Where Does Your Food Come From? First-of-a-Kind Map Tracks Journey Across Thousands of Miles

If extreme rainfall wiped out all food growing in Jalisco, a Pacific coastal state in western Mexico, it would eliminate enough calories to feed 765,000 people in the United States. A widespread drought in the Brazilian state of Paraná could cut enough fat to meet needs of more than 1.7 million people in Egypt. Western Australia’s next major heatwave could knock out enough protein to feed 8 million people in China.

These are some of many insights revealed by a newly launched interactive tool called the Global Food Twin. Developed by CU Boulder data scientist Zia Mehrabi and his collaborators at Earth Genome, a non-profit organization, the interactive digital map shows how food moves from farm to table. It offers a first-of-its kind view into the world’s highly connected and increasingly fragile food system.

“This is a landmark effort, because no one’s ever done this at this scale and level of detail,” said Mehrabi, assistant professor of environmental studies and founder of CU Boulder’s Better Planet Laboratory, which leverages data science to address some of the leading global environmental and human rights issues. “We’re able to represent the complexity of our food system, showing people a window into a world they haven’t seen before.”