Researchers from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign are participating with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in a cooperative agreement to better understand the flow of food from the farm to the final customer.

The work is co-led by Michelle Miller of the UW-Madison Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems (CIAS) and Megan Konar of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, with support from university, government and private businesses partners. UW-Madison faculty advisors on the project are Steve Deller and Andrew Stevens (Agricultural and Applied Economics), Ernest Perry (Civil and Environmental Engineering), and Lindsey Day Farnsworth (Division of Extension).

The project involves modeling perishable food distribution to better understand local and regional food distribution issues in the United States. Researchers will map the flow of “diet essential,” high-value food commodities that rely on refrigerated transport – dairy, meats, and fresh produce. Understanding the network structure behind moving these categories of food will highlight unique transportation challenges and needs for essential and perishable products, which is especially important during disruptive events.To see the full announcement, go to https://ecals.cals.wisc.edu/2020/11/14/uw-madison-leads-new-usda-funded-collaborative-project-to-study-u-s-food-flows/. For more information, contact Michelle Miller at mmmille6@wisc.edu.