Work

Comparative Analysis of Independent Food Delivery Platforms: Empowering Food Movement Values

Year: 2025

Type: conference-paper

Abstract: Food insecurity remains a persistent issue in the United States, affecting approximately 10-15% of households, with marginalized communities disproportionately impacted.Food security focuses on ensuring consistent access to adequate and nutritious food.In contrast, the food movement, which encompasses principles of food justice and food sovereignty, addresses these disparities by advocating for equitable access to healthy food and empowering communities to shape their food systems.Our study investigates how independent food delivery platforms (indie) align with food movement values by selecting and analyzing a random sample of 50 US-based platforms out of a total pool of 489.Our findings reveal that while many platforms demonstrate strong alignment with food security principles, particularly in terms of accessibility and nutritional quality, significant gaps remain in anti-racist practices, community control, and sustainability efforts.We offer design recommendations and policy insights to help indie platforms promote equity, inclusivity, and sustainability, ultimately advancing more equitable food systems and addressing systemic challenges in food insecurity.

Source: Extended Abstracts of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI EA)

DOI: 10.1145/3706599.3719690

Authors: Siti Khadijah binti Sultan, Aarti Israni, Jared Lee Katzman, Tawanna R Dillahunt

Institution: University of Michigan

Language: English

Topic: Food Security and Health in Diverse Populations

Subfield: General Health Professions

Field: Health Professions

Domain: Health Sciences

SDGs: Reduced inequalities, Zero hunger

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture