Food Systems Are Part of Who We Are
From the beginning, the College of Agriculture’s mission has extended beyond the farm to include almost everything related to food and nutrition. As nutritional health and food safety become more prominent on state and national agendas, the need for effective research, extension, and teaching is greater than ever.
Childhood obesity and nutrition-linked illness are pervasive and persistent. Our poorest stakeholders still struggle with the ability to afford and access healthy food. Interest in food quality, safety, and even the cultural and social implications of food have increased tremendously. Solving our most difficult food and health challenges will certainly require that we assemble teams of nutrition educators, nutritional biochemists, food technologists, and social/behavioral scientists.
The merger of Agriculture and Human Environmental Sciences was the opportunity to unify and strengthen food systems programs so we could better build those teams. It was one of the best reasons for the merger.
This issue of the magazine features two examples of the College’s food-related efforts. But there is much more.
Kentucky’s leadership in the competitive world of food business, at the smallest and largest scale, is being advanced by our food scientists and economists.
Our food scientists are developing new technologies and new products that add value to Kentucky agricultural products and open up new opportunities for entrepreneurs from all sectors.
Faculty in agricultural economics and merchandising are supporting successful efforts to expand and diversify food marketing systems in and beyond Kentucky. Degree programs in dietetics and hospitality management, now among the largest in the College, are developing the future leaders of food-driven enterprises.
And, we recently established and staffed our Food Systems Initiative to help us focus, coordinate, and promote our food-related programs.
The College of Agriculture recognizes that food systems are not just an adjunct of agriculture, they are an integral part of what agriculture is today.
M. Scott Smith
Dean and Director, College of Agriculture