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Urban food systems lag behind other municipal functions in the use of smart technologies, and existing food metrics platforms insufficiently address race, gender, class, and geographic inequalities, two significant gaps in knowledge and practice.
To address these gaps, a research team led by CUNY SPH Associate Professor Nevin Cohen will create a prototype food environment equity dashboard for New York City (FEED-NYC), thanks to a National Science Foundation planning grant.
The project will advance our understanding of the impacts of smart technologies in addressing food system inequality by developing a tool to aggregate, organize, analyze and visualize food systems equity data; testing novel methods of disaggregating, combining, and mapping data to measure food insecurity vulnerabilities; developing use cases that illustrate the potential social and political effects of an equity-focused data dashboard; and evaluating the process of co-producing FEED-NYC and anticipated uses of the dashboard by municipal officials, service providers, and community stakeholders.
The project will illustrate a process for integrating different disciplines and diverse sectors to foster a smart and connected community of practice among participants. Throughout the year, participants will identify research gaps and refine hypotheses about the roles of FEED-NYC in influencing policies and programs that the researchers intend to test in a subsequent research project.
“Our aim is to show how to turn food data into policy-relevant insights to advance health equity. The long-term goal is a shared knowledge platform for non-profits, activists, city officials, and researchers working for food justice.”
