PIXELS & PLOWSDesigning for Food Deserts

According to the USDA, 23.5 million Americans suffer poor access to

anysource of healthy, affordable food.

People rely on alternative sources of nourishment, such as fast food restaurants and corner

bodegas overstocked with unhealthy options.

One of the challenges in today’s food landscape is the need to

ensure store margins. Advertising accounts for 25¢ of every dollar spent on national

brands.

There are also fears that the “Walmartization” of agriculture will

resultin even lower food quality &

distribution.

And that small-scale urban farms will face increased pressure to

stay in business.

Developing and maintaining healthy eating habits is a learned skill that requires education and support.

Even if fresh produce were freely available, there’s no

guarantee that consumers will have any idea what

to do with it.

This is where technology can help.

The app market is already saturated with dietary tools for

caloric intake and portion control, but few that improve access.

The future of food distribution may very well be “virtual grocery

stores,” where transactions are made by scanning bar codes off a

subway billboard.

Integrating mobile apps and web-based systems into agriculture,

however, presents unique accessibility & usability challenges.

This presentation, then, will examine how today’s

technology can mitigate the cultural and economic barriers

between farm and fork.

We’ll review case studies throughout the world where digital innovation has benefitted small-

scale growers & suppliers.

And we’ll explore how technology can successfully transform today’s food deserts into

consciously healthy communities.

Together, we’ll discover how great digital experiences can

improve access to support fundamental human needs.

And nothing could be more fundamental than the food we choose to put into our bodies.