January 31, 2025

Nuestro Valor, a transformative initiative to increase access to healthier food in rural communities led by Barbara Baquero 

New NIH funding supports Nuestro Valor, a transformative initiative to increase access to healthier food in rural communities is led by Barbara Baquero. 

Nuestro Valor: Increasing healthier food access for rural Latino communities through a food retail intervention, a five-year research project, has received funding from the National Institute of Nursing Research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The project, led by Dr. Barbara Baquero, associate professor at HSPOP and researcher at the Health Promotion Research Center, aims to address health inequities by increasing healthier food access for Latino communities in rural eastern Washington. 

A Vision for Change: Nuestro Valor‘s Mission 

Nuestro Valor (Our Value) seeks to increase fruit and vegetable access, purchasing, and consumption in Latino communities across Yakima, Benton, and Franklin counties. Building on the success of El Valor, an evidence-based intervention, this project will adapt, implement, and evaluate the program to invest in small, Latino-owned food retailers, known as tiendas, in Spanish. By partnering with tiendas, the intervention will train employees, introduce structural changes, and harness social determinants of health to improve access to fresh produce. 

Beyond improving diet, Nuestro Valor will focus on investing in Latino and rural communities by training community health workers (promotores) to deliver the intervention and build capacity for public health students from diverse backgrounds, particularly those from eastern Washington. 

To accomplish the work, the research team has partnered with the Northwest Communities Education Center/Radio KDNA and the Food Research Equity Collaborative (FrEsCo), a coalition of community leaders from community organizations focused on advancing food equity for Latinos and Rural Communities, seen below.

A Milestone for Barbara Baquero 

For Dr. Baquero, Nuestro Valor represents a major milestone from years of dedication to advancing health equity for Latino communities. A bilingual and bicultural Latina immigrant, she has spent over a decade partnering with researchers, local leaders, and community to design and implement food retail interventions in underserved communities across the United States. From North Carolina to rural Iowa and now Washington state, her work has been fueled by a personal understanding of the structural inequities Latinos face and a commitment to leveraging community strengths for lasting change. 

“My motivation comes from partnering with community leaders and members who are dedicated to reducing barriers and increasing opportunities for Latinos,” said Baquero. “Expanding food access and promoting healthier diets have far-reaching benefits for physical, social, and emotional health. This research brings the community and an effective intervention together and has the potential to positively impact Latinos across the country.” 

Advancing Health Equity and Community Investment 

The impact of Nuestro Valor will extend far beyond healthier diets. By addressing the structural and social determinants of health, the project will generate critical evidence for adapting and implementing community-based interventions in rural settings. It will also provide an economic boost to the whole rural community.  

Dr. Baquero’s leadership underscores the UW’s commitment to fostering health, particularly in underserved regions of Washington state. “We will continue working to scale up and sustain these types of interventions at the community level,” said Baquero. “Our goal is to advance equity, co-develop knowledge with the community, and reduce health disparities for underserved populations in the U.S.” 

Looking Ahead 

The launch of Nuestro Valor marks a pivotal step in advancing health equity for Latino communities. This new funding underscores Dr. Baquero’s impactful work and exemplifies her dedication to collaboration, innovation, and building healthier futures for all.