Target Partners With MIT, Design Firm Ideo For The "future Of Food"

Target Corp. has partnered with Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab and international design firm Ideo to explore urban farming, food transparency, and supply chain and health issues, the retailer said in a blog post. This month, the retailer will launch a research project with MIT Media Lab's Laboratory for Social Machines on brand communications, social media and supply chain issues. Over the next few months, Target will launch a website with Ideo to pinpoint food trends and analyze how food will be grown, sold and consumed over the next 15 years. Then in January, the two organizations will launch Food + Future coLAB, using MIT Media Lab research to tackle food-related challenges. Finally, Target and MIT's Open Agriculture will collaborate to examine urban farming. In April, the retailer named Anne Dament the senior vice president of merchandising, leading the repositioning of Target's food business.