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The main purpose of this project is to train selected youth as Food Safety Educators who would use the "train for trainer" method to train others in the selected sites. Simultaneously, the training program will furnish the training needs of housewives and food processors. In particular, the goal is to raise the level of awareness on the importance of food safety measures, and educate all stakeholders including various communities on Food Safety as a tool for health and economic prosperity.
The Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) is experiencing an economic downturn due to various factors which have impacted most Pacific economies. This is reflected by a slow down of economic development activities. This has made life more difficult for the people. The public are unable to access specialized technical training on resource development and management, and food technology. The community has called for a sustainable environment where the food supply is secure, nutritious, healthy, and safe for consumption. CNMI has a very high case of foodborne and chemical illnesses every year. It is estimated that between 1000-1500 cases of illness are diagnosed with diarrhea and abdominal cramps. The focus is on practical hands-on trainings in agricultural production, post harvest handling, processing and preservation to prolong shelf-life while maintaining nutritional values. The target audiences will be youths aged 15 to 25, food inspectors, quarantine staff, exporters, processors, food handlers, farmers, schools, public health and housewives.
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<li>To assist farmers and exporters identify opportunities for export of fresh produce by using the latest technology to extend shelf-life after harvesting and in storage. </li>
<li>To recruit and train youths, food educators,inspectors,and processors on quality production sanitation, hygiene, food borne illness and preventing chemical foodborne illness. </li>
<li>To illustrate training points by planting culturally appropriate theme gardens to identify the hazards and risks across the food chain from gardens to the table. </li>
<li>To conduct regular, practical, training for food processors and handlers on food preparation, preservation and processing techniques. </li></ol>
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<li>A group of individuals (from Rota, Saipan, and Tinian islands) will be selected from youths, farmers, food handlers, food processors, and food inspectors as the focal point for implementation of this project.</li>
<li>A 12 month work plan will be developed to focus on quality production of selected crops, post-harvest handling, food safety, food processing and food handling.</li> <li> Hands-on workshops will be held at each location with follow-up evaluations on a quarterly basis to assess the project's impact. The emphasis will be regular trainings using research results and teaching local trainers in various locations to teach the others. </li>
<li>Practical demonstrations and regular advisory services will be provided regularly in the areas of safety, hygiene, prevention measures, and proper processing methods. </li></ol></p>