Webinar: Building Relationships

The key to influencing local, sustainable procurement at institutions.
Hosted by Food Secure Canada.
Find out more about the CFSP's lessons learned, approach, and hear first hand about the experience of students affecting cultural changes in institutional food systems.  Watch the webinar recording.

Thursday, April 10th, 1 pm EST

Since 2011, the Campus Food Systems Project (CFSP), a joint initiative between Meal Exchange and Sierra Youth Coalition, has been working to empower students with the leadership skills they need to bring healthy, local, and sustainable food to Canadian campuses. An essential component of this project has been the work of our student leaders to cultivate a shared culture of investment and interest in the food system across key players within their institutions. Our student leaders have successfully empowered champions and developed diverse networks within their institutions and communities. These networks and relationships are key ingredients to pushing a good food agenda forward within any institutional food system - be it a post-secondary campus, hospital, or school.

Speakers:

Julie Rempel - Campus Food Strategy Group Coordinator, University of Manitoba. Julie has always enjoyed being creative in the kitchen and considers sharing food stories and eating delicious cuisine from all over the world one of her hobbies. She discovered another passion for food and health through the notion of "Let Food be thy Medicine" a quote by Hippocrates. She became further fascinated in how complex food systems are and how they can impact culture, health, environment, sustainability and economics. Julie strongly believes that food connects us all, and that accessible, healthy and culturally appropriate food is essential for optimal health and in building resilient local food systems and healthy communities. Julie works as a co-coordinator with the UManitoba Campus Food Strategy Group (since September 2012) and as a Sustainable Research Analyst with the University of Manitoba Sustainability office. She is currently pursuing her MSc in Public Health with a focus on sustainable community development.

Celia White -  Healthy Campus Community Coordinator, Vancouver Island University - Nanaimo. After working with the Campus Food Systems Project for two years as campus coordinator at Vancouver Island University, Celia has carved out a full time staff position for food work on campus. Celia White is currently Healthy Communities Coordinator for Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo, B.C. Her job includes researching sustainable purchasing policies, integrating sustainable food systems research in curriculum, and facilitating the creation of a Food Strategy for the university.
 

Nitha Karanja - Healthy Campus Community Coordinator, University of Northern British Columbia. Issues of environmental and social justice play a major role in Nitha's personal and professional life. Over the past few years, Nitha has worked for a variety of social and environmental action groups from large NGOs to small grassroots projects. These experiences have informed and enlivened Nitha's personal testament that communities which embrace  sustainable food systems are more socially just, environmentally conscious, and economically viable. In 2014, Nitha was hired as the Healthy Communities Consultant at UNBC where she works toward implementing UNBC's institutional vision of food sustainability.