SCC-CIVIC-PG Track A: A GIS-Based Digital Platform for Promoting Sustainable, Equitable, and Resilient Access to Healthy Foods in Response to Natural Disasters

粮食安全日益受到作物产量低、粮食价格高和供应链失灵的威胁。在发生洪水、飓风和干旱等自然灾害后，迫切需要改善粮食安全。用于饥饿救济和灾害应对的共同粮食银行方法远不是可持续的和公平的，因为其营养选择有限，反应性操作和后勤障碍。CIVIC项目旨在创建和验证一个基于地理信息系统（GIS）的数字平台，该平台不仅促进可持续和公平地获得健康食品，而且在气候变化的情况下能够抵御自然灾害和供应链中断。具体而言，该平台将通过提供健康食品获取的强大解决方案来帮助社区。该项目将特别考虑社会弱势群体，在危机期间增加他们获得粮食的机会。经济困难的家庭享有优先权并得到补偿;指派志愿骑手帮助为行动不便的人运送食物。此外，由于边际成本较低，该平台有可能转移到其他城市或地区并扩大规模。该项目的目标是通过开发一个以地理信息系统为基础的分散式数字平台，特别考虑到社会弱势群体，改善自然灾害期间的粮食安全。它专注于在坦帕湾区进行试点研究，并采用共享经济商业模式，将消费者与当地食品种植者直接联系起来。该平台构建了一个地图界面，用于收集和与社区共享基本信息，集成GIS以识别最脆弱的社区，并将其与食品供应相匹配。它实施专门的应急模式，以减轻粮食不安全、无法获得和不平等。该平台建成后，可以通过地图界面众包实时数据;在空间上匹配食品需求和供应;优化食品配送的位置和路线选择;使每个人都能轻松购买食品并为有需要的人报销;切换到紧急模式以满足激增的需求。生活在不断变化的气候中：该奖项反映了NSF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。

Food security has been increasingly threatened by poor crop production, high food prices, and supply chain failures. There is an urgent need to improve food security in the aftermath of natural disasters, such as flooding, hurricane, and drought. The common food bank approach for hunger relief and disaster response is far from being sustainable and equitable due to its limited nutritious options, reactive operations, and logistical barriers. This CIVIC project aims to create and validate a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based digital platform that not only promotes sustainable and equitable access to healthy foods but also is resilient to natural disasters and supply chain disruptions in the face of a changing climate. Specifically, the platform will help the communities by providing a robust solution to healthy food access. The project will make special consideration of socially vulnerable populations by increasing their food access during crises. Priority and reimbursement are given to economically disadvantaged households; volunteer riders are assigned to help with food delivery for people with limited mobility. Moreover, the platform has the potential to be transferred to and scaled up in other cities or regions since the marginal cost is low. The goal of this project is to improve food security during natural disasters by developing a GIS-based, decentralized digital platform with special consideration for socially vulnerable populations. It focuses on conducting a pilot study in the Tampa Bay Area and adopting the sharing economy business model to connect consumers directly with local food growers. The platform builds a map interface to collect and share essential information with the community, integrates GIS to identify the most vulnerable neighborhoods, and matches them with food supplies. It implements a dedicated emergency mode to mitigate food insecurity, inaccessibility, and inequity. The platform, once finished, can crowdsource real-time data via a map interface; spatially match the food demand and supply; optimize the location and route choices for the food delivery; enable hassle-free food purchase for everyone and reimbursement for people in need; switch to an emergency mode to meet the surged demand.This project is in response to the Civic Innovation Challenge program—Track A. Living in a changing climate: pre-disaster action around adaptation, resilience, and mitigation—and is a collaboration between NSF, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of Energy.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.