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Abstract Reducing wasted food has been identified as a key strategy to meet food security goals and attain human nutritional needs and food preferences in an equitable, sustainable, and resilient manner. Yet, mathematically modeling how reducing wasted food contributes to sustainability, equity, and resilience objectives, and the possible interactions and tradeoffs among these metrics, is limited by challenges to quantifying these characteristics. Using the process of convergent science, we develop a prototype wasted food model to evaluate how a set of common equity, sustainability, and resilience measures interact. We consider prevention (consumer education) and treatment (anaerobic digestion and composting) options for wasted food diversion from landfills. The model applies a convex nonlinear optimization to determine the allocation of wasted food to different management alternatives, optimizing for economic (net cost), sustainability (emissions reductions or energy savings), or equity (distribution of per-capita cost or emissions reduction impacts). The model developed in this research is available online as open-source code for others to replicate and build upon for future studies and analysis. Our findings illustrate that optimal wasted food management alternatives may vary when targeting different metrics and that strategies promoting cost-effectiveness may be in tension with sustainability or equity goals and vice versa. The implications of this study could be used by policy makers to evaluate how wasted food reduction measures will impact sustainability, equity, and resilience goals. 

The market for microgreens as a specialty crop is gaining increased attention as concerns about global warming, food insecurity, food supply chain and food safety have become salient issues among consumers, food cultivators, and food regulators. The farm-to-table concept continues to trend and attract followers and adoptees, and many stakeholders (including consumers, local growers, restaurateurs, and grocery stores owners) are eager to learn more about the economic prospect of the microgreen movement. In a science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) academic setting, microgreens, which are harvested 7 to 14 days after germination, are ideal for teaching underrepresented students about food and nutrition. We are interested in conducting research that investigates how to grow, harvest, and transport microgreens using quantitative analytic and systems engineering tools. Specifically, we will highlight our undergraduate and graduate student researchers and their progress in learning how various STEM disciplines can be applied to address agricultural problems.