Using Network Analysis to Understand a Food System

Interest in locally produced food has grown significantly over the years, as evidenced by the expansion of local food systems in regions across the United States. Yet while some have become incredibly robust—weathering closures during COVID with ease and even capitalizing on the opportunities presented by the disruption to the conventional food system—others have faltered and stalled. Why? What makes a food system successful and resilient? Network analysis offers a unique opportunity to understand food systems as networks, allowing us to identify network features that are determinants of food system success and resilience.

Structural Topic Modeling

Open-ended survey questions are a common feature of surveys across all domains. Analyses of survey responses, however, frequently focus exclusively on quantitative analysis of responses to close-ended questions. If the open-ended responses are discussed at all, it’s typically to highlight a few—often as direct quotes—that seem particularly interesting.

Mapping a Food System

To improve access to healthy food and, ultimately, health outcomes, many local governments are considering recommending changes to their business licensing requirements and/or their zoning ordinances to encourage development of certain types of retail food outlets and/or prevent the development of other types of outlets in various neighborhoods/areas. Expanding on measures of food deserts and food swamps, the CDC has created the Modified Retail Food Environment Index (mRFEI) to capture both concepts in a single number and has calculated that number for the state of Montana and each of its counties.