** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC BROUGHT SEVERAL STRUCTURAL ISSUES FACING THE US FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN INTO SHARP RELIEF. THE LABOR FORCE IN THE FOOD SYSTEM, FROM FARMS TO SUPERMARKETS AND ALL THE INTERCONNECTED SEGMENTS IN BETWEEN, WAS A HIGHLY PUBLICIZED CONSTRAINT IN GETTING FOOD FROM THE GROUND AND ONTO PLATES. NEWS STORIES IN THE POPULAR PRESS AND TRADE PUBLICATIONS REGULARLY DISCUSSED THE ONGOING LABOR ISSUES THROUGHOUT THE FOOD SYSTEM, COVERING FACTORS SUCH AS HIGH RATES OF TURNOVER (FARM BUREAU, 2022), SHUTDOWNS DUE TO COVID-19 INFECTIONS (AP NEWS, 2021), WAGE INFLATION (AGAMERICA, 2022), THE LOSS OF INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE (TSI, 2020; US CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, 2023), AND THE DIFFICULTIES IN ATTRACTING YOUNG WORKERS (CROPTRACKER, 2022). A GOOGLE TRENDS ANALYSIS FOR THE TERM LABOR SHORTAGE READILY REVEALS THAT, EVEN AMONG THE PUBLIC, CONCERN AND AWARENESS FOR THIS ISSUE HAS INCREASED SUBSTANTIALLY SINCE 2020.DESPITE THE ESTABLISHED IMPORTANCE AND URGENCY OF THIS ISSUE BY INDUSTRY, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, AND INCREASINGLY THE ACADEMIC COMMUNITY, THERE IS LITTLE PUBLISHED QUANTITATIVE WORK ADDRESSING THE ISSUE. AVAILABLE ESTIMATES OF LABOR SHORTAGES, TURNOVER RATES, WAGE VARIATION, AND OTHER METRICS ARE PREDOMINANTLY ANECDOTAL, WHICH HAMPERS INVESTIGATING HOW THESE MEASURES HAVE CHANGED IN RECENT YEARS. UNDERSTANDING THESE MEASURES IN THE CONTEXT OF A COMPREHENSIVE AND DETAILED DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE OF THE FOOD AND AGRICULTURE LABOR FORCE CAN HELP THE FOOD SYSTEM FULLY REALIZE THE QUANTIFIABLE BENEFITS OF A DIVERSE WORKFORCE (ROBERSON, 2019). ADDITIONALLY, THE US FOOD INDUSTRY, FROM FARMS (MACDONALD 2020) TO SUPERMARKETS (ZEBALLOS ET AL., 2023, HENDRICKSON ET AL. 2021) AND MOST SECTORS IN BETWEEN (MACDONALD ET AL., 2023), HAS BEEN DEFINED BY INCREASED CONSOLIDATION IN RECENT DECADES. HOWEVER, DESPITE THE KNOWN IMPACTS OF CONSOLIDATION IN OTHER RETAIL INDUSTRIES ON THE LABOR FORCE (RABBANI AND RAJ, 2023, GUANZIROLI 2022), THE LABOR FORCE IMPACTS OF CONSOLIDATION IN THE FOOD SYSTEM ARE NOT WELL UNDERSTOOD AND MAY BE VITAL TO UNDERSTANDING ONGOING LABOR ISSUES. THIS GAP IN KNOWLEDGE IS PARTICULARLY APPARENT WHEN CONSIDERING HOW THE IMPACTS TRANSCEND AN INDIVIDUAL SEGMENT OF THE FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN. MEDIUM- AND LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS HAVE BEEN PROPOSED TO ADDRESS LABOR ISSUES IN THE FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN (LUCKSTEAD ET AL. 2021, LARUE 2020), BUT WE ARE NOT AWARE OF ANY WORK THAT HAS ASSESSED THE POTENTIAL COSTS OR BENEFITS OF THESE SOLUTIONS. THE PROPOSED PROJECT ADDRESSES EACH OF THESE KNOWLEDGE AND INFORMATION GAPS THROUGH FOUR RELATED, BUT INDIVIDUAL OBJECTIVES. INVESTIGATING THESE OBJECTIVES WILL DEVELOP INSIGHTS FOR INDUSTRIAL, POLICY, AND ACADEMIC AUDIENCES.