Auburn University Food Systems Institute Plan for Enhancing Auburn's Food System Programs

<p>NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY:<br/> The overall rationale is that bringing together faculty from various disciplines and giving them support and help in creating grant proposals and projects is an efficient way to increase extramural funding for Auburn University as well as promoting research to address serious challenges involving various aspects of the food system, including food safety, food security and nutrition. Foodborne illnesses, for example, cost the United States $152 billion?a year, a tab that works out to an average cost of $1,850 each time someone gets sick from food, USA Today recently reported. The report by a former Food and Drug Administration economist notes that costs include medical services, deaths, lost work and disability. The figures are based on data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the FDA.
A worldwide shortage of food inspectors and other food-safety professionals, however, hampers food protection efforts, and during the next 18 months the FDA must implement an array of new regulations as part of the Food Safety Modernization Act. AUFSI is already working with the FDA to provide the specialized training needed by individuals responsible for ensuring the implementation of food safety regulations and best practices. This training is being created in an online, on-demand format that will save states money; they will no longer spend scarce dollars sending inspectors out of state for infrequent training. The challenges are not limited to food safety issues, however. Food security is a serious issue in Alabama, where many people are unsure if they will have the income to pay for nutritious food. Nutrition is also a serious issue in the state, which has one of the highest levels
of obesity in the U.S. In general, AUFSI resources are dedicated to creating and improving public awareness about food-systems-related health, economic and implementation issues. Participation is encouraged not only by scientists working in the area of food safety, but also by social scientists from Auburn and other universities. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) is involved in AUFSI efforts, and faculty in the School of Nursing and the Colleges of Human Sciences, Liberal Arts and Veterinary Medicine are all encouraged to participate in this effort to break down the walls between disciplines. The expected outcome and benefit is an increase in interdisciplinary research to address serious problems threatening regional, national and international food systems. This is important, because university faculty members often work only within their own disciplines, without enough
opportunity to collaborate and share ideas. AUFSI will use Hatch funding to expand efforts in the five broad areas described in the introduction. During the next Hatch funding period, activities will focus on research, outreach, center/institute collaboration, education, international collaboration, faculty development and providing graduate assistantships.

<p>APPROACH:
<br/>In the current funding climate, interdisciplinary research is a key to securing federal grant dollars. Even more important, the U.S. and global communities are faced with significant challenges involving the complicated, interrelated "food system" necessary to feed a population, including growing, harvesting, processing, packaging, transporting, marketing, consumption and disposal of food and food-related items. Those challenges are coming into sharp relief because the global population is projected to be nine billion by 2040, after reaching seven billion in October 2012. As a land-grant institution, Auburn University has a long history?of doing applied research and communicating the results of that research to the public, and Auburn's strengths have always included "food system" disciplines. The Auburn University Food Systems Institute provides a
successful vehicle for Auburn University's faculty in Auburn's traditional areas of strength. AUFSI brings faculty together in an integrated, interdisciplinary, cross-departmental venture to contribute locally, regionally, nationally and globally to the safety and quality of the U.S. food supply and the viability of different parts of the food system. By supporting Auburn University researchers and Extension specialists, this project directly addresses several AAES Hatch priorities, including "Enhancing Agricultural Production Systems/Global Food Security and Hunger," "Food Nutrition, Health and Well-being and Childhood Obesity" and "Food Safety and Agricultural Biosecurity." As an additional research goal, AUFSI intends to develop a model for such an interdisciplinary partnership that can be disseminated through professional conferences and publications. AUFSI will use Hatch funding to
expand efforts in the five broad areas described in the introduction. During the next Hatch funding period, activities will focus on research, outreach, center/institute collaboration, education, international collaboration, faculty development and providing graduate assistantships. A detailed evaluation plan has been developed addressing each of the 12 objectives outlined. This evaluation plan includes focus groups, surveys and questionnaires to gather information about AUFSI's success in reaching each objective.</p>