Food sustainability

The University of British Columbia Food Systems Project (UBCFSP) is a community-based action research project coordinated by the Faculty of Land and Food Systems (LFS) and the UBC Social Ecological Economic Development Studies (SEEDS) Program. Since 2001, students, faculty, and campus food staff have been collaborating on food system projects to further campus sustainability. Our project was based on the creation of an engaging introductory activity to be used in an upcoming lecture series, Lenses of Sustainability, for a lecture focusing primarily on local food. Methods included a literature review on the UBC food system, the meaning of local food, and methods of participatory learning. Through our research we found the power of storytelling to be an effective means of introducing local food. We therefore conducted interviews with UBC faculty members to gather stories on the latter, intending to integrate their food systems experiences into a multimedia introductory presentation. To facilitate this interactive format, we are recommending that the lecture be held in the Centre for Interactive Research for Sustainability (CIRS) BC Hydro Theatre, which is a flexible learning space equipped with advanced visual and audio equipment. Furthermore, we developed a preregistration questionnaire with the intention that responses be shared during the lecture by way of said audio-visual equipment as a means of tailoring lecture topics and/or proposed engagement activities to the group in question. This is intended to promote sharing of individuals’ experiences and garner an open forum-type learning environment. In addition, we have developed a list of potential panelists from numerous faculties that could be asked to participate in the lecture to provide their personal lenses on sustainability, thus encouraging cross-faculty conversations on food sustainability. Disclaimer: “UBC SEEDS provides students with the opportunity to share the findings of their studies, as well as their opinions, conclusions and recommendations with the UBC community. The reader should bear in mind that this is a student project/report and is not an official document of UBC. Furthermore readers should bear in mind that these reports may not reflect the current status of activities at UBC. We urge you to contact the research persons mentioned in a report or the SEEDS Coordinator about the current status of the subject matter of a project/report.”Land and Food Systems, Faculty ofUnreviewedUndergraduat