SCC-CIVIC-PG Track B: A Coordinated Food Hub Network and Farm to Institution Program: Building Bridges between Small Local Farmers and Institutions in New York State Capital Region

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy NY

Investigators

Abstract

Food access is one of the largest social problems in the United States. The challenge of accessing healthy foods is especially pronounced in communities of disadvantaged populations. Ironically, small local farmers and producers of healthy foods struggle to make a living. In states across the country, the numbers of family own food producers have steadily declined since the 1960s. This project proposes to develop a Local Food Cooperation (LFC) program that integrates (1) a state-level food hub network which enables the coordination of multiple regional food hubs, and (2) regional Farm to Institution programs that address regional food insecurity and inequity. The proposed LFC program would provide a platform for information exchange and, possibly, trading so that food hubs in different regions can collaboratively leverage the surpluses to provide a stable supply. The program will also enable local food processors to process and pack food at a competitive price. The program would be able to engage regional distributors to use their distribution and transportation capabilities and local resources to efficiently connect supply and demand. This program would help small food producers to gain the necessary knowledge and technological skills to use the platform, and to get needed certifications. Finally, by integrating institutional customers into this program, it is possible for suppliers and customers to exchange information about needs for products and availability of healthy foods in a timely manner. In this project, the team will prepare all work for a pilot test that will (1) collect data and update the existing food consumption forecasting models; (2) integrate research-based technical modules into the information exchange and trading platform, which would include demand and supply prediction and matching, as well as distribution and transportation optimizers; (3) assess the effectiveness of different governance structures; (4) test the financial arrangements that will help attract participants to the program and also ensure the program’s financial self-sustainability; (5) evaluate the benefits and costs of the LFC program and its transferability and scalability. The proposed project will significantly improve the state-of practice of food supply chain operations by integrating pioneering research into a community-based program. It will also contribute to the state-of-art of freight demand forecasting, as the project will use newly collected food production and consumption data to enhance existing freight production models, making them more accurate in predicting food production and consumption, and institutional consumer behavior. This project is in response to the Civic Innovation Challenge program—Track B. Bridging the gap between essential resources and services & community needs—and is a collaboration between NSF, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Energy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.