2017 ASHS Annual Conference

Interest in fostering regional, sustainable food systems has been growing in the agricultural community and broader society with growing numbers of aware, concerned consumers preferentially purchasing locally produced foods. While the local food movement was originally focused on supporting local farmers, the movement has grown to recognize that sustainable, regional food systems extend beyond agriculture and buying local and intersect with a myriad of issues such as economic vitality, community development, environmental stewardship, food access and self-reliance, health and wellness and food sovereignty. As a result, there is a diverse cross-section of researchers, educators and advocates, from universities, governments (at all levels), non-profit and private sector stakeholders contributing to the discourse and advancement of regional food systems. They are actively responding to the need to develop knowledge and resources through innovative programs, research and education. The challenge for Universities lies in facilitating the connections between these diverse actors in the system and delineating the role universities play in supporting this complex social movement. This will necessitate a redefinition of the role and function of the “agriculture” university. Universities have historically played a key role in the generation and mobilization of knowledge and while it has often collaborated with stakeholders, institutions are often not deeply embedded in the community, rather much more allied with the agri-food industry and its perspectives and needs. Due to the connectedness of regional food systems to all aspects of society, it is critical for universities to redefine how they interface with society and equip and empower effective leaders that will foster our sustainable food systems future. The Sustainable Agriculture program at Kwantlen Polytechnic University was conceptualized, designed and has been built on the philosophy that to genuinely and effectively contribute to the development of a sustainable regional food system, it is critical to not only collaborate, but build and work from meaningful partnerships with key food system stakeholders in the community. This includes local- regional government, K-12 educators, indigenous communities, industry, and non-profit organizations. This is operationalized through shared physical resources such as land, shared education programs, and shared objectives. This model has given KPU Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems the opportunity to develop research based resources for policy makers, farmers and community members, build a municipally-supported research and teaching farm, develop an indigenous focused farm school and partner in the development of an innovative high school farm program in the region. This presentation will explore the critical role of facilitating connections that community embedded Universities can play in fostering regional food systems.