Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Purdue University, Microsoft collaboration calculates food supply risk

The Purdue Food and Agricultural Vulnerability Index quantifies potential risk to the food supply chain as a result of Covid-19 farm and agricultural worker illnesses.

Purdue/Microsoft food vulnerability index

Purdue University is partnering with Microsoft to pinpoint vulnerabilities in the food supply chain due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the organizations said Wednesday.

Together, Microsoft and Purdue’s Department of Agricultural Economics have created the Purdue Food and Agricultural Vulnerability Index, an online dashboard that quantifies the potential risk to the supply of agricultural products as a result of Covid-19 farm and agricultural worker illnesses. That risk depends on a variety of factors, according to Purdue researchers, including: the number of farmers and agricultural workers affected; the location of affected workers, crops, and animals that are grown in the most affected regions; and the degree to which production is concentrated in a particular geographic region.


Built on top of Microsoft Azure and Power BI platforms, the index estimates the share of agricultural production at risk by combining data on the number of Covid-19 cases in each U.S. county with the county’s total population, U.S. Department of Agriculture data on the number of farmers and hired farm workers in each county, and data on agricultural production of each county.

“One of the things we’ve learned over the past few weeks is how important it is to know where our food comes from and to be able to identify and pinpoint potential problem spots. This tool was designed to help us detect if and when a problem emerges,” according to Jayson L. Lusk, distinguished professor and department head of agricultural economics at Purdue and collaborator on the index.

Ranveer Chandra, chief scientist at Microsoft Azure Global and lead collaborator on the project, added that: “Digital tools can help alleviate some of stresses we are currently facing in the food sector. We are collaborating with Purdue University to interpret data from different sources, and from multiple points in the supply chain, to add more visibility and identify potential risks to our food system.”

The online dashboard is free and allows users to drill down by commodity and estimate the potential risk production and productivity losses due to Covid-19 farmer and farm worker illnesses at the state and county level. 

For more information, go to https://purdue.ag/foodagvulnerabilityindex.

Recent

More Stories

Logistics economy continues on solid footing
Logistics Managers' Index

Logistics economy continues on solid footing

Economic activity in the logistics industry expanded in November, continuing a steady growth pattern that began earlier this year and signaling a return to seasonality after several years of fluctuating conditions, according to the latest Logistics Managers’ Index report (LMI), released today.

The November LMI registered 58.4, down slightly from October’s reading of 58.9, which was the highest level in two years. The LMI is a monthly gauge of business conditions across warehousing and logistics markets; a reading above 50 indicates growth and a reading below 50 indicates contraction.

Keep ReadingShow less

Featured

diagram of blue yonder software platforms

Blue Yonder users see supply chains rocked by hack

Grocers and retailers are struggling to get their systems back online just before the winter holiday peak, following a software hack that hit the supply chain software provider Blue Yonder this week.

The ransomware attack is snarling inventory distribution patterns because of its impact on systems such as the employee scheduling system for coffee stalwart Starbucks, according to a published report. Scottsdale, Arizona-based Blue Yonder provides a wide range of supply chain software, including warehouse management system (WMS), transportation management system (TMS), order management and commerce, network and control tower, returns management, and others.

Keep ReadingShow less
drawing of person using AI

Amazon invests another $4 billion in AI-maker Anthropic

Amazon has deepened its collaboration with the artificial intelligence (AI) developer Anthropic, investing another $4 billion in the San Francisco-based firm and agreeing to establish Amazon Web Services (AWS) as its primary training partner and to collaborate on developing its specialized machine learning (ML) chip called AWS Trainium.

The new funding brings Amazon's total investment in Anthropic to $8 billion, while maintaining the e-commerce giant’s position as a minority investor, according to Anthropic. The partnership was launched in 2023, when Amazon invested its first $4 billion round in the firm.

Keep ReadingShow less
chart of robot adoption in factories

Global robot density in factories has doubled in 7 years

Global robot density in factories has doubled in seven years, according to the “World Robotics 2024 report,” presented by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR).

Specifically, the new global average robot density has reached a record 162 units per 10,000 employees in 2023, which is more than double the mark of 74 units measured seven years ago.

Keep ReadingShow less
person using AI at a laptop

Gartner: GenAI set to impact procurement processes

Progress in generative AI (GenAI) is poised to impact business procurement processes through advancements in three areas—agentic reasoning, multimodality, and AI agents—according to Gartner Inc.

Those functions will redefine how procurement operates and significantly impact the agendas of chief procurement officers (CPOs). And 72% of procurement leaders are already prioritizing the integration of GenAI into their strategies, thus highlighting the recognition of its potential to drive significant improvements in efficiency and effectiveness, Gartner found in a survey conducted in July, 2024, with 258 global respondents.

Keep ReadingShow less