AS THE WORLD POPULATION GROWS AND FOOD SECURITY IS THREATENED, THE PRESSING CHALLENGE FOR AGRICULTURE IS TO PRODUCE MORE FOOD, MOREEFFICIENTLY AND MORE SUSTAINABLY. ONE WAY OF MEETING FUTURE FOOD NEEDS COULD BE HYDROPONIC FARMING. HYDROPONIC FARMING CANIMPROVE FOOD SECURITY, FOOD SAFETY AND NUTRITION. FOOD PANTRIES SERVE AS AN EXISTING CHANNEL THAT REACH MILLIONS OF LOW-INCOMEINDIVIDUALS WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM INCREASED AVAILABILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY TO FRESH PRODUCE. NUMEROUS FOOD PANTRIES IN THE UNITED STATESOPERATE HYDROPONIC FARMS; HOWEVER, THERE IS A LACK OF PUBLISHED DATA ON THE IMPLICATIONS AND ACCEPTABILITY OF HYDROPONIC FARMING ANDHYDROPONICALLY GROWN FOODS AT FOOD PANTRIES. THE GOAL OF THIS STUDY IS TO EXPLORE THE SOCIO-ECOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS OF OFFERINGHYDROPONIC FARMING AT FOOD PANTRIES, LOCATED IN FOOD DESERTS. WE ARE PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN UNDERSTANDING THE INDIVIDUAL, SOCIAL ANDCULTURAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, ECONOMIC, AND ETHICAL IMPACTS ON FRESH PRODUCE ACCESS, CONSUMER PREFERENCES AND FOOD SECURITY STATUS OFLOW-INCOME INDIVIDUALS WHO VISIT FOOD BANKS/PANTRIES. AN EXPLORATORY MIXED METHODS RESEARCH DESIGN USING COMMUNITY BASEDPARTICIPATORY RESEARCH WILL BE EMPLOYED FOR THE PROJECT. OUR OBJECTIVES ARE TIED TO THE SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURALTECHNOLOGIES (A1642) PROGRAM AREA PRIORITY. ADDITIONALLY, THIS PROPOSED PROJECT ADDRESSES TWO SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTUREGOALS: 1)SATISFY HUMAN FOOD AND FIBER NEEDS, AND 2) ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR INDIVIDUALS AND SOCIETY AS A WHOLE.