Lower Mississippi Delta

Nutrition Intervention Research Initiative (NIRI)

The mission of the Lower Mississippi Delta NIRI is to improve the nutrition and health of families of the Lower Mississippi River Delta region.  The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is coordinating a major research initiative that brings together the talents of ARS, six university partners, the state cooperative extension service, three rural communities, and other partners in a three state region.  The Initiative consists of three major phases.  The first was a series of surveys to assess the nutrition and health needs of the Delta region.  In the second phase, selected communities in the Delta region will be followed for several years to track changes in their nutrition and health.  The third phase will be directed toward implementing intervention research programs to improve the nutrition and health of the men, women, and children of the Delta region.