CAREER: Bolstering Food System Resilience to Reduce the Human Impacts of Disasters

The focus of this Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program award is to advance the science of food environments and enhance the mitigation and adaptation of social and built environment systems to disasters by bolstering food security and the resilience of food systems. Food is a basic need for human survival and the ability of social systems to meet this need in disaster situations is compromised when our homes, businesses and other structures are damaged and lifelines disrupted. While elements of the various social and built environmental systems that make up the broader food environment as well as food security issues have been studied by various disciplines, a comprehensive, systematic approach has yet to be applied and tested in disaster settings. The overall objectives of this research are to develop a model of the Food Environment in Disasters (FED) along with theory-based tools to support food system resilience. The development of this model and associated tools facilitates a clearer understanding and monitoring of food availability, acceptability, and accessibility to enhance our understanding of the causes, consequences, and health effects of food environment disruption in disasters. This work contributes to NSF’s mission to promote the process of science by developing and validating a new theoretical model and associated metrics on food environment disruption and food security following disasters. The products of this research will advance national health, prosperity, and welfare by supporting improved food security and food system functioning following disasters. The purpose of this CAREER project is to transform our understanding of disruptions to the social and built food environment and food insecurity in disaster impacted communities. The overall objective of this research is to develop a socio-ecological model of the Food Environment in Disasters (FED), associated metrics, and theory-based tools to generate findings that can bolster food system resilience to hazards. This research departs from the status quo of relying on food system theory and metrics developed in non-disaster contexts to developing an understanding of disaster specific processes and outcomes, thereby enhancing the depth and utility of our knowledge of food environments and security in disasters. Developing a FED theoretical model of food accessibility, availability, and acceptability in disasters will support improved food response and bolsters food system resilience (Aim 1). A new Disaster Research Lab training program based on the Taxonomy of Significant Learning will integrate theory development and empirical testing activities (Aim 2). A portfolio of food system environmental audit tools (EAT) for monitoring disaster preparedness, impact, response, and recovery (Aim 3) will promote improved food environment functioning in disasters. This contribution is expected to help address acute food insecurity issues that can double or triple chronic food security problems following disasters. A public engagement strategic plan for the project will guide meaningful engagement with public stakeholders and audiences to maximize the impact of research activities.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.