The College of Micronesia-FSM (COM-FSM) was designated a Land Grant college in 1981 The College of Micronesia Land Grant (COM) was designated a Land Grant college in 1981 through Section 506 (a) of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Public Law 92 – 318, as amended; 7 U.S.C. 301). As the US Federal Government does not own land in Micronesia, instead a $3 Million Endowment was granted to COM. When the three colleges of the COM system became autonomous institutions under separate governing boards in 1993, administration of the Land Grant remained under COM while programs and personnel were extended to the three colleges, College of Micronesia-FSM (COM-FSM); College of the Marshall Islands (CMI); and Palau Community College (PCC). A Trust/Partnership MOU with COM established the Cooperative Research and Extension (CRE), a department headed by the CRE Vice President or Dean.
MISSION:To provide exemplary administrative support to the Agriculture Experiment Station researchers, the Director of Resident Instruction and CRE State Coordinators in their efforts to provide excellent training, knowledge and skill development in agriculture and aquaculture, nutrition, resource management, and youth and families through our research, extension, and resident instruction programs. The CRE office and program will provide unrestrained support and collaboration to the President in pursuit of the mission, goals and objectives of COM-FSM.tion programs. The CRE office and program will provide unrestrained support and collaboration to the President in pursuit of the mission, goals and objectives of COM-FSM.COM-FSM.
CHILDHOOD OBESITY
Plan, implement, monitor and evaluate projects to promote the well-being of youths, families, and communities through the provision of high-quality, relevant, and timely preventive and intervention nutrition, heath, and physical education, and the enhancement of indigenous knowledge and practices to assure an affordable and secure food supply for supporting healthy populations. Develop intervention activities such as physical education and proper nutrition and meal planning to address childhood obesity. This program will also introduce home and school gardening activities to encourage and increase production and consumption of local fruits and vegetables. Also, school administrators and cooks will be encouraged to prepare and serve local foods rich in dietary fiber in school lunches. These activities will ultimately result in a healthy Micronesian population.
CLIMATE CHANGE
With rising sea level due to climate change, the Micronesian population, which is mostly rural and scattered throughout mostly small islands and low-lying coral atolls, is seriously at risk and vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Most of the Micronesian islands and atolls are not more than 25 feet above sea level and average less than 1,000 feet in width and if tidal surges or tsunamis occur, they may inundate severely. The Micronesian population must make necessary adjustments in response to these global impacts and find sustainable methods of farming crops, livestock and aqua cultural species. The Micronesian population is at risk of starvation as the population continues to increase and the rising temperatures and changes in rainfall patterns take their toll on farmers’ crops. It is anticipated that there will be mass migration and relocation of the population as sea levels swamp low-lying areas where many people reside and make a living.
The Micronesian islands are also prone to typhoons and when they occur, they can be devastating to the limited agricultural land on small islands and atolls where many people reside. As recently as January 2009, the President of the FSM has declared the outer islands of Chuuk, Pohnpei and Yap as disaster areas and provided emergency relief as tidal surges swamped agricultural land with salt water and caused tremendous crop loss. The Micronesian islands must strengthen their capacity to adapt to climate change and to mitigate its effects to protect their natural resources. Environmental scanning will continue as we continue to monitor the effects of this phenomenon and efforts will be made to introduce salt-tolerant crop varieties and to educate communities on conservation and sustainable livelihood practices.
FOOD SAFETY
This program will continue to enhance the safety of food produced in the islands and those imported from other countries to prevent food-borne illnesses. It will provide appropriate food safety educational programs in the communities, including the benefits of proper food storage, handling, and processing practices and proper inspection of food. It will also strengthen existing collaborations on programs that provide information to stakeholders on healthy lifestyle and consumption of safe and healthy foods. It will be a major challenge on how this program is delivered to make a change in behavior and attitude toward food safety. The program will provide quality training to increase knowledge and skills that ensure a safe food preparation, handling and storage to reduce incidences of food-borne illnesses by creating awareness on food safety and relevant policies.
GLOBAL FOOD SECURITY & HUNGER
Agriculture is an important industry for the economic growth and food security of small island communities in Micronesia. This program will address sustainable plant and animal production and their implications on the environment in both mountainous islands and low atolls to include small and subsistence farms and commercial agriculture. Emphasis will placed be on traditional production systems, conservation and development of natural resources, techniques that incorporate traditional practices into contemporary approaches, processing, and marketing of both crops and animal products. Production and utilization of local food should be increased.
Cooperative Research & Extension 