September 21, 2021
Food for Thought - Curriculum Director's Perspective
Growing Diverse Leaders to Feed the Future
No matter where you are in the world, we’ve witnessed an escalation of civil unrest, divisiveness, and continuing racial injustice over the past year. For many, it has created an opportunity for deeper examination, awareness, and discussion of equality and equity in many facets of our lives.
As an educator, I recognize both the responsibility and opportunity I have to advance the conversation. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are vitally important to the IFSL program. Our mission is Growing Leaders to Feed the Future and we recognize that diversity of experiences, backgrounds, and personal characteristics is essential to that mission. It’s not enough to simply tolerate different thoughts and perspectives, it’s imperative that we welcome and seek them out.
The structure and curriculum of the IFSL program is designed to foster the skills and leadership mindset needed to address real-world food system challenges. As part of this leadership mindset, we talk about diversity, the differences that make each person unique, and inclusion, the acts to make each individual feel valued, connected, and safe to be their true self.
Food is an emotional subject and has groups just as entrenched in their beliefs as with the more commonly discussed diversity issues. For example, how do food industry professionals bridge the polarity between animal agriculture and vegan lifestyles? Both lifestyles have important implications and contributions to the overall food system. How should the food industry embrace this diversity and promote inclusion of this type of dichotomy? How are these two lifestyles affiliated with and influenced by diversity in race, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, culture, and social economics?
Within the IFSL program, we discuss the impact of organic and conventional apples at the consumer level. We have students that are passionate about both methods of production of apples. However, when we talk about the impact of disparaging conventionally grown apples as ‘dirty’ or ‘less healthy’ than organic apples or the food choices of those with limited incomes, our students are often surprised. Many are not aware that a food system discussion is actually a diversity discussion. The disparagement of one food, food lifestyle, or food production system often promotes inequality for those with less purchasing power which is affiliated with diversity issues. In this example, consumers are made to feel that the conventional apples are harmful and, as a result, may avoid purchasing a healthy food even though both types of apples have the same level of food safety and nutritional quality. The impact is a perpetuation of inequality of health for those with less purchasing power. This is often the first time that our students have considered how the food system influences the social constructs around diversity and inclusion.
As a global industry, we rely on diversity of culture and thought to deliver on our goals. In order to genuinely understand and identify with the needs of others, we need to look beyond our own circumstances, opinions, and perspectives. When you focus on a situation from only one view, you limit your opportunities for growth. The diverse experiences of new food system leaders are a considerable asset to the future of the industry.
I truly believe there is no challenge in the food system so complex that we can’t solve it by working together. By understanding and respecting a wide variety of perspectives and actively promoting a culture of equity, we can drive faster innovations and more effective solutions that truly make a difference.
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.