Letter from Chair Dr Jonathan Kershaw - A Year of Connection

The 2024-2025 year of the IFT Sustainable Food Systems Division (SFSD) has kicked off with a bang and  I am thrilled about the opportunities to learn and connect. Like many of you, I have been reflecting on how now, more than ever, it’s critical for scientists to advocate for evidence-based, sustainable solutions that ensure food security, public health, and environmental resilience. As the incoming chair, I have also reflected specifically about how our division at IFT can play a role in this effort.

Our food system is complex, and sustainability is a broad, ever-evolving topic. Staying informed about the latest innovations and research is crucial. Creating change will also require strategic collaborations that cross disciplines, borders, and cultures. This is where I see the IFT Sustainable Food System Division making a significant impact – we share meaningful content and foster connections that empower our members to drive change within their spheres of influence.

To support this vision, we will focus this year on sharing cutting-edge content through our monthly, “clickable” newsletter that contains links to content that our leadership team (or others who would like to share!) have read. We will also continue to build our social media presence to expand our reach and facilitate connections. We are nurturing our social media platforms as a place to engage in conversations with like-minded people across IFT and beyond. We look forward to our annual social at IFT FIRST as a fun way to connect in person with other SFSD members, and hope to host other social events throughout the year.

We are also particularly mindful of students, who we recognize as both immediate inheritors of our food systems and the incoming talent that will help us achieve greater #sustainability. We have already hosted our first #Hackathon, at the end of September, in partnership with the #Fruits&VeggiesDivision, which was a huge success. The judges and I were blown away by the nine talented teams who showcased their incredible ability to leverage science in designing #innovative, #upcycledfood products that are not only sustainable but also packed with nutrition. We were thoroughly impressed by the creativity and depth of knowledge demonstrated. We're excited to support and collaborate with students throughout the year, leading up to IFT FIRST, where we hope to see even more impactful ideas come to life. Look out for the student research competitions at IFT First 2025, and start designing those studies and collecting data now! Importantly, we value student input on our leadership team, so if you are interested in participating, please feel free to reach out to us.

Lastly, I express gratitude for our committed and passionate leadership team. It has been a pleasure to work with such inspiring people who care about the profession and the planet. I enjoy our continued work together. 

I look forward to learning and connecting with you this year as we work together to move our food system in a sustainable direction.

Jonathan Kershaw PhD.