Impact of a global food security assignment on agricultural sciences students' education and career interests

Abstract Text: As we approach 2050, the challenge of producing enough wholesome, nutritious food for the world population is of increasing concern.  Although the solution has yet to be identified, it is clear that in order to address this issue a well-trained workforce that understands the issue of global food security and its causes is required. Therefore, this study sought to assess the impact of a global food security assignment on freshman animal science students’ understanding of global food security and their desire to pursue careers that address this issue. To address this objective, 48 students majoring in animal science at Tuskegee University completed a Likert scale survey (1=Strongly Disagree, 2= Disagree, 3=Neutral, 4=Agree and 5=Strongly Agree) following the completion of a global food security writing assignment.  The results of the survey indicated that after completing the global food security assignment, students had an increased understanding of global food security (4.3/5.0) as well as its causes (4.6/5). Prior to the global food security assignment, students indicated that they had not considered pursuing a career to assist with global food security (2.4/5.0); however, after the assignment, the students were more likely (3.5/5.0) to pursue a career that addresses global food security.  These findings indicate that once students are educated about agro-issues, such as global food security, they are more likely to pursue educational and career opportunities that allow them to address said issues.

Keywords: Food security, students, survey