As you'll see illustrated throughout this publication, the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences (CFAES) is focusing its efforts on three Signature Areas of key importance to Ohio and the world:

Food Security, Production, and Human Health Every day more than 860 million people go hungry worldwide. Malnutrition is at critical levels in developing countries, while obesity plagues developed nations. The safety of our food, threatened by disease or contamination outbreaks, is a concern. As a result, CFAES focuses on improved agricultural production that ensures an adequate and affordable food supply; safeguarding our food supply; and promoting the basics of nutritional health for a growing population.

Environmental Quality and Sustainability Sustaining population and economic growth must be balanced with preservation of natural resources and environmental assets. Linked hand in hand with environmental sustainability is an urgent need for the development of ecologically benign resources for economic activity. In this Signature Area, CFAES works to understand, protect, and remediate the environment and ecosystems to ensure long-term sustainability.

Advanced Bioenergy and Biobased Products With global fossil fuel prices at record levels and concerns regarding carbon emissions, the race is on to develop renewable energy sources with nominal environmental impacts. The country's desire to limit its dependence on overseas oil sources also fuels the development of alternative sources for the plastics, chemicals, and rubber industries. As such, CFAES will focus on developing biomass-based advanced energy technologies and value-added biobased products such as fuels, specialty chemicals, and fiber products.

We believe that focusing on these issues puts our college's best and brightest to work on key issues affecting our world. As always, I appreciate your feedback: moser.2@osu.edu

Bobby D. Moser