Students marking World Food Day learned how local businesses can extend international reach

As in years past, on World Food Day – Oct. 16 – Radford business students again gathered to mark the occasion through a forum whose purpose was to examine issues of food distribution and consumption

The event, internationally founded 43 years ago, in 1981, is observed each fall by the United Nations, and member states use the day to commemorate the founding of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization.

This year’s designated theme was “The right to food for a better life and a better future.”

Faculty-led and student-run, the lectures are coordinated by Assistant Professor Jennifer Elias with the Department of Economics, sponsored by Radford’s Realizing Inclusive Student Excellence (RISE) program and hosted by the Economics Student Association (ESA).

“I’m excited to learn about how we can use food from around the world to make Southwest Virginia a happier and healthier place,” said ESA president Addison Howard, a senior marketing major.

Radford’s gathering, held in Kyle Hall, welcomed Bukola “Bookie” Fabiyi, a healthcare professional with two decades of experience whose company, We Live and Eat Well, specializes in pharmaceutical care, chronic disease management and holistic wellness coaching, and Max Scheutz, who, with his wife, Whitney, owns and operates Blacksburg’s Oasis World Market.

Both businesses, while local, have connections that stretch to distant parts of the globe.

Before coming to the United States, Fabiyi worked in Nigeria and the United Kingdom, and she spoke about food preferences in different countries and some of her experiences in her field. She shared her understanding of food preferences in different countries and talked about her personal experiences.  

“When she was living in England and going through some health challenges, she reflected on her grandmother, who was over 100 years old, and she questioned why her grandmother had lived to such a healthy old age … and she decided to turn to nutritional solutions,” Elias said. “It led her to think about different kinds of food and different types of food preparation.

Scheutz started out as a financial analyst, then ended up buying the Oasis grocery store about 15 years ago with his wife.

“They had owned a restaurant in California but didn’t know a whole lot about operating a grocery store,” Elias explained. “His experience in finance helped ease the process and reduce some of the challenges.”

Questions from the audience covered such topics as inflation, adjusting inventory levels in a non-mainstream market, locally sourcing produce that’s typically grown overseas and supply chain issues amid such incidents as the Baltimore, Maryland, ship collision that led to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The combination of business, economics, and food matched the interests of the audience.

“it was important for our students to learn some of the day-to-day operational challenges that local stores face in providing fresh and healthy food to their customers,” said Economics Professor Can Dogan.

“And we wanted to do something that was international,” Elias added. “So we thought, let’s do something about local businesses that are somehow operating on an international level.”