THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS SARS-COV2 (COVID-19) HAS CREATED UNPRECEDENTED SUPPLY AND DEMAND SHOCKS, AND MANY SUPPLY CHAINS DESIGNED TO FUNCTION EFFICIENTLY FAILED TO RESPOND. RAPID SHIFTS IN DEMAND AND SUPPLY, VIS-&AGRAVE;-VIS THE SYSTEM-DISRUPTING SHOCK OF COVID-19, RESULTED IN MARKET FAILURE CAUSED BY A LACK OF SUPPLY CHAIN FLEXIBILITY AND AGILITY. THESE MARKET FAILURES HAVE IMPACTED SEVERAL PRIMARY FOOD SUPPLY CHAINS IN IOWA AND THE MIDWEST: PORK, BEEF, POULTRY, AND DAIRY. SUPPLY CHAINS INVOLVE COMPLEX RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN MULTIPLE ORGANIZATIONS, MAKING UNDERSTANDING WHY EUTHANIZING ANIMALS, DUMPING MILK, AND NOT REPURPOSING FOOD SERVICE PRODUCTS LIKE EGGS, PORK AND BEEF AT TIMES WHEN THESE PRODUCTS ARE BEING RATIONED AT RETAIL STORES ILLUSIVE. RESILIENT SYSTEMS ARE POSSIBLE, BUT WHERE AND HOW RESILIENCY SHOULD BE INTRODUCED IN COMPLEX MULTI-ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPLY CHAINS MUST BE BETTER UNDERSTOOD.OUR PROJECT EXPLORES HOW COVID-19 DISRUPTED OUR FOOD SYSTEMS AND HOW TO AVOID THESE ISSUESIN THE FUTURE.WE WILL EXAMINE WHAT ACTIONS AND STRATEGIES HELPED MITIGATE THE IN-PANDEMIC RESPONSES AND CAN ASSIST IN FUTURE IMPACTS, ESPECIALLY IN THE CASE OF A COVID-19 RESURGENCE OR ANOTHER SIMILAR DISRUPTION TO OUR FOOD SYSTEMS. SPECIFICALLY, THIS PROJECT SEEKS TO EVALUATE THE MAIN BOTTLENECKS IN THE EGGS, DAIRY, BEEF, AND PORK SUPPLY CHAINS AND TO USE THAT INFORMATION AND THE EXPERIENCES OF PRODUCERS, PROCESSORS, DISTRIBUTORS, AND RETAILERS TO DEVELOP DECISION TOOLS, INVESTMENT STRATEGIES, AND POLICY OPTIONS THAT CAN MAKE THESE SUPPLY CHAINS MORE RESILIENT IN THE FACE OF SUCH SHOCKS.CLOSURES AND SLOWDOWNS IN PACKING AND PROCESSING PLANTS CAUSED A BACKLOG OF MILLIONS OF ANIMALS THAT WERE READY FOR HARVEST, WHILE SHIFTS IN DEMAND FOR PORK, BEEF, EGGS, AND DIARY CREATED SHORTAGES AT THE RETAIL LEVEL AND EXCESS SUPPLY IN OTHER AREAS OF THE SUPPLY CHAIN. COMPANIES THAT DISTRIBUTE AND TRANSPORT MEAT, EGGS, AND DAIRY OPERATED BELOW CAPACITY DUE TO HIGH ABSENTEEISM AMONG WORKERS. THE SHIFT IN CONSUMPTION AND SUPPLY PROMPTED RETAILERS TO INCREASE PRICES AND RATION SUPPLIES TO AVOID STOCK-OUTS.COVID-19 DISRUPTIONS IMPLICATE AND PUT AT RISK OCCUPIERS OF MANY LEVELS OF THE U.S. FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN. THE PROJECT'S IMMEDIATE OBJECTIVES FOCUS ON DEVELOPING AND MAKING AVAILABLE DATA VISUALIZATION AND FEASIBILITY TOOLS TO HELP FIRMS AT CRITICAL LEVELS OF THE SUPPLY CHAIN TO BETTER MANAGE THE CHALLENGES THEY EXPERIENCED. OUR LONG-TERM GOALS FOCUS ON EXPLORING THE RISK-RETURN TRADEOFF OF CHANGES TO EACH SYSTEM, (FOR EXAMPLE, INVESTMENTS IN LABOR AND TECHNOLOGY), TO IMPROVE ITS RESILIENCE IN THE FACE OF FUTURE DISRUPTIONS. OUR APPROACH COMBINES APPLIED RESEARCH AND EXTENSION OUTREACH.OUR PROJECT INCLUDES URGENT, INDUSTRY- AND DATA-DRIVEN DECISION TOOLS AND MARKET ANALYSES OF THE BEEF, PORK, DAIRY AND EGGS SUPPLY CHAINS. OUR SHORT-RUN OBJECTIVES INCLUDE DEVELOPING DECISION TOOLS WITH GRAPHICAL INTERFACE TO PROVIDE NEAR REAL-TIME WARNINGS OF POTENTIAL PROBLEMS IN THE SUPPLY CHAINS, ALLOWING PRODUCERS, PROCESSORS, AGRIBUSINESSES AND POLICY MAKERS TO RESPOND QUICKLY TO AVOID THE DEVASTING IMPACTS OF MARCH AND APRIL. OUR LONG-RUN OBJECTIVES INCLUDE IDENTIFICATION OF KEY BOTTLENECKS ALONG EACH OF THE SUPPLY CHAINS AND RISK-RETURN ANALYSES OF ADJUSTMENTS NEEDED TO IMPROVE THE RESILIENCY OF THE U.S. FOOD SYSTEM.OUR PROJECT TAKES A HIGHLY INTEGRATED APPROACH, BRINGING TOGETHER RESEARCH AND EXTENSION ECONOMISTS, SUPPLY CHAIN EXPERTS, AND INDUSTRY ADVISORY MEMBERS REPRESENTING ALL LEVELS IN THE FOOD SUPPLY CHAINS.