The Digital Consumer

Overview

Co-Chair: Dr. William Li, Angiogenesis Foundation
Co-Chair: Open
Faculty Advisor: Corby Kummer, Senior Lecturer, Friedman School of Nutrition, Tufts

As the Food is Medicine movement continues to gain national presence and attention, it is of increasing importance that consumers receive timely, accurate, and targeted communication and education on research backed nutrition information. This includes addressing the challenge of misinformation that is accelerating in a digital environment. This group explores how to leverage best communication practices and research at Tufts to accelerate a move towards a nutrition-centered food system.

Lines of inquiries for this group include:

1. 1. Information/misinformation in the era of the digital food citizen, including behavioral economics, demographics (age, culture, class, geography), traditional methods of communication (e.g., product marketing, advocacy, PSA/consumer awareness campaigns, storytelling) and non-traditional methods of communication (e.g., in-store retail, restaurants, digital/e-commerce experience), data transparency, unregulated food claims, and AI information generation.
   2. True cost accounting of food as a consumer communication tool, considering sub-topics such as workforce, national security, climate, and environment.

Outputs

1. 1. Working Paper: The Multi-Sectoral Use of Food as Medicine: From Myth to Market, Suzannah Gerber, 2021
   2. Food is Medicine National Summit: Transforming Healthcare (April 2023) (Conference proceedings forthcoming)

Members