Local Links by Leila Akberdin
Local links aims to address health conditions and nutrient deficiency by connecting users to nutrient-dense food from local farmers. The system (which could be sponsored by local health facilities) starts with a health assessment that identifies current illnesses, diseases, chronic conditions, and nutrition deficits. The system then would create a catalog of recipes that are personalized to that user’s health. Then the app would connect users to local farmers for purchasing of ingredients through pick up from farms or local pick-up points. Options for ingredients would entail a farmer’s average yield as well as a discounted rate for product that would have otherwise been wasted.
This conjecture hopes to address the health deficiencies that come with food insecurity through a connection with local sustainably produced biodiverse food that supports immune functions. Additionally, this system would accept food assistance programs as a form of payment to increase access to diverse nutrient-packed food. Furthermore, by offering the food that may have been left to waste in the field at a discounted rate, lower-income households may then have greater access to diverse nutrition sources while decreasing the carbon footprint of that agricultural exchange. Lastly, by connecting to local farmers instead of wider spread supply chains, Local Links aims to decrease the environmental damage associated with the transportation of food.
