By Sheree Rodney June 20,2024
From the farm to the table, automation is shaping how we tackle the pressing, and increasing challenge of food security. According to Uppal (2023), food security refers to the ability for everyone to have both physical and economic access to sufficient nutritious food. By contrast, food insecurity is the lack of sufficient food. Here in Canada, and specifically in BC where our project is based, we have experienced an increase in food insecurity. Because of this, there has been an increase in of food-insecure individuals turning to food banks to provide for their families. Food Bank Canada (FBC), the organization that oversees the effective running of food banks in Canada, reported that in March 2023 over 1.9 million people accessed a food bank. In BC, the figure increased from 124,000 to 195,000 between 2019 and 2023. This reflects a 57 per cent increase over the five-year. Considering these staggering numbers and the urgent need for solutions, food banks are turning to technology for help. This blog is part of our ongoing research that seeks to identify ways in which automation is shaping food security and it invites our readers to pay attention to the way technologies are reshaping or not, the issue of food security. The aim of this blog is to evoke conversations about how technology and food are connected and how these connections impact the daily lives of people.
In our research, we found that a new crop of ‘food apps’ and websites such as Food Rescue Hero, Food Link by United Way BC, Flash Food and Too Good To Go, normalize food charity. They are designed for efficient communication between corporate grocers, food banks, volunteers, and donors and to generate a lot of data about those relationships. Paradoxically, people looking for affordable healthy food close to home do not seem to be the audience for these modern technologies. A food search can be a daunting experience. For instance, based on our experience and involvement with the automated literacy project, we found that a simple search for “food near me” requires a circular process of ‘clicks’ like peeling an onion. Each layer intrusively requests a subscription or revealing a new set of instructions to register and give up personal data. In this sense, we see the food-technology relationship as like the carrot and the stick–an opportunity and a challenge.
In the present era, mobile devices are more prevalent than rice grains. Yet, food-insecure individuals, especially from low-income households, have restricted access to the internet and devices. There is a need to close the digital divide for equitable technology solutions to food security if we are serious about providing sufficient and consistent access to food. It seems feasible to offer solutions such as collaboration between food organizations and tech companies or providing community organizations with adequate resources where individuals would have a central ‘hub’ like the digital café at the Burnaby Neighbourhood House, to access both the internet and technology devices. However, funding poses a severe challenge. Funding will be needed to effectively provide devices, training, and maintenance for these technologies. Furthermore, logistical difficulties might arise in determining how and where to situate these hubs for easy access by local community members.
As we navigate the complex food security landscape, technology is seen as a meaningful tool for real solutions. It can connect food banks and the local community with organizations and donors and provide access to available food. However, the rise in the use of apps and websites to manage food distribution in a charity ecosystem, is making it more challenging for some people to find food. These challenges range from lack of technical training to restricted access to the internet and devices. To make technology a practical solution for food banks and, by extension, a viable solution to food security, we should consider laying the groundwork for a future where food access becomes an inherent right for everyone. Join us in our next post as we delve deeper into the complexities of food security and discuss strategies to make these platforms more accessible and user-friendly to all.