A key theme of our recent annual meeting of the University Consortium of Health, Food, and Agricultural Resilience (HFAR) particularly in breakout sessions and informal discussions, was the need for improved communication and collaboration with industry leaders and their trade associations. We wholeheartedly agree that this partnership is vital for enhancing the security and resilience of U.S. public health, food, and agriculture sectors. We're committed to taking action on this feedback and facilitating stronger connections.
Industry Interviews: Understanding Challenges and Driving Solutions
To bridge this gap, we're launching a series of short (10-20 minute) podcast/video interviews with industry experts. These interviews will offer direct insights into:
Industry's Top Concerns:
We'll explore the most pressing challenges, threats, and vulnerabilities within the food and agricultural supply chain, including cybersecurity, climate change, zoonotic diseases, and workforce issues. We'll also discuss proposed solutions, such as regenerative agriculture and ESG standards, and assess their real-world effectiveness.
Collaborative Strategies: We'll discuss ways academia and industry can partner on research projects to address these critical challenges, ensuring both relevance and impactful outcomes.
Get Involved – Your Expertise is Needed!
Industry Participation: If you're an industry professional interested in sharing your insights, we'd love to have you participate in an interview.
Spread the Word: Know someone who would be a great fit? Please share this opportunity within your industry network!
Topics or Questions of Interest: If you have topics related to the UCHFAR mission that you'd like to see covered, or specific questions for our industry interviews, please send them to us.
CyberStorm IX Recap:
CISA's recent CyberStorm IX exercise focused on a large-scale cyber incident in the food and agriculture sector. If you or your company participated, we'd value your insights on lessons learned and ways academia can contribute to cybersecurity efforts.
Contact Us:
To participate as an industry interviewee, suggest interview topics, or share feedback, please send a message at hfar@purdue.edu or send me message on LinkedIn. Together, let's work urgently to build the partnerships that will strengthen the resilience of our health, food, and agricultural systems.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, DHS Science and Technology Directorate, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Purdue Applied Research Institute LLC, Agricultural Research and Graduate Education | College of Agriculture | Purdue University
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