Our Members’ Needs

Serving as president of IFT, on its Board of Directors, or on other leadership committees and task forces provides the unique opportunity to review, analyze, and interpret data from across our professional institute. We use this data to inform and drive the decisions you’ve elected us to make on your behalf. IFT has no shortage of data, but what we do with that data is what matters.

Recently, IFT conducted its third annual Member Needs Survey, sampling a group of current IFT members as well as past members and individuals in our professional community that have never been members. We conduct this survey annually so that as data accumulates, we can note trends—be they positive or negative—that identify opportunities and spot problems in how we deliver what you need, and subsequently come up with new solutions to better serve you.

As we start off 2018, I’d like to share a few things you’ve collectively shared with us in this survey over the past three years. And keep in mind, these nuggets merely scratch the surface of the detailed data you’ve provided.

From a long list of options, you have overwhelmingly indicated that there are three key reasons you join IFT:

• To stay current on information and news related to the science of food

• Opportunities to meet and network with others in the science of food

• Professional development and educational opportunities

You’ve also indicated that how well we provide these opportunities directly correlates to your decision to renew your membership. Those who don’t renew most often make this decision because they feel we are not delivering in one or more of these three critical areas.

You have told us about your internal and external workplace challenges:

• In academia, soliciting funds and writing grants to support your research continues to be your biggest challenge internally, while externally, you’re frustrated by the degree to which industry and government support academic food science and the declining nature of that support.

• In government and regulatory professions, career advancement and finding funding for professional development are key internal challenges, while educating the public on food science issues has consistently been the largest external challenge.

• For those who are in an early stage of their career, you want better work-life balance and more influence over the decisions of executives, while externally you’re frustrated by the public perception of food science and customer concerns about additives and processing.

• Mid-career professionals, meanwhile, are more focused on finding and retaining quality employees and improving communications between departments internally, while externally you are challenged by competition and predicting consumer demand.

• Finally, late-stage professionals are challenged by budget restraints, reduced resources, and top-down directives internally, while externally—like your early career-stage colleagues—your concerns are around public perception and customer concerns related to food science.

You’ve shared the relative importance of various IFT products and services and given us feedback on how well we deliver those. Not surprisingly, the IFT Annual Event, IFT peer-reviewed journals, and Food Technology magazine rank among the highest in importance to you, but in each instance, you’ve also given us some feedback on how we can improve these valuable products.

Across the board, your awareness of our work in advocacy as well as science and policy initiatives is relatively low. This means we need to do a better job of communicating the important work we do on behalf of our profession. Only 36% of you are aware of the documentary film that IFT commissioned and funded, Food Evolution. Meanwhile, only 20% of you are aware that IFT is the home of the Global Food Traceability Center or know about the work the Center does to be a global and authoritative voice on food traceability.

Lastly, among all the important feedback, there is some very good news: 93% of our current members have said they are very likely or likely to renew their membership.

The Member Needs Survey data will continue to guide our decisions, large and small, related to the programs, communications, member value, resources, and content we provide. We’re very grateful to those of you who complete the survey every year. We take your collective feedback seriously and will use it to better serve your professional needs.

On behalf of everyone at IFT, I wish you a joyous, healthy, and prosperous 2018.

Cindy Stewart, PhD, CFS
IFT President, 2017–2018
Global Cultures and Food Protection Technology & Innovation Leader, DuPont Nutrition & Health, Wilmington, Del.
[email protected]