CLOSING THE GAPS: FOOD SAFETY EDUCATION AND OUTREACH TO UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES IN THE LOWER RIO GRANDE VALLEY

The overarching goal of this proposed project is to provide produce safety education, training, and outreach to underserved grower communities in the Lower Rio Grande Valley and build training capacity in the region by empowering community-based organizations and minority serving institutions to serve the local community needs. Specific objectives include: (1) To develop and deliver customized bilingual produce safety training workshops and assist growers in the development and implementation of farm food safety plans to earn industry recognized credentials, (2) To build food safety training and outreach capacity in the region by developing a cadre of trainers and lead trainers by empowering CBOs and minority serving institutions, (3) To evaluate the impacts of education, training, and outreach programs.