IFT’s Commitment to Core Values

As IFT’s 2015–2016 president, I’m excited to share our new strategic plan (www.ift.org/about-ift), which was developed by our Strategic Planning Task Force to give us clarity of purpose and involve our many member groups, including sections, divisions, academics, industry professionals, international members, students, and those from the public sector. It renews our ongoing commitment to all of IFT’s members and community through four important promises and five core values that will guide us in the years to come. These promises are critical to our success and will serve as a bond among our volunteer leaders, members, staff, and partners.

To meet our members’ needs, the plan focuses on four promises of individual development, productive networks, scientific innovation, and issues advocacy. We will develop, network, innovate, and advocate abiding by our five core values of community, integrity, passion, progress, and respect. These promises and core values serve as a reminder to members that this is their scientific society and that our elected board, other volunteer leaders, and staff are held accountable to them. These ideals will impact every level of our organization, from strategy development to program execution.

Our promises are designed to increase member value, drive organizational accountability, and achieve IFT’s mission and vision. Our vision is a world where science and innovation are universally accepted as essential to a safe, nutritious, and sustainable food supply for everyone. Our mission is to advance the science of food and its application across the global food system.

We want to emphasize that members are at the forefront of all of IFT’s efforts and make sure that all of our resources bring a return on value to our members. Through our promises, we can instill a spirit of inclusivity, foster a culture of listening to our members, and increase opportunities for collaboration across disciplines.

By being an advocate, IFT promises to address important issues and influence outcomes to ensure a balanced public dialogue on the science of food. A key part of that advocacy role is to serve as a meeting place of people and ideas. This role enables us to engage new disciplines and hear the new voices that continue to weigh in on food issues.

Equally important to opening up wider communication will be our promise to help our members innovate, so we can collectively promote science and technology and their application. I think good examples of these are the robust learning opportunities generated through educational programs, our scientific sessions at our annual event, the research published in our peer-reviewed journals, as well as the many new trends highlighted in our food expo and our publications.

IFT has the unique ability to convene representatives from industry, academia, government, and the media, providing opportunities to network. We promise to create interactive networking through our many local sections, our divisions, our global partnerships, and events. As a result of these shared interests and shared connections, innovations are born. If you haven’t participated in these networks, it’s a unique opportunity that I’ve personally taken advantage of since early in my career, and I continue to learn something new from colleagues to this day.

Another important promise we make is to help people develop by advancing and promoting careers. That lifelong career journey is really what IFT is all about. Whether you’re just starting out or whether you’re a leader, it’s extremely important that we contribute to the talent pool for the future.

We believe in the power of community, one of our core values. We collaborate across borders and scientific disciplines with public and private institutions. We are a convener of people and ideas. Teamwork is essential to our success.

We want our scientific and operational integrity, another core value, to be renowned. We honor the diversity of people and ideas in our community. We adhere to the highest level of professionalism and professional ethics.

We are energized by our core value of passion. We are passionate about the science of food. We are dedicated to expanding knowledge and advancing careers and commit ourselves to finding solutions to the food challenges facing humanity.

With our core value of progress, we are dedicated to supporting the changing needs of our members and our community. We are committed to continuous improvement and to championing innovation.

We respect the scientific process and our peers. This final core value also means that we are guided by the needs and demands of our members and that we are committed to clear communication and responsiveness.

These promises and core values will underpin our efforts to advance the science of food and its application across the global food system. Please join us in making our vision and mission a reality.

Colin Dennis, CBE, PhD, CFS, CSci
IFT President, 2015–2016
Chairman, IFIS Ltd., Reading, United Kingdom
[email protected]