Speakers: Nina Kshetry, Ensaras, and Lav R. Varshney, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Abstract: A foodshed is a geographic area from which a population derives its food supply, but a method to determine boundaries of foodsheds has not been formalized. Drawing on the food-water-energy nexus, we propose a formal network science definition of foodsheds by using data from virtual water flows, i.e. water that is virtually embedded in food. In particular we use spectral graph partitioning for directed graphs. If foodsheds turn out to be geographically compact, it suggests the food system is local and therefore reduces energy and externality costs of food transport. In computing the foodsheds of India, we find they are indeed largely contiguous geographically, though fairly large. The formal method we propose may be used more broadly to study commodity flows and their impact on sustainability.