alternative to employment”

Click Here to read the entire study.

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