, convened by Google and comprised of more than 30 partners across the nation, notes that while the shift to online grocery shopping has contributed to the decline of brick-and-mortar supermarkets, there could also be a silver lining. For example, the success of the USDA’s Online Purchasing Pilot for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program allows families living below the poverty line to purchase fresh produce at half the cost from participating online grocers.
E-commerce services and mobile platforms, like online SNAP, might help to address disparities in food access throughout the city by bringing food to a family’s front door. The Refresh report also points out many ways that emerging technologies—like machine learning apps, as just one example—can help to improve food access when those tools are both affordable and user-centered.
In order to achieve an equitable food ecosystem in Austin, these systemic issues must be addressed with multi-pronged approaches. Empowering entrepreneurs is another way that the local community is working to ensure a food secure Austin. When the doors offirst opened in East Austin in 2017, it was the city’s very first purpose-built culinary incubator.
The Cook’s Nook draws on Silicon Valley’s principles of testing, adapting and improving an initial business proposition to help businesses—particularly those owned by women and underserved communities—find their footing and get into the market faster. By pooling essential resources collectively, the organization has helped more than 40 member companies to reduce the costly overhead and capital expenses that can prevent small businesses from finding success.
It’s an important venture given the uphill battle faced by food businesses. While reliable stats are hard to come by, the Austin City Council has recognized this struggle by recently approving funding for a study of the disparities that minority and women-owned businesses face in the local area. Meanwhile, with the support of the
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