Digitalization of food provisioning

A scoping review of social implications and pathways to equitable futures

Authors

  • Mosen Farhangi IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute
  • Harald Rohracher Linköping University
  • Nevin Cohen The City University of New York https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4961-572X
  • Rositsa Ilieva The City University of New York https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8183-5445
  • Meike Brückner Humboldt University of Berlin
  • Suse Brettin Humboldt University of Berlin
  • Esther Veen Wageningen University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2025.143.017

Keywords:

digitalization, digital food provisioning, equity, social impacts, food system

Abstract

This review examines the social consequences of digital food provisioning (DFP), the application of digital technologies to food acquisition and home delivery, and its potential for shaping equitable food futures and promoting food justice. The paper specifically investigates how DFP influences consumer behavior, labor conditions, and social relations, drawing insights from current studies and empirical evidence. By synthesizing a wide range of scholarly work, this review aims to uncover how digital transformations in food provisioning can either reinforce or mitigate social inequalities and discusses strategies to leverage DFP towards achieving a more equitable and just food system.

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Author Biographies

Mosen Farhangi, IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute

PhD; Senior Researcher, Life Cycle Management, Sustainable Society

Harald Rohracher, Linköping University

PhD; Professor, Department of Thematic Studies—Technology and Social Change

Nevin Cohen, The City University of New York

PhD; Associate Professor, CUNY Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy

Rositsa Ilieva, The City University of New York

PhD; Associate Professor, CUNY Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy

Meike Brückner, Humboldt University of Berlin

PhD; Postdoc, Division of Gender and Globalization

Suse Brettin, Humboldt University of Berlin

PhD candidate, Division of Gender and Globalization

Esther Veen, Wageningen University

PhD; Rural Sociology, Department of Social Sciences

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Published

2025-06-13

How to Cite

Farhangi, M., Rohracher, H., Cohen, N., Ilieva, R., Brückner, M., Brettin, S., & Veen, E. (2025). Digitalization of food provisioning: A scoping review of social implications and pathways to equitable futures. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 14(3), 233–250. https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2025.143.017

Issue

Vol. 14 No. 3 (2025): Summer 2025: Open Call Papers on SNAP and Other Topics

Section

Open Call Paper

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Mosen Farhangi, Harald Rohracher, Nevin Cohen, Rositsa Ilieva, Meike Brückner, Suse Brettin, Esther Veen

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

The copyright to all content published in JAFSCD belongs to the author(s). It is licensed as CC BY 4.0. This license determines how you may reprint, copy, distribute, or otherwise share JAFSCD content.

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