Join USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) for its new virtual Nutrition Security Webinar Series. The series will feature speakers across a range of backgrounds and disciplines as they lead discussions about nutrition security during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
NIFA’s Nutrition Security Related Activities
NIFA supports nutrition security, defined as having consistent access, availability, and affordability of foods and beverages that promote well-being and prevent (and if needed, treat) disease, particularly among our nation’s historically underserved communities. Promoting nutrition security is a critical ingredient to containing the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring racial justice and equity, rebuilding the rural economy, addressing the impacts of climate change, providing open markets and fair trade, and reinvigorating a competitive workforce. NIFA has used a variety of formats such as NIFA Listens, Calls to Conversation Meeting Series, and Project CAFÉ (Collaboratively Achieving Functional Excellence) to share agency overviews and gather external insights on a range of topics, including food insecurity. Launched in June 2021, NIFA launched its Nutrition Security Webinar Series to shine light on our integrated approach through research, extension and education to promote and elevate nutrition security. We are also using this series to learn from external stakeholders’ work in this area and hear from our webinar attendees how we can further our efforts to tackle food and nutrition insecurity. We invite anyone interested in learning more about NIFA’s efforts in nutrition security to register for upcoming webinars, or view past recordings.
- Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP)
- Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP)
- Community Food Projects (CFP)
- Food and Agriculture Service Learning Program (FASLP)
- Agricultural and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) competitive grants program A1344 Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases.
NIFA also supports 17 additional programs that help promote nutrition security:
- 4-H Youth Development Program
- 1890 Land-Grant Institution Programs
- Enhancing Agricultural Opportunities for Military Veterans (AgVets)
- Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP)
- Children, Youth and Families at Risk (CYFAR) Program
- CYFAR 4-H Military Partnership Professional Development & Technical Assistance (CMPC-PDTA)
- Federally-Recognized Tribes Extension Program (FRTEP)
- National Center for Home Food Preservation
- Hispanic-Serving Institutions Education Grants Program (HSI)
- Master Gardener Program, as well as Master Health and Master Food Preserver Programs
- New Technologies for Ag Extension (NTAE)
- Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI)
- Regional Rural Development Centers (RRDC)
- Rural Health & Safety Education (RHSE) Program
- Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program
- Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program
- Economics, Markets, and Trade.
A key ingredient to our nutrition security activities is developing and leveraging a diverse, interdisciplinary workforce through our support of AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowships, Internship Program, USDA 1890 National Scholars Program, USDA NIFA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Education and Workforce Program, USDA NIFA Higher Education Multicultural Scholars Program (MSP), among others.
NIFA’s External Engagement Efforts
NIFA has used a variety of formats such as NIFA Listens, Calls to Conversation Meeting Series, and Project CAFÉ (Collaboratively Achieving Functional Excellence) to share agency overviews and gather external insights on a range of topics, including food insecurity.
Webinars
NIFA launched the series with a June 24th, 2021 webinar featuring an introduction from former NIFA Director Dr. Carrie Castille. Panelists from the NIFA Nutrition Security Team shared an overview of the agency’s current and future contributions to help accelerate prioritizing nutrition security both during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. A live Q&A discussion featured questions from an audience of over 200 attendees.
More details will be announced on future NIFA Nutrition Security webinars. We invite anyone interested in learning more about NIFA’s efforts in nutrition security to register for upcoming webinars, or view past recordings:
National 4-H Conference Nutrition Security Roundtable Team Youth Perspectives on Tackling Food and Nutrition Insecurity
August 23rd 2022 at 5:00 PM to 6PM ET
Panelists
- Abby Frizzell, Arkansas
- Madeline Hall, Connecticut
- Krysten Hood, Florida
- Mindy Moradi, Oregon
- Sara Newsome, Ohio
- Logan Pickhinke, Iowa
- Carrington Robertson, Alabama
- Claire Turpel, Massachusetts
- Anita Van, Minnesota
Additional National 4H Conference Nutrition Security Team Members
- Tamiyah Davis, Missouri
- Leah Szczepanski, Georgia
- Allyson Aves, Illinois
- Kacie Clark, Arkansas
NIFA 4-H and Youth Development Staff
- Shannon Horrillo, PhD, Division Director for Youth and 4-H
- Jeff Sallee, PhD, Acting Division Director of Family and Consumer Services
- Annie Ceccarini, National Program Leader in the Division of Youth and 4-H
- Maurice Smith, Jr, PhD, National Program Leader in the Division of Community and Education
- Bonita Williams, PhD, National Program Leader in the Division of Youth and 4-H
- Christopher Petty, MS, Program Specialist in the Division of Youth, and 4-H
- Keesha Corbin, MPH, Program Specialist in the Division of Youth, and 4-H
- Andrea Wikiera, Program Specialist in the Division of Youth and 4-H
Details
EFNEP: A Model of Cooperation and Collaboration, Resulting in Improved Nutritional Health and Wellbeing of Families with Limited Financial Resources
July 18th 2022 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM ET
Panelists
- Dr. Helen Chipman, NIFA National Program Leader for Food and Nutrition Education, Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition, Division of Nutrition
- Dr. Carinthia Cherry, NIFA National EFNEP Coordinator, Institute of Food Safety and Nutrition, Division of Nutrition
- Ms. Shewana McSwain, MS, EFNEP Nutrition Outreach Coordinator, North Carolina A&T University
- Ms. Catalina Aragón, MS, Public Health Nutrition Specialist, Washington State University
Details
NIFA Nutrition Security Webinar Series - An App And A Carrot: An Overview Of The Evolution And Impacts Of VeggieBook
June 7th, 2022 at 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm ET
Panelists
- Dr. Susan Evans, Research Scientist, University of Southern California
- Dr. Peter Clarke, Professor Emeritus of Communication, University of Southern California
Details
Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program: Overview, Impacts & Opportunities
April 26, 2022
Speakers: Mallory Koenings, Amy Yaroch, Holly A. Parker, Hilary Seligman, & Carmen Byker Shanks
Breakout Room Facilitators: Adrienne Udarbe & Ian Finch
Internships: Perspectives from NIFA Nutrition Security Team Members
March 29, 2022
Speakers: Ryan Kornegay, Giselle Caceres; Prali Chitnis; Jodi Williams; “Steve” Shoushan Zeng
Honoring and Celebrating Black History Month: The Role of Registered Dietitian Nutritionists and Other Allied Health Professionals
February 23, 2022
Speakers: Lydia Kaume, Sara Bleich, Elizabeth Campbell, Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt, Judith Camele Anglin, Angie Tagtow, Alison Brown, Deirdra Chester, Cheryl Jackson-Lewis
Prioritizing Nutrition Security: Cooperative Extension's National Framework for Health Equity and Well-Being
January 25, 2022
Speakers: Suzanne Stluka, Dawn Burton, Mike Gutter, Latoya O’Neal, Roger Rennekamp, and Erin Yelland
Strengthening Intersections between Climate Change, Food Systems, and Nutrition Security: NIFA's Aims & Activities
October 20, 2021
Speakers: Keesha Corbin (moderator), Robert Godfrey, Kevin Kephart, Emma Moran, Amy Ganguli, Lydia Kaume, and Megan O’Rourke.
Prioritizing Nutrition Security: Emerging Approaches in Research and Practice
September 27, 2021
Speakers: Sheila Fleischhacker (moderator), Dariush Mozaffarian, Emily Engelhard, Julia Caldwell, Dipa Shah-Patel, Kelly Warner, and Angela Odoms-Young.
Prioritizing Nutrition Security: NIFA Elevates Youth and Families
August 31, 2021
Speakers: Cassandra Huey (moderator), Brent Elrod, Keith Harris, Keesha Corbin, Crystal Kyle, Christopher Petty, Jeff Sallee, Jessica Turner, Sydney Turner, and Bonita Williams.
Prioritizing Nutrition Security: NIFA’s Role in Cultivating Future Farmers and Ranchers
July 28, 2021
Speakers: Cassandra Huey (moderator), Desiree Rucker, and Sara Cross, and Mudbone Grown, LLC
NIFA Nutrition Security: An Overview of Current Activities & Aims
June 24, 2021
Speakers: Sheila Fleischhacker (moderator), Carrie Castille, Helen Chipman, Mallory Koenings, Lydia Kaume, Lisa Jahns, and Giselle Caceres.
