Using secondary data from mobile phones to monitor local food market access during disasters: an Australian case study

Abstract

ABSTRACT Community food security is vital to creating inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable cities with zero hunger, in alignment with the United Nations' Sustainable Development. Local food economies are fundamental to community food security, but there is little knowledge of how they adapt to disruptions, such as pandemics and natural disasters. Monitoring local food market access during disasters is essential to ensuring local food economies are not accidentally impacted by policy decisions. This study established a methodological framework to monitor local food market access, integrating secondary mobility data and the novel use of readily available analytical tools. The validity of the approach was tested at two local food markets in Southeast Queensland, Australia, during disruptive events. The results show that the 2019 bushfires and the COVID-19 pandemic heavily impacted the number of visits to both markets. The findings show mobile phone data can act as a useful proxy for directly observing visitation patterns, providing insights that can be combined with information about online purchasing and delivery services. The method can be used immediately to monitor and evaluate local food economies during and after disasters. Telecommunications companies can aid disaster response and recovery by sharing mobility data for policy decision support.