Mapping the Nation's Food Supply Chain with Megan Konar

Illinois Innovators

Ever wondered where the food on your plate came from? While it is much easier at Farmer’s Markets or Farm-to-table restaurants for the consumer to know its origination, supermarkets and restaurants are a little more complicated. A group led by Megan Konar, an assistant professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has created the first comprehensive map detailing the food chain within the United States. The team cites 132 Freight analysis framework locations to the 3,142 counties in the US. Those combine form 9.5 million links. Professor Konar joins the program to talk about the enormous project and more of her work. Her research focuses on the intersection of water, food, and trade.