Food Science IFT Maps Out a Future-Ready Workforce Blueprint
The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), a nonprofit scientific organization focused on advancing food science and its application across the global food system, has released a new white paper examining how the food sector can prepare its scientific workforce for increasingly complex food and nutrition security challenges.
Titled “Building a Future-Ready Science Workforce to Address Food and Nutrition Security Challenges,” the white paper identifies four critical competency areas that will be essential for food science professionals in the years ahead: artificial intelligence, regulatory and policy literacy, systems thinking and leadership, and science communication.
The report comes at a time when the food system is undergoing rapid transformation. Advances in artificial intelligence, changing regulations, climate pressures, evolving consumer expectations and increasingly interconnected supply chains are reshaping the skills required across the food industry. According to IFT, developing a workforce capable of responding to these changes will be critical to strengthening global food and nutrition security.
Four Competencies for the Future
IFT’s new white paper focuses on four areas that the organization believes should become central to workforce development across food science and related disciplines.
The first is artificial intelligence and emerging technology. AI is increasingly being used across food research, product development, quality assurance, manufacturing, supply-chain management and data analysis. While these technologies offer significant opportunities, food scientists and other professionals need the skills to understand their capabilities, limitations and practical applications.
Workforce development therefore needs to go beyond simply introducing professionals to new technologies. Employees and students should learn how to evaluate AI-generated information, use digital tools responsibly and incorporate emerging technologies into scientific and business decision-making.
The second competency is regulatory and policy literacy. Food and nutrition security challenges frequently intersect with government policies, regulations, trade considerations, public health priorities and evolving standards. Food professionals must be able to understand these frameworks and recognize how policy decisions can influence research, innovation, manufacturing and food access.
IFT emphasizes that stronger policy literacy can help scientists and industry professionals participate more effectively in discussions that affect the future of the food system.
The third area is systems thinking and leadership. Food and nutrition security cannot be addressed through isolated solutions because agriculture, food production, public health, economics, environmental sustainability and consumer behavior are closely connected.
Systems thinking encourages professionals to examine these relationships and understand how decisions in one part of the food system can create consequences elsewhere. Leadership skills are equally important because solving complex challenges requires collaboration among researchers, businesses, government agencies, academic institutions and nonprofit organizations.
The fourth competency is science communication. Scientific discoveries and technical information have little impact if they cannot be communicated clearly to decision-makers, industry stakeholders, consumers and the broader public.
Food science professionals increasingly need to explain complex scientific concepts in accessible and credible ways. Effective communication can help build trust, support informed decision-making and strengthen public understanding of issues involving food safety, nutrition, technology and sustainability.
Training and Collaboration Identified as Key Priorities
Although the four competency areas are distinct, IFT’s discussions identified several common needs across all of them. These include stronger faculty training, greater interdisciplinary collaboration, applied learning opportunities based on real-world challenges and accessible continuing education for professionals already working in the field.
Faculty development is particularly important because educators play a central role in preparing the next generation of food scientists. Universities and other educational institutions need opportunities to update curricula and teaching methods as technologies, regulations and workforce requirements evolve.
The white paper also highlights the value of interdisciplinary education. Food system challenges frequently extend beyond traditional food science disciplines, requiring knowledge from fields such as data science, engineering, public policy, economics, environmental science, nutrition and communications.
Applied learning represents another major opportunity. Rather than relying exclusively on classroom-based instruction, students and professionals can benefit from real-world case studies, industry projects, simulations and problem-solving exercises. Such experiences can help learners develop the ability to apply scientific knowledge to complex situations.
For professionals already in the workforce, continuing education is equally important. Because technology and regulatory environments can change rapidly, employees need affordable and accessible opportunities to update their skills throughout their careers.
Industry-Wide Perspective
The white paper was developed following a virtual roundtable organized by IFT’s Food & Nutrition Security Steering Committee (FNSSC). More than 30 food-sector leaders representing industry, government, academia and nonprofit organizations participated in the discussion.
The event was the fifth virtual roundtable organized by the FNSSC since the committee was established in 2021. Previous discussions have examined major food and nutrition security issues, including climate change, biofortified and underutilized crops, food loss and processing technologies.
The continued focus on workforce development reflects the growing recognition that technological innovation alone will not solve food and nutrition security challenges. Skilled people are needed to develop, evaluate, implement and communicate new solutions.
Brendan Niemira, PhD, IFT’s Chief Science and Technology Officer, said an adaptable workforce is essential to achieving global food and nutrition security. He pointed to rapid technological development and social change as factors making workforce preparation increasingly challenging.
According to Niemira, the white paper offers a practical roadmap for developing professionals who can work with emerging technologies such as AI, navigate complex policy environments, communicate science effectively and use systems thinking to address interconnected challenges.
Connecting Workforce Development With Career Trends
IFT’s workforce initiative also builds on its broader work examining careers within the science of food. Earlier in 2026, the organization released its 2026 Compensation and Career Path Report, providing insights into employment and career trends across the food science community.
The report draws on more than 5,000 survey responses from food science professionals around the world. IFT’s compensation research has a long history, with the organization’s first compensation survey dating back to 1966.
The latest report examines compensation, job satisfaction and workplace challenges across a range of positions and functions. It includes information covering professionals working in the food industry, academia, government and nonprofit organizations.
The report also provides salary information by geographic region and job function, along with additional demographic breakdowns. For professionals, students and educators, the data can provide useful context when evaluating career pathways and workforce needs.
For food and beverage companies, the information can also help human resources teams better understand compensation trends and workforce expectations. Academic institutions can use career data to help students understand opportunities available across the broader food sector.
Preparing for a More Complex Food System
IFT’s latest white paper underscores a central challenge facing the food industry: the workforce of the future must be prepared for problems that are more interconnected and technologically complex than those of previous generations.
Artificial intelligence will continue to influence scientific research and commercial decision-making. Regulations and policies will evolve alongside new technologies and societal priorities. Food security challenges will increasingly require collaboration across sectors, while effective science communication will remain essential for building public understanding and trust.
Preparing professionals for this environment requires more than adding individual technical skills to existing educational programs. It calls for a broader approach that combines scientific expertise with technology awareness, policy understanding, leadership, communication and the ability to think across the entire food system.
Through its new white paper and ongoing Food & Nutrition Security Steering Committee initiatives, IFT is calling attention to the importance of developing this broader skill set. By strengthening education, encouraging collaboration and expanding opportunities for lifelong learning, the food sector can build a workforce better equipped to respond to emerging challenges.
Ultimately, a future-ready food science workforce will be an important part of creating a food system that is more resilient, innovative and capable of supporting global food and nutrition security. As the pace of change accelerates, investment in people and their skills will be just as important as investment in technologies and scientific discoveries.
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