Educating the Next Generation of Food Safety Leaders

The December 2021/January 2022 issue of Food Safety Magazine features Dr. Debra Freedman, University of Minnesota’s Integrated Food Leadership Program Curriculum Director, on educating the next generation of food safety leaders.

Freedman explains that the food system faces challenges on a global scale, including mitigating food waste, rising food supply chain and safety issues, and building the capacity to feed nearly 10 billion people by the year 2050. Freedman notes that to ensure a more sustainable future, our next generation of leaders will need to work more collaboratively across the entire food system to drive impactful change, as food contamination can occur at any point in the food system—during production, processing, distribution, and preparation. The need for food safety professionals to view the food system holistically to understand how decisions in one area impact another has never been greater.

Freedman further points out that challenges of this magnitude can be tackled only by transforming the food system and the way we educate the people who lead it. The question is: How do we prepare future food system leaders to drive change and implement solutions effectively? The answer: By developing leaders who think beyond their current roles and understand the benefits of multi-stakeholder collaboration so that, together, we can navigate the complexities of the challenges. Organizations that commit to fostering and supporting the development of these collaborative skills in future leaders will be the ones that thrive in the global food system of the future.

She begins with the question - What Does the Next Generation of Food System Leaders Want? - and then explores important themes of life-long learning, individualized and multiple approaches to education and training, non-traditional education and career paths, and international perspectives. Dr. Freedman’s work concludes with the recommendation that an integrated holistic approach to food safety education is what will drive impactful change and provide food safety professionals with better strategies to manage the unexpected.

The University of Minnesota Integrated Food Systems Leadership (IFSL) Program is designed for professionals interested in accelerating their careers. The IFSL program is a unique, online, graduate certificate program that fosters leadership, collaboration, and innovation across the food system. IFSL is a Post-Baccalaureate Regents Certificate program aimed at bridging the gap between traditional food system education and a professional leadership program.