This week, you will prepare your written argument for oral delivery. Imagine you have submitted a proposal in written form, and your audience asks you to deliver an oral presentation to a virtual or...

GP 1 Class 4 1 6 Technological Solutions to Food Insecurity Noman Khan Computer Info Systems, DeVry University ENGL135 Advanced Composition Lori Cameron May 31, 2023 Technological Solutions to Food Insecurity Food insecurity is a recognized problem in America. The National Institute for Health Care Management has reported that more than 34 million Americans still face food insecurity daily (NHICM, 2022). Additionally, the CDC recognizes that food deserts still exist in the United States. Food deserts define areas with no access to the healthy foods needed for a healthy lifestyle. This shortage can result from economic or logistical difficulties in supplying these areas from far-off farms. Current mitigations for this problem still need to be improved, hence the need for a more comprehensive solution to food insecurity. This essay aims at analyzing practical ways impacted communities can take to solve the issue of food insecurity among its members. Exploring the role of emerging technologies in combating food insecurity among these demographics could help realize better mitigation measures. Problem Statement Poverty and unemployment are the main causes of food insecurity. Inaccessibility to inexpensive, nutritious food options makes the issue worse. Food insecurity disproportionately affects the poor and vulnerable demographics of society. Since food insecurity reduces economic productivity and academic ability of students, it could create a situation where impacted people are unable to work to change their condition (Siddiqui et al., 2020). In the long term, this would create a generational cycle of poverty that becomes increasingly harder to resolve over time. For this reason, effective intervention is necessary to help impacted community members break free from their situation. Veterans are among the highest impacted demographic in regard to food insecurity. A study by Rabbit and Smith (2021) established that 11% of working age veterans lived in food-insecure households. An additional 5% of vetarans lived in low food-secure households, which indicates that normal feeding habits may be disrupted from day to day. This result is correlated to the difficulties faced by veterans in terms of mental and physical health after service. Injuries and traumas may render veterans unemployable, subjecting them to higher rates of food insecurity than the general population (Fest, 2020). This situation can be noted across different classes of vulnerable demographics. Different agencies have made efforts to eradicate food insecurity. School programs such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and school lunch programs aim at addressing food proactively (Freudenberg et al., 2019). Additionally, community initiatives such as food banks and other community-driven organizations facilitate food redistribution to vulnerable demographics. Although these interventions have had a good effect, they often encounter logistical difficulties, insufficient funding, and limits in reaching all impacted people and groups. One of the main challenges facing food security initiatives is mapping the communities that most desperately need help. Food desert studies have historically being used in attempts to resolve this problem. The studies focus on the transportation and movement patterns of residents within food desert areas. However, this narrow focus leaves out key factors such as the communities’ subjective experiences and their aspirations for community change (Bacon & Baker, 2017). A more comprehensive approach would not only resolve the challenges in identification and access, but also promote independence by developing long-term solutions. Potential Solutions One viable solution to food insecurity is implementing communal gardens and urban agricultural activities. With modern technologies such as hydroponics and vertical farming, the land required to produce food has been significantly reduced (Chatterjee et al., 2020). This technique allows communities to produce vegetables, fruits, and herbs in urban and sub-urban settlements. This approach's main benefits include access to affordable fresh, nutritious food and job creation in low-employment communities (Luke, 2014). These benefits could transform a community in the long term. However, this initiative may experience challenges such as obtaining critical resources such as seeds and equipment and providing knowledge and support for sustainable agricultural techniques. While small gardens are relatively cheap to set-up and manage, resolving a communal food security challenge requires a large farm, which needs substantial investment (Siegner et al., 2018). Additionally, urban agriculture necessitates more advanced techniques to improve soil fertility. Additionally, given the scarcity of land in urban settlements, more advanced technologies like hydroponics and vertical farming are necessary. These are challenging and expensive to implement and manage over their life cycle (Zhang et al., 2018). A comprehensive funding strategy is necessary for successful implementation of these systems. Another viable option is creating and spreading mobile food markets and online food access platforms. Mobile markets may provide fresh produce and essential foods to marginalized populations, such as rural areas and food deserts, where access to grocery shops is limited (Karpyn et al., 2019). Individuals may use online platforms to purchase meals and deliver them to their homes, guaranteeing accessibility and lowering transportation constraints. This technique has the advantages of expanding food alternatives for underprivileged populations, boosting convenience and accessibility, and supporting local farmers and food producers. Nevertheless, challenges may include the necessity for efficient transit infrastructure, maintaining affordability for low-income populations, and resolving possible internet access and literacy disparities. Mobile food markets are resilient and efficient. For instance, these systems have been useful in food supply during crises. For instance, mobile food delivery services were essential during the Covid-19 pandemic (O’Hara & Toussaint, 2021). The systems ensured that individuals could still access fresh groceries as needed despite existing challenges. Additionally, this could help build better supply chains between food producers and consumers. Recommended Solution A combination of these remedies would provide the most substantial and sustainable results. Combining community gardens and urban farming initiatives with mobile food markets and online food access platforms can create a multifaceted strategy to combat food insecurity (Chan et al., 2018). An implementation of technologies such as hydroponics and vertical farming requires substantial investment of human and financial capital. These projects would also be time intensive and require a high level of management and monitoring. However, making communities self-sufficient would eliminate food deserts and significantly improve public health, reducing healthcare costs. Investments in these strategies would have a substantial payoff in terms of economic growth and social welfare of the community. Urban farms would help increase the sustainability of farming. While the initial stages of implementing vertical farms may be expensive, they are cheaper to run in the long run (Jassem & Razzak, 2020). This is especially because traditional farming methods require an intensive investment in terms of land and farm imputs. Additionally, vertical farming uses a substantially less amount of water, making it more environmentally friendly (Al-Kodmany, 2018). Vertical farming increases the yield per unit area, making it a more sustainable approach to farming. This alternative would reduce the carbon footprint of farming and also shorten supply chains. The complex requirements of implementing community gardens and urban farming call for collaboration. Joint efforts from government agencies, NGOs, and individuals are necessary for the success of these strategies (Jacob & Rocha, 2021). Establishing online access platforms for healthy food, including the produce harvested from urban farms is comparatively more straightforward. However, a substantial amount of investment is still necessary for this implementation. A comprehensive logistics system is also required to distribute the farm produce, given that most foods are perishable. However, these requirements can be effectively met through the effective engagement of stakeholders. Hydroponic and vertical farming technologies' sustainability might help rally support and funding from different sources. Vertical urban farming has presented a viable entrepreneurial avenue in diiferent settlements. According to Nwosisi and Nandwani (2018), urban horticulture presents entrepreneuurs with a viable investment while resolving food security issues in urban settlements. However, a significant amount of specialized knowledge and capital investment is required to achieve tis goal. To support food security, ,the government should investigate appropriate approaches to supporting private urban farming. This financial backing may involve changes in policy, subsidies, or other forms of financial provision. Conclusion There is a increasing need to improve access to nutritious food in American communities. A more resilient and equitable food system can be established by creating community gardens and urban farming programs that supply the locals with fresh produce. Another approach involves increasing access to nutritious food through mobile food markets and online platforms. These platforms are already established for fast food distribution and would work well because the population is already familiar with their model. Community members have an active role in facilitating these initiatives' implementation. Influencing policies through engagement with leaders and local food recovery initiatives is a good starting point. Establishing community gardens and urban farming initiatives also requires commitment among community members and their leaders. References Al-Kodmany, K. (2018). The Vertical Farm: A Review of Developments and Implications for the Vertical City. Buildings, 8(2), 24. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings8020024 Bacon, C. M., & Baker, G. L. (2017). The rise of food banks and the challenge of matching food assistance with potential need: towards a spatially specific, rapid assessment approach. Agriculture and Human Values, 34(4), 899–919. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10460-017-9783-y Chan, H. M., Wesche, S. D., Fillion, M., & MacLean, J. (2018). Supporting Inuit food security: A synthesis of initiatives in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, Northwest Territories. Canadian Food Studies, 5(2), 73–110. https://doi.org/10.15353/cfs-rcea.v5i2.213 Chatterjee, A., Debnath, S. K., & Pal, H. (2020). Implication of Urban Agriculture and Vertical Farming for Future Sustainability. In IntechOpen eBooks. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.91133 Fest, G. (2020). Barriers with Integrating Veteran’s Return into the Workplace [PhD Dissertation]. Northcentral University. Freudenberg, N., Goldrick-Rab, S., & Poppendieck, J. (2019). College Students and SNAP: The New Face of Food Insecurity in the United States. American Journal of Public Health, 109(12), 1652–1658. https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.2019.305332 Jacob, M. C. M., & Rocha, C. (2021). Models of governance in community gardening: administrative support fosters project longevity. Local Environment, 26(5), 557–574. https://doi.org/10.1080/13549839.2021.1904855 Jassem, S., & Razzak, M. A. (2020). Entrepreneurship in Urban Jungles through High-Tech Vertical Farming. In IntechOpen eBooks. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.93667 Karpyn, A., Riser, D. M., Tracy, T. E., Wang, R., & Shen, Y. (2019). The changing landscape of food deserts. PubMed, 44, 46–53. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32550654 Luke, K. (2014). Let it grow: urban gardens and food access in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania [Undergraduate Thesis]. University of Pittsburgh. Nwosisi, S., & Nandwani, D. (2018). Urban Horticulture: Overview of Recent Developments. In Sustainable development and biodiversity (pp. 3–29). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-67017-1_1 O’Hara, S., & Toussaint, E. C. (2021). Food access in crisis: Food security and COVID-19. 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