The Effectiveness of Online Education

Online students perform better than students receiving face-to-face instruction

A systematic search of research literature by the U.S. Department of Education identified more than a thousand empirical studies of online learning. Analysts screened the studies and then conducted a meta-analysis. One important finding of the study was that, “on average, students in online learning conditions performed better than those receiving face-to-face instruction.”

This report holds special interest because online learning is one of the fastest growing trends in educational uses of technology. Other conclusions of the study include the following:

• “The effectiveness of online learning approaches appears quite broad across different content and learner types.”
• “Inclusion of more media in an online application does not appear to enhance learning.”
• “Online learning can be enhanced by giving learners control of their interactions with media and prompting learner reflection. Studies indicate that manipulations that trigger learner activity or learner reflection and self-monitoring of understanding are effective when students pursue online learning as individuals”
• “Providing guidance for learning for groups of students appears less successful than does using such mechanisms with individual learners. When groups of students are learning together online, support mechanisms such as guiding questions generally influence the way students interact, but not the amount they learn.”

The entire U.S. Department of Education report, Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Leaning (2009) is available here.

Call for Proposals: Ag & Food Policies on Health and Diet in Latin America

The Pan America Health Organization (PAHO) is seeking proposals that aim to show how existing or potential agriculture and food policies or technological innovations (e.g., biotechnology) can make a contribution to population health and diet with focus on obesity and non-communicable disease in Latin America and the Caribbean. Proposals that incorporate issues of agriculture sustainability, preservation of culinary traditions or promote collaboration between agriculture and public health professionals are particularly encouraged.

The policies under scrutiny are expected to show potential or actual population impact on health/nutrition by way of modifying one or some of the following aspects: agriculture and trade policies, food security, food and nutrition policies and consumer behaviors (e.g. food-purchasing behavior and food consumption patterns).

The deadline for the submission of proposal is September 4, 2009. More information is available here.

Webinars: "Agriculture in Uncertain Times"

A series of webinars on “Agriculture in Uncertain Times” will be offered by the North Central Risk Management Education Center between June 9 and December 16 , 2009. Participation is free and open on a first come, first served basis to the first 500 participants in each session.  Sessions will also be recorded for later viewing.  Details. 

New Online Food Studies Program

The UOC International Graduate Institute is now offering an online master's program in Food, Society, and International Governance. The program is designed for individuals interested in enhancing their understanding and analysis of agriculture and food policy, and increasing their understanding of the social, cultural and economic factors that influence and shape the development and enforcement of agriculture governance. This combination presents an opportunity to explore connections between the historical, political, scientific, strategic and ethical considerations involved in the organisation of food policy and agriculture internationally.

This program is designed to prepare people to meet the demand for knowledgeable and well-trained food systems leaders and analysts by fostering practical and critical learning with an international perspective.

Starting in October, UOC will be offering innovative online courses:

* Masters in Food, Society and International Governance (2 years, part time, €4,200)

* Postgraduate Diploma in Food Systems and Governance (1 year, part time, €2,300)

* Short course in Food systems Analysis (4 months, part time, €1,200)

Is this programme for you?

The Food Systems, Culture and Society programme attracts students and people who work across the agri-food sector. Many of our students already have work experience and are looking to broaden their knowledge and skills so as to advance their careers.

The courses are specifically geared towards:

- Individuals working in the agri-food sector

- Public administrators

- Policy analysts

§ Consultants

- Lawyers

- Journalists specializing in food politics

- Professional organizations, NGOs or international cooperation projects that address issues linked to food and agriculture

- Students wishing further education on issues of agri-food governance

This programme will prepare people to meet the demand for knowledgeable and well-trained food systems analysts and leaders, by fostering practical and critical learning with an international perspective.

Note that to apply for the programme, you do not have a university degree. Please submit a CV and letter of interest to foodsystems@uoc.edu.

About the UOC

The UOC is a leader in e-learning and we are progressive in our determination to champion open education that integrates new ideas and new technologies. The UOC is a 100% internet-based, fully accredited university operating from Barcelona. We champion multilingualism and hold the UNESCO chair in e-learning.

To find the program on Facebook, search "food systems, culture and society"

Check out the blog

Find out more online

Singletasking for Productivity Gains

Multitasking can make it difficult to get done the things that matter most. Productivity weblog WebWorkerDaily takes a fresh look at singletasking:

Singletasking is just what it sounds like: approaching and tackling one task at a time, sequentially, instead of trying to do a whole bunch of things at once, as has become de rigeur in our modern multitasking age. If you’re like me, the thought is probably at least a little refreshing, and maybe more than a little appealing right off the bat.

The principle is sound. Take on one task at a time, and don’t begin another until the one you’ve already started is complete. It sounds simple, but you know as well as I do that actually implementing that kind of thing in real life will take a lot more effort than you might first think. For one, it means ignoring any urge to procrastinate, and making sure that you prioritize very carefully in advance, lest you realize too late that what you thought was most urgent actually could’ve taken a back seat to something else.

. . . .

Ironically, multitasking may be the ideal way for the brain to procrastinate. Singletasking means have the discipline to focus on what matter most.

The hardest discipline of all may be using just one screen.

Let go of Ctrl+Tab and achieve more!

Singletasking: The Next Trend in Web Working? [WebWorkerDaily]

Call for Abstracts: 2010 Food Safety Education Conference

You are invited to submit abstracts on evidence-based food safety initiatives that address an aspect of consumer food safety education or education within the food service industry that focus on one or more of the following themes: Causes and Casualties: Attribution of Foodborne Illness Behavioral and Attitudinal Research Social Marketing Trends and Consumer Outreach Tapping the Medical Community Role of Food Service and Retail Role of Technology in Consumer Education and Risk Communication Partnerships and Collaborations For more information, visit www.fsis.usda.gov/Atlanta2010 or email us at Atlanta2010@nsf.org. Hosts Sponsors   Key Dates Submission deadline: July 1, 2009 Notification of acceptance: September 1, 2009 Final presentation due: March 15, 2010

Unable to view this invitation for the 2010 Food Safety Education Conference?
Visit www.fsis.usda.gov/atlanta2010

Food Safety and the Way Forward: The Robert Leader Endowed Lecture

A lecture by Frank Yianna, Food Safety and the Way Forward:  High Tech or High Touch?, will be presented on June 18, 2009, 4:00 p.m., at the University Club, Michigan State University.  For more information, visit here or here.

IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo

The Institute for Food Laws & Regulations (IFLR) will be at the IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo June 6-9. Stop by and see us at booth #602.

Thousands of food industry professionals from around the globe convene at IFT to learn about the latest developments in scientific research, technologies, new products, food law, and consumer trends. The IFT Annual Meeting & Food Expo brings together decision-makers from all of the many disciplines involved in food science, technology, law, and more. The meeting packs in tremendous educational sessions as well as offering great networking for professionals in R&D and other scientific/technical positions, as well as in corporate management, purchasing, consulting, academia, government/regulatory, and technical sales and marketing.

Hope to see you in Anaheim!

Food Import Safety: Systems, Infrastructure & Governance Conference, May 26 & 27 Univ of WI - Madison

Food Import Safety: Systems, Infrastructure & Governance Conference

 

Dates: May 26 & 27, 2009 (One and one-half day conference)

Location:  University of Wisconsin – Madison, Tong Auditorium in Engineering Centers Building

Registration is free-of-charge but space is limited

To register:  http://wage.wisc.edu/events/Index.aspx?ID=527

For the Agenda and more information: go to the website above and click on “event agenda and speaker list” or send an email to chpra@engr.wisc.edu  

 

This workshop will address consumer safety from imported food by discussing supply chains, private and public regulation and future guidance for global trade.

Learn how food companies are dealing with this issue privately

·         through supplier agreements and

·         third-party oversight

Explore issues with laboratory testing of imported foods

·         including cost effectiveness

·         advancements in detection and testing limitations

Find out more about types of violations that have been caught at the border

Learn more about the European experience

Who Will Benefit

·         Representatives of the food industry (procurement, research and development, quality assurance)

·         Local, state and federal regulators with responsibilities for food safety

• Academics and students

 

Sponsors:  Center for World Affairs and the Global Economy (WAGE), Center for Freight and Infrastructure Research and Education (CFIRE), Engineering Professional Development (EPD), European Union Center of Excellence (EUCE), ISyE (Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering), and FRI (Food Research Institute), CIBER (Center for International Business Education and Research, The China Initiative.

 

Food Import Safety: Systems, Infrastructure, and Governance\

Agenda Detail

Tong Auditorium, Engineering Centers Building

University of Wisconsin - Madison

Sponsored by the Center for World Affairs and the Global Economy (WAGE)

May 26 and 27, 2009 (1.5 days)

 

To register: Send an email with the following information to chpra@engr.wisc.edu: Name, Title, Affiliation, Mailing Address, Telephone Number, Fax Number, and E-mail

The conference is free-of-charge but space is limited.

 

Tentative Agenda

8:15am Welcoming remarks:

Lorna Zach, Scientist, Center for Human Performance and Risk Analysis; 

Steve Ingham, Administrator, Food Safety Division, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection

 

Tuesday 8:30 AM:     Opening Plenary—Understanding the Scope of the Problem: 

8:30 am  Wenran Jiang, Mactaggart Research Chair, China Institute, University of Alberta.  The Impact of the Chinese Development Model on Food Safety

9:15 am Joe Corby, Executive Director, Association of Food and Drug Officials.  Experiences with Food Import Violations in New York State

10:00 Break

Industry Panel:

10:30  Gale Prince, Food Product Safety Pioneer, Moderator

11:00  Dale Morton, Director of Food Safety Programs, Quaker Tropicana Gatorade and Pepsi Cola North America  

11:30  Joe Shebuski, Director, Global Food Safety Products and Processes, Department of Food Safety and Regulatory Affairs, Cargill, Inc. 

12:00  Scott Hood, Manager Microbiology Quality and Regulatory Operations, General Mills, Inc.

12:30 Lunch

 

Tuesday PM:             Issues in Detection and Enforcement

1:30  William Nganje, Associate Professor of Agribusiness Finance, Morrison School of Management and Agribusiness, Arizona State University.  Intelligent Sampling of Fresh Produce

2:00  Wayne Ellefson, Senior Client Manager, Covance, Inc.  Testing and Detection Technologies.

2:30  John Spink, Research Faculty, National Food Safety and Toxicology Center, Michigan State University. Counterfeit Products and Food Fraud. 

3:00  Irv Rosenthal, Senior Fellow, Risk Management and Decision Processes Center, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.  Third-party Oversight of Food Safety.

3:30 Break

4:00  Moderated Discussion:      How to Achieve Stakeholder Cooperation 

Moderator: David Trubek, Professor, School of Law, University of Wisconsin-Madison

5:00 Adjourn

 

Wednesday AM:       The Way Forward

8:30 am

William Sperber, Global Ambassador for Food Protection, Cargill, Inc. Proposed World Organization for Food Protection

9:00  Rhodri Evans, Chief Specialist, Toxicology, Food Safety Authority of Ireland.  Experience of Food Safety Authorities in Europe

9:30  Miriam Haritz,  Faculty of Law, University of Maastricht, Netherlands.  Food Safety, Trust, and the European Union.

10:00  Neil Fortin, Director and Professor, Institute for Food Laws and Regulation, Michigan State University.  The Regulation of Food Imports: Past, Present, and Future.

10:30 Break

Belem Avedano, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Washington DC, The Role of Public-Private Partnerships on Access to Fresh Produce Export Markets for Small Latin American Producers

11:30  Closing Plenary

Shaun Kennedy, Director, National Center Food Protection and Defense, University of Minnesota

12:00   Adjourn

Sponsoring organizations at the University of Wisconsin-Madison:

Center for World Affairs and the Global Economy (WAGE)

Center for Freight Infrastructure Research and Education

Center for Human Performance and Risk Analysis

Center for International Business Education and Research

China Initiative

College of Engineering

Department of Engineering Professional Development

Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering

European Union Center of Excellence

Food Research Institute

Conference hotel:

            Best Western Inn Towner

2424 University Avenue

Madison, WI 53726

Phone 608-233-8778

Fax 608-233-1325

Reservations 800-258-8321
Email: info@inntowner.com

http://www.inntowner.com/

            Rooms group code FOODSFTY

 

"Better Training for Safer Food" initiative gets off to Africa

A "Better Training for Safer Food in Africa" (BTSF) initiative was launched in an effort to help developing countries improve their food safety systems for the benefit of their populations and economies.  BTSF has provided training to both European and third country officials who are responsible for checking that EU rules related to food, feed, plant health, animal health and welfare are properly applied.

Jointly with the African Union Commission (AUC), a specific programme targeted at Africa has been now set up, with the view to promoting compliance with international Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary (SPS) measures as key to bilateral trade, both within Africa and with the rest of the world, and to increasing the protection of citizens. Under "BTSF-Africa" the EC and the AUC will jointly coordinate the implementation, from 2009 to 2010, of seven capacity building activities worth around €10 million. The key objective is to support food safety mainly by the transfer of technical expertise and policy advice in areas of food safety and quality across Africa.

More information is available here and here.

Call for Papers: Risk Policy & Law

The Society for Risk Analysis annual meeting will take place on 6-9 December 2009 in Baltimore, Maryland.  More information is available here.

Abstract and symposium proposals are due by Monday, May 25.

Just as a starting point, here are some ideas:

• The future of Regulatory Oversight : towards a New Executive Order?

• The WTO as a Global Risk Regulator: the role of Risk assessment in WTO/GATT Decisions (following Hormones II, etc.)

• Proposals for US food safety reform (new powers for the FDA?, rules of origin?, how to improve import safety?, etc)

• International Regulatory Cooperation on impact of regulation

• International cooperation on import safety (see, i.e., Interagency Working Group in Import Safety (IWG))

• Policy Implications of the New Science of Risk Perception (neuroscience, evolutionary psychology, etc.

• Effect of E-Rulemaking on Risk Assessment Quality

• The implementation of REACH and the establishment of the European Chemical Agency

Seminar - Food Import Safety: Systems, Infrastructure, and Governance

A seminar titled, Food Import Safety: Systems, Infrastructure, and Governance, is sponsored by the Center for World Affairs and the Global Economy (WAGE) at University of Wisconsin – Madison, Tong Auditorium in the Engineering Centers Building, May 26 and 27, 2009 (1.5 days).

To register, send an email to chpra@engr.wisc.edu with the following information: Name, Title, Affiliation, Mailing Address, Telephone Number, Fax Number, and E-mail. More information is available , here, and here. The conference is free-of-charge but space is limited. For a map of the UW campus, see http://www.map.wisc.edu/

Tentative Agenda

8:15am Welcoming remarks:

Lorna Zach, Scientist, Center for Human Performance and Risk Analysis;

Steve Ingham, Administrator, Food Safety Division, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection

Tuesday 8:30 AM: Opening Plenary—Understanding the Scope of the Problem:

8:30 am Wenran Jiang, Mactaggart Research Chair, China Institute, University of Alberta. The Impact of the Chinese Development Model on Food Safety

9:15 am Joe Corby, Executive Director, Association of Food and Drug Officials. Experiences with Food Import Violations in New York State

10:00 Break

Industry Panel:

10:30 Gale Prince, Food Product Safety Pioneer, Moderator

11:00 Dale Morton, Director of Food Safety Programs, Quaker Tropicana Gatorade and Pepsi Cola North America

11:30 Joe Shebuski, Director, Global Food Safety Products and Processes, Department of Food Safety and Regulatory Affairs, Cargill, Inc.

12:00 Scott Hood, Manager Microbiology Quality and Regulatory Operations, General Mills, Inc.

12:30 Lunch

Tuesday PM: Issues in Detection and Enforcement

1:30 William Nganje, Associate Professor of Agribusiness Finance, Morrison School of Management and Agribusiness, Arizona State University. Intelligent Sampling of Fresh Produce

2:00 Wayne Ellefson, Senior Client Manager, Covance, Inc. Testing and Detection Technologies.

2:30 John Spink, Research Faculty, National Food Safety and Toxicology Center, Michigan State University. Counterfeit Products and Food Fraud.

3:00 Irv Rosenthal, Senior Fellow, Risk Management and Decision Processes Center, Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. Third-party Oversight of Food Safety.

3:30 Break

4:00 Moderated Discussion: How to Achieve Stakeholder Cooperation

Moderator: Vicki Bier, Professor, School of Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison

5:00 Adjourn

Wednesday AM: The Way Forward

8:30 am

William Sperber, Global Ambassador for Food Protection, Cargill, Inc. Proposed World Organization for Food Protection

9:00 Rhodri Evans, Chief Specialist, Toxicology, Food Safety Authority of Ireland. Experience of Food Safety Authorities in Europe

9:30 Miriam Haritz, Faculty of Law, University of Maastricht, Netherlands. Food Safety, Trust, and the European Union.

10:00 Neal Fortin, Director and Professor, Institute for Food Laws and Regulation, Michigan State University. The Regulation of Food Imports: Past, Present, and Future.

10:30 Break

Belem Avedano, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Washington DC, The Role of Public-Private Partnerships on Access to Fresh Produce Export Markets for Small Latin American Producers

11:30 Closing Plenary

Shaun Kennedy, Director, National Center Food Protection and Defense, University of Minnesota

12:00 Adjourn

Conference hotel: Best Western Inn Towner, 2424 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53726; Reservations 800-258-832.

Call for Papers - International Symposium on Agricultural Research

The 2nd International Symposium on Agricultural Research  will be held 8-31 August 2009 in Athens, Greece. The Environment and Agriculture Research Unit of the Athens Institute for Education and Research organizes an International Symposium.  For more information visit the conference website at:  http://www.atiner.gr/docs/Agriculture.htm.

Commencement and the Flu

From MSU’s health professionals:

In light of the recent H1N1 swine flu outbreak, MSU wants your help in keeping your fellow Spartans and guests safe during this busy week on campus.  At this time MSU’s health professionals advise that all classes, commencement activities and business operations continue as scheduled.  However, they do recommend taking one simple but prudent preventative measure – avoid shaking hands. 

For updates regarding MSU and the flu outbreak, visit, http://special.news.msu.edu/swineflu/index.php

If you have questions regarding commencement, please call 353-3993, www.commencement.msu.edu

Thank you for your cooperation.

Stronger Partnerships for Safer Food

George Washington University Professor Michael R. Taylor and the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO), the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), and the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) today released a new report, Stronger Partnerships for Safer Food: An Agenda for Strengthening State and Local Roles in the Nation’s Food Safety System.

With attention direction toward federal food safety reform, the vital contributions of state and local agencies are often forgotten. Food safety reform will be incomplete and insufficient unless an integrated national food safety system takes full advantage of and enhances the contribution state and local agencies.

The report outlines the current roles of federal, state, and local agencies in protecting Americans against foodborne illness.  It contains 27 findings on the strengths and weaknesses in illness surveillance, outbreak response, regulation, and inspection. The report makes 19 specific recommendations for strengthening state and local roles and for building an integrated national food safety system that works effectively to prevent foodborne illness. It is the product of a collaborative project involving the GW School of Public Health and Health Services, AFDO, ASTHO, and NACCHO and funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Agricultural Biotechnology Seminar Today

The Second Decade of Agricultural Biotechnology:
Domestic and International Regulatory and Acceptance Challenges
by
Dr. Gregory Jaffe
Director, Biotechnology Project
Center for Science in the Public Interest, Washington, D.C.

 Thursday, April 16, 2009
12:00 noon – 1:00 p.m.

271 Plant and Soil Sciences Building
Michigan State University

Competition on New Policy Approaches

The Farm Foundation has organized a competition seeking innovative and promising public policy options to address the challenges agriculture may face in providing food, feed, fiber and fuel over the next 30 years.  The competition is open to anyone with an interest in the public policy issues outlined in the Foundation's report, The 30-Year Challenge: Agriculture’s Strategic Role in Feeding and Fueling a Growing World.  The Foundation intends to award cash prizes totaling $20,000.  Entry deadline is June 1, 2009. More information is available here and the details of the competition are here.   

Seminar: "Obesity, Fast Food, and Grocery Stores" April 30

On April 30, 2009, from 3:30-5:00 pm, Raymond Florax, Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, Purdue University will present as seminar titled, "Obesity, Fast Food, and Grocery Stores: Evidence from Geo-referenced Micro Data."  The seminar will be in room 75 Agriculture Hall, Michigan State University.

Global Food Contact Conference in Frankfurt, Germany

Dr. P. Vincent Hegarty, Founding Director and Professor Emeritus, Institute for Food Laws & Regulations, will be speaking at the forthcoming Global Food Contact Legislation 2009 conference in Frankfurt, Germany.  The conference is from Tuesday 23rd June until Thursday 25th June, 2009.

The conference examines the food contact laws for Europe, the US, Asia and other markets. This event will include expert analysis of updates to food contact legislation for countries including Ireland, Turkey, US, Argentina, Canada, China, Korea, Japan, and Thailand. Also included is a comprehensive overview of European regulatory changes and challenges and discussion of the most current issues by top legal, regulatory and industrial specialists.

You may find out further details of the program at www.globalfoodcontact.com. You may receive a 25% discount on the conference price if telephone or email Natalie King on +44 (0) 1372 802164 or natalie.king@pira-international.com and mention the Institute for Food Laws & Regulations by April 28.

Job Postings on the IFLR Website

From time to time, the Institute for Food Laws & Regulations (IFLR) receives lead on job openings that may interest our graduates.  We post the on the IFLR Website.  Please see the box in the lower right of the web page.

For those of you who may have a job opening, we encourage you to post these on the IFLR website.  Just click on “Post a Job” in the Jobs box.  This service is free!  Postings expire after 30 days, but jobs may be reposted as often as needed charge.

AFDO Awarded Kellogg Foundation Grant to Develop International Food Protection Training Institute

The Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) is pleased to announce that it has been awarded a $2,000,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to create and develop an international food protection training institute. The training institute will be a key component of a national food protection center to be located in Battle Creek, Michigan. While the overall purpose of the training institute is to address the unmet educational needs of food protection professionals, its immediate focus will be on the urgent need for standardized, graduated, and career-spanning training of state and local food protection professionals to meet generally recognized food safety standards.

AFDO and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation are committed to improving the food safety system, which has come under intense criticism recently as a result of several multi-state foodborne illness outbreaks. “Americans depend on state and local food inspectors to protect us from health hazards that cost lives, but those inspectors frequently lack adequate training to do their jobs, and our states can’t afford to develop or sustain good training programs,” said Rick Foster, Vice President of Programs for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

“In 1998, AFDO called for the creation of a nationally integrated food safety system. The development of a national food protection training institute is a major step in moving toward a more coordinated and effective system,” said Joseph Corby, Executive Director of AFDO. “These training programs will encompass all stakeholders and all elements of food protection. The certified curricula will meet specific standards, span a professional’s entire career, and serve as an umbrella to incorporate existing training programs,” Corby added.

In June 2000, the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General (OIG) released a report on oversight by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of state contracts. In this report, the OIG recommended that the FDA take steps to promote equivalency among federal and state food safety standards, inspection programs, and enforcement practices. State food inspectors perform more than 90 percent of all food plant inspections in the U.S., including more than half of all FDA inspections under contracts with FDA. Yet, there is no mandatory training requirement for state and local food safety professionals, and training varies by state. In fiscal year 2008, state and local inspectors conducted more than 2,000,000 inspections, including approximately 10,000 FDA food contract inspections.

AFDO Committees will be charged to assist the organization in developing this training institute. A special meeting for AFDO Committee Chairs will be held in Chicago prior to AFDO’s Annual Education Conference to discuss these charges and other issues relating to this project.

Additional information about the development of the International Food Protection Training Institute (IFPTI) can be found on AFDO’s website: www.afdo.org.

About W.K. Kellogg Foundation

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation was established in 1930. The organization supports children, families and communities as they strengthen and create conditions that propel vulnerable children to achieve success as individuals and as contributors to the larger community and society. Grants are concentrated in the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the southern African countries of Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland and Zimbabwe.

For further information on the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, please visit the Foundation’s website at www.wkkf.org. 

Farm Foundation $20,000 Public Policy Competition

Farm Foundation has organized a competition seeking innovative and promising public policy options to address the challenges agriculture may face in providing food, feed, fiber and fuel over the next 30 years.  The competition is open to anyone with an interest in the public policy issues outlined in the Foundation's report, The 30-Year Challenge: Agriculture’s Strategic Role in Feeding and Fueling a Growing World.  The Foundation intends to award cash prizes totaling $20,000.  Entry deadline is June 1, 2009. Details of the competition are posted here.

Frank Yiannis to Speak June 18, 2009

For Robert Leader Endowed Lecture, Frank Yiannis will speak June 18, 2009. As Vice President of Food Safety, Frank Yiannas oversees all food safety, as well as other public health functions, for the world's largest food retailer, Wal-Mart.  Training and education of thousands of Associates, hundreds of food suppliers, and a number of critical regulatory compliance issues also come under his purview. Prior to joining Wal-Mart in 2008, he was the Director of Safety & Health for the Walt Disney World Company, where he worked for 19 years.  He is the author of the book, Food Safety Culture, Creating a Behavior-based Food Safety Management System, released by Springer Scientific.

Seminar: "Food Safety and Meat Demand: Why I Don't Eat Lunchmeat"

Mykel Taylor, Assistant Professor and Extension Economist, School of Economic Sciences, Washington State University will present a seminar, "Food Safety and Meat Demand: Why I Don't Eat Lunchmeat" on March 19, 2009, 3:30-5:00 pm in Room 75 Agriculture Hall, Michigan State University.

Dr. Taylor's bio information is available at:  http://www.ses.wsu.edu/People/taylor.htm.

Procrastination Killer and Beyond

Procrastination killing may seem like an odd topic for this site.  In today’s connected world, many who never had difficulty staying on task before find themselves distracted by electronic media or caught up in compulsive web surfing.  One common challenge faced by IFLR students is dealing with dozens upon dozens of enticing Internet links to information an appetizing selection of food law topics. 

Merlin Mann says that procrastination can be remedied by running dashes, short bursts of productivity :

Why the Heck Should This Work? By making even the most modest bit of progress on your hated task, you’ve done what once seemed impossible: you got started. When you realize how much of the anxiety you’d experienced was created in your head, you’ll experience huge relief and give yourself the jolt needed to get back on track. You can do a dash any time and for virtually any kind of project. The task has not been conceived that cannot be made smaller and more dash-able.

Merlin Mann's (10+2)*5 dash technique breaks hours into 10-minute bursts of productivity followed by two-minute breaks.  This Procrastination Killer application helps you time and controls those dashes. This is a stand-alone, no-install-needed app.  Note that you can turn off "Always on Top," and it pops up to tell you you’re due for a break. The app is free to download here.

I have never been known to be a procrastinator, but I have found this technique and app useful for another challenge to productivity. Sometimes I find myself facing a long list of short tasks (a/k/a “mosquitoes”).  I hate to break away from the big tasks to tackle the mosquitoes, but, of course, I can spare ten minutes.

FedEx Offices Offering Free Resume Printing Tomorrow [Free]

On March 10, FedEx (formerly Kinko's), if you stop by (in person) with a paper or digital file of your resume, you can get 25 copies printed for free.  For the closest location, find it at their store locator. This offer is good for 25 black-and-white resume copies per customer printed single-sided on resume-quality paper.

Policy Relevant Science for Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resources

Dr. Kitty Smith, Acting Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics at USDA will be this semester’s Elton R. Smith Distinguished speaker.  Her seminar, “Policy Relevant Science for Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resources” will be held on Thursday, March 26 at 3:00 PM.  The location will be posted nearer the date.

Raw Milk Consumption: An Emerging Public Health Threat?

February 17, 2009 , 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
DoubleTree Hotel Crystal City
300 Army Navy Drive , Arlington, Virginia

This one-day symposium will explore the scientific risk and public health issues related to the human consumption of raw milk in the developed world. Subjects addressed will include current illness and outbreak data, dairy industry food safety practices, health claims related to raw milk consumption, legal and regulatory challenges as well as consumer perceptions. 

This symposium may be of special importance to those with interest in obtaining scientific information relating to the problems with raw milk consumption, and its impact on policy and public health.  The symposium is hosted by IAFP.
 
For symposium information please visit the following link:
http://www.foodprotection.org/meetingsEducation/TimelyTopics09.asp

To register online please visit the following link: https://www.foodprotection.org/form_timelytopics.asp  
For more information on the IAFP Timely Topics Symposium please contact the Association office at 800.369.6337; 515.276.3344; fax: 515.276.8655, E-mail: info@foodprotection.org; or Web site: www.foodprotection.org

Conference: The Fight over Food: a Dinner Table Divided March 11-12

Held March 11 and 12 in the Kellogg Center at Michigan State University, the two-day conference includes meals prepared by the award-winning Kellogg Center staff, featuring many Michigan products.

Choices 2009—The Fight over Food: a Dinner Table Divided features a variety of breakout learning sessions and dynamic speakers, including:

•   Wynne Wright, coeditor of The Fight over Food: Producers, Consumers and Activists Challenge the Global Food System

•   Anthony Geraci, director of Food and Nutrition for the Baltimore City Public Schools

•   Cynthia D’Amour, author of the Lazy Leader’s Guide to Outrageous Results

•   Joseph Durochowski, executive director for the NPD Group, Food & Beverage Services

•   Joanne Ikeda, founder of the Center on Weight and Health, College of Natural Resources, University of California, Berkeley

Many sessions qualify for CEUs for educators, healthcare professionals, nutritionists or dietitians.  More information is available here.

Food Regulation: Law, Science, Policy, and Practice

Neal Fortin’s new book, Food Regulation: Law, Science, Policy, and Practice, is now available.

If you would like more information:

• The Summary of Contents (HTML) is available here.
• The full Table of Contents (PDF) is available here.
• Chapter 1 is available here.
• The index is available here.

ALUMNI UPDATES

We are always looking for alumni updates for the IFLR blog. If you are aware of news about former students, please contact us at IFLR@msu.edu.

Commemorative Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Events

Inaugural Broadcast

Food Safety & Traceability Workshop - Jan 20

“Food Safety and Traceability for Farm and Packing House” Workshop

Where: The Starting Block, Inc.

1535 Industrial Park Drive

Hart, MI 49420

When:  Tuesday, January 20, 2009 from 1-3:30 p.m. 

Details: Todd and Sarah Greiner of Greiner Farms will be presenting present and future requirements in food safety in growing and preparing food for market.

 

There is no cost to attend, but please RSVP to the Starting Block, Inc. by phone at (231) 873-1432 x 221 or by e-mail at tsbi4@verizon.net to register.