BRIDGING GAPS, BUILDING FUTURES: EMPOWERING STUDENTS AS FOOD SAFETY AMBASSADORS FOR FARMERS AND SMALL PROCESSORS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

The overarching goal for this projectis to establish a sustainable food safety outreach program in Southern California, with Cal Poly Pomona (CPP) students playing pivotal roles as contributors and ambassadors within the local food safety landscape. Our primary stakeholders encompass students at CPP and local urban farmers and small processors in Southern California. What distinguishes this proposal is the symbiotic relationship among all stakeholders: we offer food safety training to our target audience while enabling CPP students to serve as food safety specialists, providing customized technical assistance to local urban farmers and small processors. The detailed objectives are outlined below:Objective 1: To revamp educational curriculum for Cal Poly Pomona students to enhance food safety education through partnerships with land grant institutions, extension agency, and NGOs.Objective 2: To provide a diverse range of food safety training courses at CPP to socially-disadvantaged urban farmers and small processors from Southern California.Objective 3: To leverage students as food safety ambassadors, offering customized technical assistance to local urban farmers and small food processors.