Efnep is a vital community-based nutrition education program that was initiated nationally in 1969 as one of USDA's responses to hunger in the united states

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded Alabama A & M University $118,180 under the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (CFDA 10.514) on October 1, 2025, to deliver community-based nutrition education to low-income families, expecting mothers, mothers with children ages 0 to 5, and youth ages 6 to 14 in Alabama, with particular focus on the state's Hispanic and Latino population.

EFNEP targets families with limited income to improve nutritional quality of their diets through hands-on learning and applied science. Alabama's Latino population, which comprises 4.9 percent of the state's 5.1 million residents, is young (median age 24.9 years) and faces documented health disparities including elevated diabetes risk—Hispanic adults in the United States face a 17 percent chance of developing diabetes compared to 8 percent for non-Hispanic whites—and high childhood poverty rates; 45 percent of Hispanic children in Alabama live in poor families.

Work is performed in Normal and Huntsville, Alabama. The period of performance runs from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2030. Alabama A & M University, a 1890 land-grant institution, is the sole recipient and administers the award through its Business Office Division, which operates EFNEP statewide alongside other extension and workforce development initiatives.

Its primary goal is to help families with limited income to improve the nutritional quality of their diets. The urban expanded food and nutrition education program targets families with expecting mothers and mothers with children ages 0 to 5 and youth ages 6 to 14 years. This audience is rapidly growing and needs nutrition education training as evidenced by research findings and health reports. Alabama's 2023 population estimate was 5,108,468, with 250,253 (4.9%) being hispanic or latino. Alabama's latino population is predominately mexican. There are also large numbers of guatemalans, puerto ricans, colombians, brazilians, salvadorians, and panamanians. The latino population is young. The median age of alabama's latino population is 24.9 years compared to 35.8 years for alabamians and 25.8 years for the national latino population (alabama department of public health, 2023). According to the national center for children in poverty (NCCP), 45% of hispanic children in alabama live in poor families (2023). Health CON cerns for the hispanic/latino population include lack of insurance, diabetes, overweight/obesity, cancer, and stroke. With the steady rise in the hispanic/latino population within alabama, IT is important to provide nutritional education that can provide them with the necessary information and resources to live a healthy life. According to the CDC, hispanic adults are more likely to develop DI abetes than non hispanic whites, with a 17% chance compared to 8%. They are also more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes by a physician (70% more likely) and DIE from IT (1.3 times more likely). Hispanic adults also have a higher chance of developing diabetes at a younger age and over their lifetime, with a more than 50% chance of developing type 2 diabetes compared to 40% for U.S. Adults overall (2021). Alabama a & M university urban expanded food and nutrition education program (UEFNEP) finds the need to address these chronic diseases in north alabama with nutrition education to have an impact on behavior changes for a healthy life. Alabama a & M university urban expanded food and nutrition education program team (professional and educators) will begin in-service training annually with alabama extension health and wellness specialist to gain more knowledge and understanding of chronic diseases which impacts the urban families as wells targeting latinos/ hispanic audience to be served