IUFoST’s strategy to strengthen food security in rural areas of developing countries

摘要

One-sixth of the world’s population is food insecure. Many of these people are living in Sub-Saharan Africa. Food insecurity, hunger and malnutrition have multiple reasons, many of which are beyond the reach and capacity of the Food Science Community to remediate. Often food insecurity exists because of a poor understanding of the conditions under which agricultural produce has to be handled, processed and distributed after harvesting; knowledge of Food Science and Technology can dramatically improve this situation. To turn the potentials of the Food Science Community into practical measures, IUFoST’s Food Security Task Force is developing a strategy to expand and broaden the Food Science and Technology knowledge base in neglected geographical areas. Specifically IUFoST is offering Food Science and Technology-training material for nonacademic food industry entrepreneurs and employees by utilizing distance education technology. Part of IUFoST’s effort is transfer of appropriate technologies (drying, thermal processing, chilling and freezing and Controlled Atmosphere-storage) to facilitate introduction of adapted pilot-scale processes which should foster linkages especially between farmers and food industries and stimulate growing high-value crops.