My Public Health Path from Food Lover to Food Security Advocate
I first really thought seriously about my career path as an undergraduate year at the University of California, Davis. When I joined the Food Science program, our department chair asked everyone why we chose food as a subject to study. My answer was simple—the purity of loving food. I have always been fascinated by the chemistry behind fermentation and flavor, experimenting with ingredients in my kitchen, and the way food connects people across cultures.
My relationship to food soon expanded beyond sensory and scientific aspects. Volunteering at the daily food pantry, I saw students struggling with food insecurity—some of them skipping meals or relying on inexpensive, heavily processed foods due to limited budgets or family circumstances. It was the first time I connected my passion for food with a broader purpose: integrating knowledge from food science, nutrition, and public health to design interventions and policies that ensure equitable access to safe, nutritious, and affordable food. Armed with this new perspective, I began to consider practical interventions like strengthening community partnerships to improve food donation and distribution, collaborating with local farms and food companies for sustainable resource use, and aligning with government food benefit programs to simplify access for those experiencing food insecurity.
I took my interest in food to the next level by applying to the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health. It was the right choice. Professor Anne Paxton’s course on food systems and public health solidified my specific aspiration to make community food security the focus of my future career. The course examined how global climate change affects food security and explored how the definitions and scope of food security have evolved over time. In the past, food security primarily meant having enough food to eat, but today it encompasses nutritional quality, dietary diversity, and accessibility. For instance, low socioeconomic status (SES) communities often have far more high-calorie fast-food outlets than high-SES neighborhoods. Although food in these areas may be inexpensive and abundant, its poor nutritional quality contributes to higher rates of chronic diseases, revealing a deeper layer of food insecurity. The course also provided an in-depth look at how food benefit programs such as SNAP and WIC alleviate food insecurity, and classroom discussions revealed why food security is fundamental to public health.
During my summer APEx program, I once again found myself continuing my learning outside the classroom. I worked at Oko Farms, a non-profit urban farm in Brooklyn with over a decade of experience improving community food security through education and engagement. There, I learned that raising awareness about food security begins with understanding people’s real food needs and creating opportunities for genuine connections. One memorable workshop brought together more than 20 residents under the summer sun to handpick medicinal herbs and make essential oils for stress relief. Participants eagerly selected their favorite plants while staff explained how each herb could promote well-being. For example, adding a few drops of lemongrass oil to tea or water soothes the mind. We also shared herbal fruit teas made from the farm’s own produce. The atmosphere was warm and lively, filled with conversation and laughter as everyone learned how natural ingredients could ease daily stress and support both physical and mental health. That day showed me how interactive, sensory activities can turn the concept of food security into something tangible—rooted in connection, learning, and shared experience.
Food security is not only about having enough food but also about meeting nutritional needs for health. During one course, Professor Carole Hutchinson highlighted six common challenges in CBPR (Community-Based Participatory Research): External Validity, Business as Usual, Lack of Trust, What is Evidence, Sustainability, and Language. At Oko Farm, I applied CBPR principles to design a survey for the plant-sale event, aiming to capture more representative community input and improve the quality of future activities. I successfully lobbied my supervisor to adopt a new survey template that allowed for more feedback from the community. Responses revealed a desire to grow edible plants, but uncertainty about plant care— results that pointed to potential improvements, such as offering planting instructions alongside plant sales.
During my internship, I sometimes questioned whether pursuing food security was the right path—especially when I thought about how uncertain food policy can be and how few public health careers are directly tied to it. Some days, as I stood under the summer sun at the farm, pulling weeds or lifting heavy bags of soil, I wondered if I had chosen the most practical path—or just one that literally required getting my hands dirty. Yet every time I stepped off the subway and saw community members relying on high-calorie, low-nutrient foods, or witnessed homeless individuals struggling to access a meal, my doubts faded. Looking ahead, I am determined to apply the public health knowledge and hands-on experience I am gaining at the Mailman School to help strengthen food security for vulnerable populations.
Haiyong Chen is a second-year MPH student in the Department of Health Policy and Management, with a certificate in Food Systems and Public Health.
