Read the Report here! 

The Project: The HFSI recognizes that having healthy food options on campus that connect to and support  regional agricultural systems requires the support and engagement of multiple stakeholder groups, including the food service provider, university administration, students and student groups , faculty, staff, and the surrounding community.

“[The HFSI] provides the food-service (and vending) caterers with an opportunity to partner with other stakeholder groups to test innovative approaches to provide and promote healthy foods in a supportive environment…Partners in the HFSI will work together to identify specific goals and objectives for improvement, and then plan, implement, and monitor initiatives.”

In addition to participating in the multi-stakeholder group, the university administration has committed to provide $15,000 in annual funding for the project. $12,000 will support graduate student research guided by the work and priorities of partners in the HFSI. Additional funds  will support partners in field research, enabling travel to conferences, and site visits to other campuses.

The HFSI will cultivate cross-campus partnerships and support and guide graduate student research focused on aspects of healthy food innovations on the UNB campus. Topics for exploration include  education and awareness, regional procurement, development of policies and standards for nutritional and sustainable foods on campus.

The Role of Student Engagement: A conversation with project lead Mary McKenna revealed the importance of the student voice at UNB in making this proposal a priority for administration to support. In the contract process, the student body demonstrated an active interest in being involved and represented in contract discussions. A petition coordinated by the Student Union collected over 900 signatures, and a survey was conducted to gather student input and opinion.  In addition to this action, Mary also noted that the National Student Food Charter was brought forward to the RFP committee, and the UNB/STU’s Campus Food Strategy Group has helped increase the profile of student involvement with food on campus. This level of active engagement demonstrated the campus’ suitability for an initiative that would provide institutional support for research and cross-campus partnerships. The HFSI creates an opportunity for hands-on participation by students in campus food services.

Everybody wins! Working toward food system innovation on campus provides value to each partner involved “For students and employees, it provides an opportunity to become more actively engaged in food services. For the university, it provides an opportunity to link food services with the broader university mandate of achieving wellness and to integrate food services with education and research, and for the food service caterer, it is an opportunity to work within a supportive environment to test new strategies and approaches that can help improve business opportunities.” The HFSI multi-stakeholder group is expected to meet monthly.This project will enable UNB to provide institutional leadership within the province; innovative findings will also be available for use by other Sodexo locations across the country.

The dedication of time and funds  from administration to support student research and convening an inclusive, multi-stakeholder group around food is a promising step in the direction of  a healthy and engaged and collaborative campus food system. We look forward to following the group’s progress and sharing lessons learned.  Quotations are from the Healthy Food Services Incubator Proposal.

UNBC’s foods week involved several ‘food’ events developed in a collaborative effort by the Northern Undergraduate Students Society (NUGSS), UNBC’s Campus Food Strategy Group (CFSG), Prince George Public Research Interest Group (PGPIRG) and UNBC’s campus food service provider, Eurest.

Students explain their locally inspired dishes at UNBC's Top Chef Event

There were many events, opportunities for conversation and delicious food! The top chef event featured products from the Good Food Box and UNBC’s Farmers Market. In the Dining Hall, locally and provincially sourced ingredients were highlighted by Head Chef Rodney Mansbridge. For those thirsty for local – the campus pub highlighted local microbreweries, selling out every day!

As for conversation, a local grass-fed beef farmer spoke to a group of students about the opportunities and challenges of sustainable food production in the region during the screening of the documentary Fresh and the campus was alive with discussion about food at their Town Hall.

CFSG coordinator Nitha Karanja said, “This is a very timely event.  UNBC is currently developing and will be releasing a request for proposal (RFP) for a campus food service provider in the near future.  The more involvement and awareness we can build around the campus food system, the more information we will have to develop a RFP that accurately reflects the needs and desires of everyone at UNBC.”

The week was a huge success and as stated by Cam Bell, UNBC’s CFSG co-coordinator stated, “UNBC’s Food Week is an excellent example of a several campus organizations coming together to display the possibilities of a more sustainable campus food system.  It also provides everyone the opportunity to celebrate the strengths in our present campus food system.”

In March 2013, Campus Food Systems Project Coordinators, Caitlin Colson and Sarah Archibald had the opportunity to visit Memorial University’s St. John’s Campus and see, first hand, the local food initiatives happening on campus and in the community.

CFSP Coordinators and the staff at Bitters celebrate their initiatives to become a leader in sustainable procurement and operations!

CFSP Coordinators and the staff at Bitters celebrate their initiatives to become a leader in sustainable procurement and operations!

We had the chance to speak with Julie Purchase, chef at Bitters, the Graduate Student Restaurant and Lounge that is making huge strides towards connecting with local farmers and increasing sustainability in operations. With the support of the Bitters staff, the Graduate Students Union and past Campus Food Strategy Group Coordinator, Riley Pollom, Bitters is well on its way to be LEAF certified and was named one of the greenest restaurants in Canada of 2013.

There’s nothing bitter about that - Congratulations!

In Canada, the assault on farm livelihoods and family farms is the result of economic measures rather than physical violence, according to Harbottle. “With less than eight percent of Canadian farmers under the age of 35, youth in the National Farmers Union are positioned at the leading edge of change. We are ready to confront the problems endemic in Canada’s industrial model of agriculture,” she states. “As we do, we will stand in solidarity with peasant farmers around the world, today on the International Day of Peasants’ Struggles and every single day of the year. And we will celebrate the role that youth are taking in creating a better future for farmers in Canada and elsewhere.”

The NFU youth caucus recently gathered on the North Shore of Nova Scotia – “before seeds were in the ground and when there was still the luxury of staying up late into the night,” said Harbottle. There, youth talked about their farms, the price of wheat, and their favorite Berkshire pigs. Mostly, however, they talked about food sovereignty.

“Food sovereignty is rooted in providing food for people, not commodities for transnational corporations,” says Harbottle. “It is a framework favoring the wellbeing of those eating and producing the food over corporate profits – about food as a human right and not a commodity. It’s about people having the right to define their own agricultural and food systems.”

The food sovereignty framework makes sense to the NFU’s young farmers. As family farms struggle and as older farmers retire with no plans for succession, youth talked about what their farms and communities would look like in a country that valued food sovereignty.

“On our last night, we shared a meal, with each participant contributing food from their farm,” says Harbottle. “Whether it was the pork roast and the story of the pig’s life and death; or the beans grown by a family for generations; or the early spinach, harvested from a Nova Scotia greenhouse; the meal was special and beautiful. Sharing our food and stories is as much a part of food sovereignty as receiving a fair price for what we produce,” she concluded.

Backgrounder: NFU Youth envision the Food Sovereignty Framework in their lives

Food is for the people. Food is recognized as medicine, as a vehicle for health and wellbeing. Food is grown where the people are, and eaten at its freshest and most nutritious. Food is at the centre of community celebrations. There are no food banks, because food is a human right.

Food providers are honored. Farmers are valued by their communities and their work is seen as integral to its health. People are connected to those who grow their food, and appreciate and support farming. Farmers are proud of their vocation and are able to provide for their families by growing food for their community.

Food systems are localized. Family farms are everywhere, providing food for local communities. There is a diversity of farms in each region. Farmers work together, sharing land, equipment, and labour. Local businesses and systems are thriving.

Decisions are made locally. Those who are directly affected by decisions have a hand it making them. Food producers and consumers have autonomy over the food systems in their community. When farmers are consulted about a new policy or program, they are actually listened to and their input influences policies and programs.

We build knowledge and skills. Food sovereignty is included throughout the school curriculum. Children learn how to grow and process food in school.. Agricultural research is democratically controlled and accessible. We have successful apprenticeship programs and knowledge sharing networks for everything from seed saving to crop rotation.

Farming works with nature. Building healthy soil is paramount. Farms are biodiverse, soil is covered, tillage is minimal. Farms mimic natural systems, there is a holistic approach to pest management, seeds are saved and local inputs are used. Water is protected.

Food is sacred. Food is life given by the soils and landscapes that produce it. The right to food is inalienable and hunger is intolerable. We sustain life in our soil, with respect and responsibility. All people share equitably the fruits of our harvests.  

CFSG Coordinator Wesley and excited students Alex and Alex show off their sustainable campus food systems paper

Sarah Archibald recently had the opportunitiy to participate in a 4^th year Geography Class at Carleton which has been working with the Carleton CFSG Coordinators to integrate ASR into their studies.

Sarah was so excited to see the projects going on including

• A survey of the campus community’s food preferences
• Working with local organizations and producers to provide the administration with a list of local suppliers to include in food procurement
• Researching best practices at Campuses in North America for Edible Landscaping

Students involved with ASR also commented on their experiences:

“This Applied Student Research project in class was a nice break from pure academia and an opportunity to make connections with the campus community and great community as well.”

“The final project [in this class] provided me with the opportunity to try and better Carleton campuses food system. Integrating beliefs I am passionate about within the school’s food system is meaningful.”

We’ll be sure to post the final projects and research findings from this course!

A special thanks to Professor Ballamingie, her students and the CFSG Campus Coordinators, Christopher Yordy and Wesley Petite.