Growing Leaders to Feed the Future

An Innovative Graduate-Level Certification Program

To Help the Food System Ensure a More Global, Sustainable Future

The food system is facing incredible challenges. In order to ensure a more global, sustainable future, it’s critical that we build our next generation of leaders to more effectively work together – from the private to public sectors, from farm to fork. This is the mission and vision of the Integrated Food Systems Leadership (IFSL) Program.

 

Fostering Leadership, Collaboration, and Innovation Across the Food System

IFSL is a Post-Baccalaureate Regents Certificate program that bridges the gap between traditional food system education and a professional leadership program.

Delivering a comprehensive and actionable educational experience, the program broadens the knowledge and understanding of the global food supply chain and interdependencies across the food system, while promoting critical thinking and problem solving across disciplines.
 

Designed for Busy Working Professionals

Ideal for those who are currently working in the food system and want to advance their careers, program participants benefit from an interactive, cohort model with manageable weekly studies. Courses take place over a 13-month period and are primarily online with two 2-day onsite courses. Plus, course credits can be applied to a future graduate degree.
 

Built on the Strength of University and Industry Collaboration

The IFSL program draws from the expertise and guidance of:

  • The leadership and faculty of the University of Minnesota’s College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, and School of Public Health.
  • The IFSL Industry Advisors Group representing cross-disciplinary leaders from organizations such as General Mills, Ecolab, Cargill, Pepsico, CHS Robinson, Minnesota Dept of Agriculture, Agrigrowth, Land O' Lakes and Minnesota Turkey.
 

Ready to accelerate your career? We invite you to learn more about IFSL and see if it's right for you!

IFSL Program

Program-at-a-Glance

Developed for 
Working Professionals

Interactive Cohort 
13-Month Program

Primarily Online With
Two 2-Day On-Campus Sessions

Earn 13 Graduate-Level 
Course Credits

New Cohort Class Begins
Each September

Integrated Food Systems Leadership Program signature graphic: depicts person in between two triangles, one with sheaf of wheat and one with fork

Learn More:

“While the agri-food industry boasts a proud tradition of education, skills development, and leadership training, many current programs are either too narrow or too general in focus to tackle the complexities of the entire food system.  By focusing on building knowledge and understanding of linkages within the food chain, the IFSL program uniquely qualifies participants to actively apply that knowledge across the food system, thereby improving their ability to provide strategic leadership on issues.”     

- Tamara A. Nelsen, Executive Director of Minnesota AgriGrowth