CAREER: A National Strategy for a Resilient Food Supply Chain

通过复杂的供应链进行分销对粮食安全至关重要。在美国，食品供应链基本上没有受到干扰。然而，除非采取预防措施，否则这种情况将来可能会改变。美国食品供应链面临的几种风险在潜在频率和严重程度上都在增加。极端天气对农业生产的破坏、对不可持续灌溉资源的依赖以及基础设施的退化是未来美国食品供应链面临的威胁。本项目旨在(1)阐明支持国家食品供应链的相互依赖的基础设施网络，(2)评估食品供应链面临的主要风险，以及(3)查明支撑食品供应链的相互依赖的基础设施网络中的脆弱性。这项研究的首要科学问题是：美国的食品供应链对不可持续的用水、极端天气和退化的基础设施有多大的弹性？支持的科学问题是：什么基础设施支持食品供应链？食品供应链面临的风险有多大？相互依赖的基础设施系统中存在哪些漏洞？灌溉对极端天气的缓冲能力是多少？为了解决这些问题，有必要将国家食品供应链作为一个复杂的相互依赖的网络进行评估。这是因为美国的食品供应链依赖于一个错综复杂的相互关联的基础设施网络，如灌溉、道路、港口、铁路和可通航的水道。这项研究将制定一个框架，使科学界和政策界能够评估粮食供应链的弹性。本研究的假设是，在美国食品供应链中存在易受这些风险影响的“热点”。当孤立地考虑每个基础设施时，可能存在不明显的热点。这项研究将详细了解支持国家和全球粮食安全的相互依存的基础设施网络。发现美国食品供应链中的关键漏洞可以用来确定国家基础设施投资基金的优先次序。现在是确定基础设施投资重点的好时机，因为对美国基础设施系统投资的呼声越来越高。作为该项目的一部分，正式的沟通培训将被纳入土木与环境工程系的课程，以培养未来的工程师。PI将为工程师开发并引入一门关于科学传播的短期课程。这个项目将利用所获得的科学知识来开发一个在线的、互动的食品供应链风险地图。这个可视化系统将用于吸引K-12年级的学生参加“女孩数学、工程和科学冒险”（GAMES）夏令营，伊利诺伊大学厄巴纳-香槟分校（UIUC）的本科生和研究生，通过政府和公共事务研究所（IGPA）的政策制定者和媒体，以及通过农贸市场示威的公众。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Distribution through complex supply chains is critical to food security. In the United States, the food supply chain has largely been sheltered from disruptions. However, this could change in the future unless preventative actions are taken. Several risks to food supply chains in the U.S. are increasing in potential frequency and severity. Extreme weather disruptions to agricultural production, reliance on unsustainable irrigation resources, and degraded infrastructure represent future threats to food supply chains in the United States. This project seeks to (1) articulate the interdependent infrastructure networks that support the national food supply chain, (2) evaluate the exposure of the food supply chain to key risks, and (3) pinpoint vulnerabilities in the interdependent infrastructure networks that underpin the food supply chain. The overarching scientific question of this research is: How resilient is the food supply chain of the United States to unsustainable water use, extreme weather, and degraded infrastructure? The supporting science questions are: What infrastructure supports the food supply chain? How exposed is the food supply chain to risk? What vulnerabilities exist in the interdependent infrastructure systems? What is the buffering capacity of irrigation to extreme weather? To address these questions, it is essential to evaluate the national food supply chain as a complex interdependent network. This is because food supply chains in the U.S. depend on an intricate web of interconnected infrastructure, such as irrigation, roads, ports and harbors, rail lines, and navigable waterways. This research will develop a framework to enable the scientific and policy communities to assess the resiliency of food supply chains. The hypothesis of this research is that there are "hot spots" of vulnerability to these risks in the U.S. food supply chain. Hot spots may exist that are not obvious when each infrastructure is considered in isolation. This research will provide a detailed understanding of the interdependent infrastructure networks that support national and global food security. Discovery of critical vulnerabilities in the food supply chain of the United States could be used to prioritize national infrastructure investment funds. Now is an opportune time to identify infrastructure investment priorities, as calls for investment in U.S. infrastructure systems are increasing. As part of this project, formal communication training will be incorporated into the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department curriculum to train the engineer of the future. The PI will develop and introduce a short course on science communication for engineers. This project will utilize the scientific knowledge obtained to develop an online, interactive Food Supply Chain Risk map. This visualization system will be used to engage K-12 students in a Girls Adventures in Mathematics, Engineering, and Science (GAMES) camp, undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), policy makers and the media through the Institute of Government and Public Affairs (IGPA), and the general public through farmers market demonstrations.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.