University of Arkansas to receive $5 million from state for food science center

The Arkansas Legislative Council on Friday (June 19) approved $5 million to be allocated from the state’s restricted reserve fund for the construction of the University of Arkansas Department of Food Science’s Center of Excellence for Food Science and Innovation.

It was announced earlier this year that U.S. Sen. John Boozman, R-Ark., secured $30 million in federal funding to build a two-story, 62,000-square-foot building that willl house specialized laboratories that expand food science research, prepare students for high-demand careers, create new opportunities for Arkansas-grown commodities, and drive economic development across the state.

Jeff Weaver, director of government of affairs and stakeholder relations for the UA Division of Agriculture, said earlier this year that construction, once begun, would take around 24 months. He said the new center would be built in Fayetteville near the division’s existing food science building.

Primary purposes of the new center, according to Weaver, include expanding industry-leading research with rice, wheat, blackberries, grapes, and many other Arkansas-grown commodities. Rice research, he said, is vital considering that the state produces at least 50% of all rice grown nationwide.

Specifically, he said a bigger facility will help expand the division’s focus on food innovation, food health and safety, food processing and chemistry, and connecting food and farm entrepreneurs with consumers and markets. Part of that also includes more research with brewing and wine-making.

The UA Department of Food Science is a national leader in research, education, and industry research, and is ranked 8th in the nation for research productivity in food science by Academic Analytics and third of 56 programs for scholarly research, according to a statement from the office of Arkansas Gov. Sarah Sanders.

“We are extremely grateful for Gov. Sanders’ support for The Center of Excellence for Food Science and Innovation,” said Deacue Fields, head of the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. “The mission of the center aligns with the Governor’s priorities to address food insecurity and health throughout the state. This support will allow us to build a world-class facility to drive the innovation necessary to address these critical issues and also identify ways to add value in the production agriculture sector.”