Food4Thought. Develop the Food Science Leaders of Tomorrow, Today

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1 Food4Thought Develop the Food Science Leaders of Tomorrow, Today In just seven years, the demand for food scientists in the United States alone will increase by 10%. * To remain competitive in the global marketplace, companies must attract the best and brightest minds to build a workforce of diverse, talented professionals. We are at an important crossroads The global population is predicted to reach 9 billion people by the year Many of today s leading food scientists are reaching retirement, and we do not have an adequate pipeline of qualified, diverse individuals ready to enter the field to address our critical issues of food safety, food security, food quality, and nutrition. Food science is an essential ingredient for feeding the world. We must act today to ensure that tomorrow s innovators are ready to meet the requirements of a global economy and address challenges to our global food system. Now is the time to stimulate interest in the exploration of food science as a STEM career. Food science offers innumerable career possibilities. But many of the most promising students are not aware of the opportunities that exist within our field or the impact food science has on global food system issues.

2 Open minds and open doors Studies show that children who learn about careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields early in school tend to pursue these fields as their profession. However, there is a general lack of awareness about STEM career opportunities, particularly among girls and underserved populations. To help raise awareness of food science as a career, Feeding Tomorrow, the Foundation of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), is leading an awareness initiative to show students that food science is a premier STEM field that provides unique career opportunities and makes a difference in how we live and eat. Now, you and your company have the opportunity to open minds and open doors for the next generation of food scientists. Together, by raising the visibility of the profession and creating real-world experiences to share the wonder of food science with students, we can help: Attract the best and brightest minds Build a workforce of talented, dynamic professionals to address food and nutrition issues for future generations Stimulate innovation and the creation of new solutions to the world s most pressing food challenges The time to act is now Ensure there will be innovative, diverse food science professionals to address the challenges food companies will face tomorrow. Become a partner of Food4Thought and be a strategic voice and advocate for this important effort. * 2012 Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics 2

3 Educate Engage Empower Feeding Tomorrow is committed to building and growing the next generation of global leaders who use food science to solve some of the world s most complex and pressing problems. Through the Food4Thought, we will actively work to position food science as a key STEM field, create foundational food science resources for students and parents, and leverage educational immersion programs that introduce food science as a career of choice. Food4Thought is built on three foundational pillars, each with their own strategic outcomes. Educate: Position Food Science as a Key STEM Science We will become a key player in STEM conversations, increasing the visibility of food science as a career among the general public and advocating food science as a premier STEM field. Engage: Implement Pilot Programs for Future Food Scientists We will create pilot programs designed to raise awareness of food science and technology career paths which provide students with hands-on opportunities to learn about food science directly from industry leaders. One of these pilot programs is currently in development with Girls Inc. s Eureka! Program participants. We are also exploring the opportunity for a second pilot with organizations like the Girl Scouts of Chicago and the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences to engage students interested in STEM careers. It is our goal to launch these immersion experiences in July 2013 during the IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo. Empower: Develop Learning Resources We will create engaging, innovative resources designed to empower students, parents, and teachers to explore science concepts and learn more about career opportunities in food science. A series of interactive learning modules called Food Science 101, will include a variety of food-centric experiments and videos which highlight the importance of food science and the role of food scientists, and clips from our acclaimed video series, A World Without Food Science and Day in the Life of a Food Scientist. We will also create new Day in the Life of a Food Scientist videos to supplement these learning resources. Visibility of food science as a career is the most essential step to building a competitive workforce. 3

4 Become Our Partner To ensure the innovators we need tomorrow are there to meet the requirements of a growing global economy and address global food system challenges, we must act today. Now more than ever, we need your help to launch this important initiative and help us meet our global food system challenges. Your personal leadership and strategic advice, as well as funding support, will play a critical role in impacting careers and addressing the needs of tomorrow s global market. Our initial fundraising goal is $1,000,000. We are seeking Founding Partners willing to leverage collective resources and collaborate on our common commitment to advocating the importance of food science as an attractive career path. As a Founding Partner, your organization benefits in many ways. Join us in this initiative to: Strategically position your company on the forefront of shaping the job force of tomorrow Build a positive organizational relationship with the next generation of food scientists Highlight your organization s commitment to developing our nation s future business leaders To become a Founding Partner, we are asking each partnering organization for an initial commitment of $50,000. These funds will be used to complete the development and launch of the pilot programs and build the foundational materials. Once this initial stage is completed, we will look to you as a partner in continuing our fundraising efforts to reach the endowment levels needed to provide ongoing support for this program. Your organization may also consider these other partnership levels: Champion - $25,000 Supporter - $15,000 Become a partner today and inspire students to explore food science as a premier STEM career choice. For more information, please contact Amanda Perl, Vice President of Development for Feeding Tomorrow at aperl@ift.org. Founding Partners Champion Partner Supporter IFT s tag line is, Feeding the Minds that Feed the World, and I love that, on so many levels. Feeding Tomorrow is really about getting the next generation of food scientists, promoting the importance of food science on the world stage and getting more young people interested in food science. The more young people we can get interested in food science, the better it is for the industry, the better it is for the world. Phil Perkins, CFS, SVP Bush Brothers 4

5 Feeding Tomorrow: Sharing Your Commitment For more than 25 years, Feeding Tomorrow has demonstrated its commitment to supporting and cultivating the next generation of food science leaders. Scholarships, student leadership initiatives, work with Discovery Education, and continued support of programs such as the Developing Solutions for Developing Countries Competition are but a few of the many examples in which Feeding Tomorrow collaborates with industry leaders to address mutual concerns and transform scientific knowledge and research into innovative solutions throughout the global food system. We know that the business of food is driven by the science of food. We also know this is the right time to partner with our colleagues at food companies large and small to ensure there are capable and diverse scientists with the unique talents and scientific acumen to meet the industry s research and development needs moving forward. You have our commitment that we will provide the support and leadership required to achieve the goal of increasing awareness of food science as a career path with this important initiative. We look forward to working with you to meet the global food system challenges through your active participation in Food4Thought. I love food. I love to cook. And that s the reason why I decided to be a food scientist. However, as a food scientist, I had to take my passion for cooking and blend it with scientific credibility. The only discipline that enabled me to do that was food science. Conrad Rebello, Senior Manager for Strategy and Portfolio Management, PepsiCo. 5