A career path within the produce industry is rarely linear, and the journey doesn’t start in the same place for everyone.
Food safety and quality professionals often come to the workplace with varying degrees of education, experience and technical knowledge. Even though there are now a plethora of high-quality trade schools and universities across the globe that offer degrees in agriculture, such as food science and horticulture, many of the skills needed to become a successful food safety or quality professional are still learned on the job.
In a recent International Fresh Produce Association survey on food safety credentials and competencies of 182 individuals with food safety job responsibilities, the majority of respondents had 12-plus years of produce safety experience, aligning with a national trend of an aging workforce whose pioneering knowledge base is at risk of being lost.
At the IFPA, we’re breaking down the notion that education can be a one-size-fits-all approach and instead thinking more holistically about what technical and historical knowledge, soft skills and industry connections are needed to be successful in produce safety and quality careers. But how can the industry continue to meet the growing demand for fresh produce by engaging with students and young professionals to create a larger, more diverse and technically competent workforce?
To address these needs, IFPA’s Career Pathways Virtual Certificate Program and summer internships have been inspiring the next generation of produce professionals by exposing students to real-world learning experiences and engaging with industry mentors. Acknowledging that the skillset for produce safety is in high demand, the building blocks for early-to-mid career produce safety professionals is fostered through the six-month-long Produce Safety Immersion Program, which in the near future will have two educational pathways (entry level and advanced).
Related: More insight from produce industry professionals
Data from the survey mentioned above also indicates a strong desire for opportunities to dive deeper into topics that can better prepare produce safety professionals to prevent and respond to food safety issues. Managing Listeria contamination in the produce industry has historically presented many challenges, and IFPA has stepped up to fill this critical knowledge gap through the Listeria Management for the Produce Industry mentored cohort certificate program, available in both English and Spanish.
Produce safety professionals also take the brunt of the responsibility for regulatory inspections, third-party audits, recalls and outbreak investigations. Two of IFPA’s most popular educational offerings, the Recall Ready Workshop (next offered on June 28-29) and private company recall simulations, allow participants to engage in problem-solving activities that mimic real-world food safety crisis situations.
Just like a seasoned traveler is prepared to navigate an increasingly complex system of public transport, in 2024 the IFPA’s Food Safety Team will debut a Produce Safety Passport program to provide tailored learning opportunities from boots-on-the ground roles to executive levels. Learning passports will include a la carte options for topics such as Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) regulations, third-party food safety audits, produce inspection and grading, science and technology of fresh-cut produce, microbiology 101 and progressing to more technical topics such as whole genome sequencing — just to provide a glimpse of the future of food safety education.
Through educational opportunities such as these, the produce industry can continue to evolve and incorporate science and risk-based practices, foster a robust food safety culture and protect public health and business viability for current and future generations.
Gretchen Wall is the director of food safety and quality for the International Fresh Produce Association.
