About Us
Except for air and water, nothing is more central to life than food. One of our nation’s basic obligations is to ensure a healthy, adequate, and affordable supply.
In the aftermath of 9/11, we must secure our food systems and ensure the economic prosperity of those who supply food to our people. This is a complex and daunting undertaking.
The Initiative on Food Security proposes to ensure the safety and integrity of the nation’s food systems by addressing every aspect of food security, from the farm to the fork. We have joined in a partnership with Deere and Company, which suggested a support level of $150-200,000 in the first semester of 2003-2004, which would grow to $500,000 through the fall semester of 2004.
Three working groups will bring together faculty from many units:
- Business Valuation Group, will collect information to build a business model of safety and security in the soy food industry supply chain.
- Identity Retention Group, which will identify models for quality control and tracking agricultural products through the supply chain.
- Sensing Technology Group which will test a remote sensing system currently marketed to dairy producers.
For a detailed summary and names of faculty involved, please read this Sept 5., 2003 status report.
Read a white paper on this Initiative
Steering committee:
- Ilesami Adesida, Electrical and Computer Engineering
- Hans Blaschek, Food Science and Human Nutrition
- Roy Campbell, Computer Sciences
- Noshir Contractor, Speech Communication
- Bryan Heidorn, Library and Information Sciences
- Richard Holm, Engineering
- Richard Jaehne, Illinois Fire Service Institute
- Joost Pennings, Agricultural and Consumer Economics
- Abigail Salyers, Basic Sciences – Microbiology
- Mark Shannon, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
- Steve Sonka, Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station
- William Qualls, Business Administration
- Mark Spong, General Engineering / Coordinated Science Lab
- Jonathan Sweedler, Chemistry / Biotechnology Center
- Fred Troutt, Veterinary Clinical Medicine
- Richard Vogen, ACES
- Brian Wansink, Business Administration
- Randall Westgren, Agricultural and Consumer Economics
Campus Units:
- College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
- College of Commerce and Business Administration
- College of Engineering
- College of Law
- College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
- College of Medicine
- College of Veterinary Medicine
- Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station
- Illinois Fire Service Institute
- University of Illinois Extension