Weakness of the Food Security Plan

Food Security Plan Critique
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Food Security Plan Critique
The 2018-2023 Strategic Plan was launched to develop an all-inclusive policy for "food security research, education, and engagement" (University of Illinois, 2017). The U of I Food Security Plan is an ambitious strategy that promises to promote: transformative education that provides students with the knowledge and skills to comprehend and address food insecurity issues; research that facilitates sustainable and consistent food accessibility, food availability, and dietary utilization of food; alongside engagement that facilitates viable and constant food access, over and above; nutritional health in populations all over the world. However, there are several constraints in education, research, and engagement that may impede the overall success of the U of I Food Security Plan. The U of I lacks a support office that would support the continued execution of transformative curricular and extracurricular programs. The campus does not have a support bureau with a food security focus that can function as a central office to collect, categorize, and distribute critical information or as a central point where faculty members can develop and organize programs or even communicate the impact of the accomplishment of study endeavors. Other weaknesses that could adversely impact U of I’s efforts of providing transformative education include a lack of sufficient supervision of its curricular and extracurricular programs and insufficient formal interdepartmental programs that support the curricular pursuits of departments. Effective mentoring is essential for emerging researchers, with constructive mentoring being cited as a critical factor in research completion and publication (Goldner & Mayseless, 2009). Consequently, poor liaison between students and mentors with UI Extension staff or other personnel engaged in public service will severely affect U of I’s food security research capabilities. Other shortcomings include a lack of student funding programs that support internships and research experiences or academic advising systems that can counsel learners from multiple departments interested in food security (Food Security Strategy Task Force, 2018).
Several weaknesses may encumber the U of I Food Security Plan’s research efforts, including the absence of a framework for nurturing trans-disciplinary teams and capacity gaps in several areas. U of I lac...