Tribal Food Safety Alliance - Native American Tribes Outreach; Education; and Training to Enhance Food Safety and FSMA

Project Summary/AbstractThrough this project, the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative (IFAI) at the University ofArkansas, the Intertribal Agriculture Council (IAC), and the Federally Recognized TribesExtension Program (FRTEP) at the University of Arizona will establish the nation?s first TribalFood Safety Alliance (NFSA). Together, these three organizations will address the unique,specialized needs of American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) food producers and foodbusinesses, providing training and education on food safety and ensuring that Indian Country hasaccess to a reliable bench of culturally competent trainers with food safety expertise and athorough understanding of the way that the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) rules willimpact their operations. Through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Food and DrugAdministration (FDA), the Alliance proposes to achieve the following primary objectives:1) provide training, education, and outreach to Indian Country stakeholders on rules promulgatedby FDA pursuant to FSMA, with a particular focus on the Produce Safety Rule, PreventativeControl for Human Food Rule, Preventative Controls for Animal Food Rule, and SanitaryTransportation of Human & Animal Food Rule;2) identify gaps in training for this stakeholder audience and create comprehensive curriculumand regulatory guides to fill those gaps; and3) facilitate the identification of culturally sensitive technical assistance providers and build abench of competent food safety trainers for Indian Country.The creation of this Native Food Safety Alliance will help FDA build towards a nationallyintegrated food safety system, but in a way that makes certain that cultural practices around foodand principles of indigenous food science are accounted for and respected in training andimplementation.