Native Hawaiians are disproportionately affected by food insecurity and other issues in the food system. Yet, they and other indigenous people are underrepresented in the food science workforce. And just when the need for such expertise is increasing, there will be a predicted shortfall of graduates.
“In order to strengthen the food system and bolster our local food industries in Hawaiʻi, we need to foster and develop the next generation of experts and leaders in food safety, food processing, and food chemistry,” says Kacie Ho of the Dept. of Human Nutrition, Food, and Animal Sciences. “These are the people we need to ensure the safety, quality, and nutritional density of the foods we grow, process, and eat in our state.”
Enter a new “National Needs Fellowship Program” grant from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Kacie, Soojin Jun, and Yong Li will use the funds to actively recruit six new graduate students – particularly those from Native Hawaiian, Native American, and Alaska Native backgrounds – and provide advanced training in food science research and holistically foster technical research, teaching, and leadership skills through student-centered training opportunities for the recruited graduate in HNFAS’ Food Science MS program.
“We want to make a specific effort to recruit and empower our talented Native Hawaiian students, who might not have thought of getting a higher degree in food science,” says Kacie. “We believe if we provide the opportunity, students will rise to the challenge, and will become the experts and leaders in our local and global food systems.”
The grant and overall project goal also align with CTAHR's new Strategic Planning and Vision, specifically, in workforce development and toward a resilient and thriving food system. These have implications for health as the students will be engaging in advanced food science research (i.e., research to develop improved food-processing techniques to enhance the quality/nutrition of foods, enhance the safety of foods, and study the impacts of certain food components on potential health outcomes).
“Our MS program is small with only three faculty, so this grant will help strengthen our food science program and allow us to better develop the future talent we need in our workforce and to support Hawaiʻi’s food system,” says Kacie.