IFSL Program Mission and Vision

Growing Leaders to Feed the Future

The food system is facing incredible challenges – from mitigating food waste, rising food supply chain and safety issues, to building the capacity to feed 9.5 billion people by the year 2050.

In order to ensure a more global, sustainable future, the mission of IFSL is to build the next generation of leaders across the food system to work more effectively together. This mission is supported by a comprehensive and actionable program that broadens food system knowledge and develops the leadership skills needed for participants to achieve better results within their organizations - locally, regionally, and globally.

Five Reasons to Consider IFSL

For people interested in the food system looking to take the next step in their careers, IFSL courses provide the opportunity to:

Broaden knowledge and understanding of food system interdependencies
Be challenged and evolve critical thinking and problem-solving skills across disciplines
Engage, collaborate, and network with faculty and industry advisors
Potentially apply course credits towards a future graduate degree at the University of Minnesota, including the Master of Professional Studies in Applied Sciences Leadership
Help make a difference in our food system!

How Organizations Benefit from the IFSL Program

For organizations throughout the food system, the IFSL program provides an effective way to support business continuity, succession planning, and employee retention initiatives.

To date, 100% of program graduates have achieved the goals identified as success from participation in this program. Corporations that have sent their people for training have closed skill gaps and grown talent to reach the next level of organizational progress.

Through the program’s comprehensive curriculum that incorporates the analysis of current food system issues and trends, IFSL helps develop emerging leaders to think more holistically, work more collaboratively with stakeholders across disciplines, and build critical thinking and problem-solving skills to support better outcomes.

Want to learn more about how your organization could benefit from having your emerging leaders participate in this program? Contact us today to set up a time to speak with IFSL program director Dr. Jennifer van de Ligt.

“IFSL’s systems thinking model provides the opportunity to build a strong foundation of both knowledge and critical thinking skills in 14 months versus gradual learning and development over the course of 10, 15, or even 20 years.”
— Dr. Joseph Scimeca, Senior Vice President Regulatory & Scientific Affairs, International Dairy Foods Association

“I am impressed that the focus of the program goes beyond traditional technical learning by equipping students to be better communicators and collaborators. These “soft skills” are essential in building effective leaders who can help influence the diverse forces that impact our food system.”
— Ruth Petran, Vice President, Food Safety and Public Health, Ecolab (retired)