Designing Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure

Researchers from the University of Washington Food Systems, Nutrition, and Health Program are leading a new project on resilient food systems infrastructure. This work is funded by a National Science Foundation (NSF) Strengthening American Infrastructure (SAI) grant.

Well-functioning food systems are essential for food security, human health, economic growth,
and national security, yet the infrastructure that powers food systems is often overlooked,
outdated, inflexible, and incongruent. Rather than being seen as a cohesive whole, the
component pieces of food systems infrastructure are often considered to be part of other
infrastructure domains. For example, school kitchens, food bank storage facilities, cold chain
transportation, communication networks that enable recovery of surplus foods, or agricultural
and foodservice workforce are often considered separately as part of education, emergency,
transportation, energy, broadband, telecommunications, human, or other types of
infrastructure. Failure to recognize and treat these elements as a cohesive whole would leave
US food systems vulnerable to inevitable future disruptions. The early months of the COVID-19
pandemic revealed deep vulnerabilities in food systems infrastructure, such as bottlenecks in
processing and moving food, that resulted in volatility in food availability and prices and rising
household food insecurity. In addition, a rapidly changing climate will further stress our food
systems infrastructure.

This is a critically important time for developing a shared vision of food systems infrastructure.
Without a common understanding of food systems infrastructure, it is difficult to identify the
biggest problems and the most promising solutions. This SAI project uses social science
research methods that tap into the expertise of a diverse array of professionals with food
systems and infrastructure knowledge, including those working in food supply chains, food
access organizations, and government agencies. The first phase of the project defines and
characterizes food systems infrastructure. The second phase analyzes the landscape of existing policies and investments in this infrastructure. The project’s final phase explores the policy priorities of key stakeholders. Ultimately, the goal of this SAI research is to lay the groundwork for next generation food systems infrastructure and accompanying decision support systems that can advance food security and resilient food systems in the United States.