Purdue University researchers improved the ability to track, predict and respond to disruptions in the U.S. food supply.
The research team developed tools to aid the food industry in tracking, predicting and preparing to navigate potential disruptions protect the nation’s food security and ensure that food continues to reach consumers efficiently in the food chain. This research helps protect the nation’s food security and ensure that food continues to efficiently reach consumers, even in times of uncertainty.
Preparing for Future Food Supply Disruptions
Food chain disruptions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the urgent need for a more robust system to monitor and respond to disruptions in real time and assess future vulnerabilities. However, the food industry lacked tools to track disruptions in four key categories—prices, supply and production, consumer spending and consumer preferences. The industry and policymakers also needed data that offered a clearer picture of where the food supply chain might be most susceptible to shocks to help different regions and industries plan for and minimize the effects.
Developing Online Dashboards to Monitor Food Supply Disruptions
The research team developed 10 online dashboards that provide real-time, centralized, credible data on food prices, distribution and the impacts of potential disruptions in an easily digestible format. These dashboards track real-time changes and help identify “hot spots,” areas where supply chain disruptions were most likely to occur. This information gives policymakers and supply chain providers critical insights, enabling them to target resources, mitigate potential problems before they escalate and respond effectively to food crises.
This research also produced a vulnerability index, which assesses the vulnerability of nine different food industries across all 50 states. The index helps state planners and agribusinesses better understand which regions and sectors are most at risk and provide them with the data needed to prepare for potential disruptions and protect food security.
Policymakers, agribusinesses and consumers are using these dashboards to monitor the food system, and both anticipate and plan for future crises.