CIVIC-FA Track B - Leveraging a connected network of unattended micro-pantries to reduce food waste and improve food security

Traditional Hunger Relief Organizations (HROs) have gaps in their ability to serve food-insecure households, operating from a limited number of locations and for limited hours, and often relying on purchased food that doesn’t directly reduce local food waste. Micro-pantries are small, decentralized, unattended, shared food pantries and fridges that allow local residents and businesses to donate food within their own neighborhoods. Despite their growing popularity, little is known about how much food is distributed through micro-pantries, how many individuals use them, and the safety and quality of food supplied. Consequently, HROs are reluctant to leverage this vast network of satellite micro-pantries, and local health departments have valid food safety concerns. Through a Stage 1 planning grant, we mapped 275 existing micro-pantries in the greater Seattle area, developed and tested a low-cost modular sensing platform to provide reliable data on micro-pantry usage and food safety, and conducted user engagement research. Through a first deployment, we estimated more than 4 million pounds of food being distributed in a year through the entire micro-pantry network in the study area of Seattle. While many different types of stakeholders use micro-pantries—including owners, donors, and recipients—they lack a system for centralized information-sharing. The current project aims to assess at scale whether a cyber-physical network of connected shared micro-pantries can complement HROs as a reliable and efficient system for hyper-local food redistribution while allowing for localized reduction of food waste. Our multi-disciplinary team of experts in urban logistics, supply chain, wireless sensor technology, food safety, and public health will collaborate with a national recycling company, public jurisdictions, and HROs to (1) deploy at scale modular, low-cost, wireless sensor platforms to gather and communicate data on micro-pantry usage and food safety conditions; (2) create a centralized information and communication system for micro-pantries donors and recipients; and (3) assess the potential to improve the safety and quality of food donated through micro-pantries, working with the state health department to establish best practices. This research and action project will advance knowledge of how civic-engaged research on sensor and information-sharing technologies can be rapidly designed and piloted to support hyper-local food redistribution, reduce inefficiencies and food waste, and enhance community access to safe, high-quality food. This research will provide a valuable, first-of-its-kind, formal study of micro-pantries as a potential solution to address food security and food waste at the neighborhood level, seeking to close gaps in traditional food rescue and distribution. 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.