The project aims to foster leadership development for underrepresented students and prepare them to address the critical role of the agricultural system plays in the food and fiber industries through participating in various curricular activities including; a certificate in Leadership in Sustainable Food and Fiber, academic track in Leadership in Sustainable Food and Fiber, course work, workshop, Leadership symposium, research, mentoring, and community engagement. 

With the increased focus on the resilient food and fiber supply chain (USDA, 2022) and transformational leadership (Mars, 2015), the project will address the issues found throughout the food and fiber supply chain from the farm to manufacturing, in distribution including warehousing and transportation, and ultimately in the retail setting where consumers express their preferences. 

The proposed project activities will be guided by the three content foci aligned with the USDA Food System Transformation framework (USDA, 2022); resilient food and fiber systems, innovative agriculture and supply chain management, and waste management. 

The collaboration with the Transformational Leadership Academy and the Center for Consumer Insights and Innovations will provide a space to execute leadership development."

This work is supported by the USDA-NIFA-HIS, Grant No. 2023-77040-411440, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture.