Database of research projects for volunteers in food security during global catastrophes (ALLFED)
In short
The Alliance to Feed the Earth in Disasters (ALLFED) is a nonprofit food security organization that aims to help build resilience to global catastrophic food system failures. ALLFED has a mature volunteering system for those contributors who want to invest their time in reducing global catastrophic risk. We have prepared a new database of research projects for volunteers interested in food security for global catastrophic scenarios, which you can find here. You can send your expression of interest for these projects in this form.
Screenshot of the database
Context
The Alliance to Feed the Earth in Disasters (ALLFED) is a nonprofit food security organization that aims to help build resilience to global catastrophic food shocks. We work on research, policy, and technology development: research to find the most promising interventions against these catastrophes, policy to transfer our recommendations to decision makers, and technology development to ensure that our recommendations are tested and the necessary technologies are available to respond.
At Alliance To Feed The Earth In Disasters (ALLFED), we see feeding all and preserving biodiversity in a catastrophe as something achievable – through advance planning, collaboration, communication, and research.
Volunteers play a key role in these goals, and this spreadsheet provides an overview of research – and, in some cases, other – endeavors for which candidates can apply. Successful volunteers would e.g. participate in collaborative meetings, utilize creative and strategic thinking and rigorous methods, get experience in publishing peer-reviewed papers, as well as conduct other project-specific tasks.
All of this and more can be done from anywhere in the world, on any timezone, and largely on a schedule that works for you – the program is characterized by exceptional flexibility and support, and we have significant experience integrating and managing volunteers. Some of our core, long-standing team members got involved through volunteering!
Note that this database contains only research projects, whereas we also accept expressions of interest for people who want to volunteer in topics such as operations or communications. You can read more here.
Appendix: list of project titles
Recovering infrastructure as quickly as possible after a catastrophe
Retrofitting ships to be wind-powered
Emergency CubeSat
Developing plants resilient to low sunlight, temperature, or water
Foods from thin air: Towards CO2-based diets for deep space missions, Earth’s environment, and existential food resilience
Potential of combined production of lignocellulosic sugar and leaf protein concentrate for preventing mass starvation in an ASRS
Potential of microbial fats for preventing mass starvation in an ASRS
Potential of single cell protein from wood and agricultural residues for preventing mass starvation in an ASRS
Potential of single cell protein via solid fermentation of peat/lignite for preventing mass starvation in an ASRS
Rapid repurposing of industrial infrastructure for microbial food production in global catastrophic food shocks
Retrofitting single cell protein animal feed factories to single cell protein human food factories
Agricultural residues: Potential for feeding ruminants
Integrated model with addition of crop relocation, expanded planted area, and (maybe) leaf protein concentrate
Quick cost estimates of potential resilient foods
Systematic review of health outcomes of nutritional issues in an ASRS
Integrated model with infrastructure and population loss
Expanded planted area scale-up analysis
In-depth analysis of labor and equipment for industrial food production
Food production during an x-pandemic
Analysis of international cooperation in an ASRS like nuclear winter
Cost and scaling of energy/electricity production in a catastrophe
GIS analysis of water supply and demand if the sun is obscured
Integrated model with varying number of Tg and duration of aerosols
Literature review and mapping of regions resilient to global catastrophes
Estimating worst drop in food production globally so far for every country
GCFF mental health
Literature assessment on whether people inexperienced in growing food could be trained quickly to do so
Supply-chain modelling under severe disruption scenarios
Mortality from losing infrastructure if basic needs are met
Trade economics without money in loss of industry
Produce a governmental ASRS response plan for a particular country
Produce ASRS or GCIL response plans at various governance levels
Piloting agriculture in ASRS conditions
Water treatment in an x-pandemic
Plant-based meat to displace inefficient animal agriculture in an ASRS