IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v3y2011i5p763-788d12490.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Toward Food System Sustainability through School Food System Change: Think&EatGreen@School and the Making of a Community-University Research Alliance

Author

Listed:
  • Alejandro Rojas

    (Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, 179-2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada)

  • Will Valley

    (Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, 179-2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada)

  • Brent Mansfield

    (Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, 179-2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada)

  • Elena Orrego

    (Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, 179-2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada)

  • Gwen E. Chapman

    (Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, 179-2357 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada)

  • Yael Harlap

    (Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology, University of British Columbia, I.K. Barber Learning Centre, 1961 East Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada)

Abstract

This paper describes the theoretical and conceptual framework and the research and practice model of Think&EatGreen@School, a community-based action research project aiming to foster food citizenship in the City of Vancouver and to develop a model of sustainable institutional food systems in public schools. The authors argue that educational and policy interventions at the school and school board level can drive the goals of food system sustainability, food security, and food sovereignty. The complex relationship between food systems, climate change and environmental degradation require that international initiatives promoting sustainability be vigorously complemented by local multi-stakeholder efforts to preserve or restore the capacity to produce food in a durable manner. As a step towards making the City of Vancouver green, we are currently involved in attempts to transform the food system of the local schools by mobilizing the energy of a transdisciplinary research team of twelve university researchers, over 300 undergraduate and graduate students, and twenty community-based researchers and organizations working on food, public health, environmental and sustainability education.

Suggested Citation

  • Alejandro Rojas & Will Valley & Brent Mansfield & Elena Orrego & Gwen E. Chapman & Yael Harlap, 2011. "Toward Food System Sustainability through School Food System Change: Think&EatGreen@School and the Making of a Community-University Research Alliance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 3(5), pages 1-26, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:3:y:2011:i:5:p:763-788:d:12490
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/3/5/763/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/3/5/763/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gail Feenstra, 2002. "Creating space for sustainable food systems: Lessons from the field," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 19(2), pages 99-106, June.
    2. von Braun, Joachim, 2007. "The world food situation: New driving forces and required actions," Food policy reports 18, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    3. Francisco Menezes, 2001. "Food Sovereignty: A vital requirement for food security in the context of globalization," Development, Palgrave Macmillan;Society for International Deveopment, vol. 44(4), pages 29-33, December.
    4. Wendy Mendes, 2008. "Implementing Social and Environmental Policies in Cities: The Case of Food Policy in Vancouver, Canada," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(4), pages 942-967, December.
    5. Jack Kloppenburg & John Hendrickson & G. Stevenson, 1996. "Coming in to the foodshed," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 13(3), pages 33-42, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Minh Ngo & Michael Brklacich, 2014. "New farmers’ efforts to create a sense of place in rural communities: insights from southern Ontario, Canada," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 31(1), pages 53-67, March.
    2. Sarah E. Cramer & Anna L. Ball & Mary K. Hendrickson, 2019. "“Our school system is trying to be agrarian”: educating for reskilling and food system transformation in the rural school garden," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 36(3), pages 507-519, September.
    3. Camelia F. Oroian & Calin O. Safirescu & Rezhen Harun & Gabriela O. Chiciudean & Felix H. Arion & Iulia C. Muresan & Bianca M. Bordeanu, 2017. "Consumers’ Attitudes towards Organic Products and Sustainable Development: A Case Study of Romania," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(9), pages 1-14, September.
    4. Paola Caputo & Chiara Ducoli & Matteo Clementi, 2014. "Strategies and Tools for Eco-Efficient Local Food Supply Scenarios," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(2), pages 1-21, January.
    5. Alina Simona Tecau & Cristina Dimitriu & Nicolae Marinescu & Bianca Tescasiu & Gheorghe Epuran, 2020. "A Qualitative Research on the Food Security of School Children in the Rural Area," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-13, October.
    6. Andrea Micangeli & Vincenzo Naso & Emanuele Michelangeli & Apollonia Matrisciano & Francesca Farioli & Nicola P. Belfiore, 2014. "Attitudes toward Sustainability and Green Economy Issues Related to Some Students Learning Their Characteristics: A Preliminary Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 6(6), pages 1-20, May.
    7. Godwin Glivin & S. Joseph Sekhar, 2016. "Experimental and Analytical Studies on the Utilization of Biowastes Available in an Educational Institution in India," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(11), pages 1-9, November.
    8. Héctor Hugo & Felipe Espinoza & Ivetheyamel Morales & Elías Ortiz & Saúl Pérez & Galo Salcedo, 2018. "Delta Project: Towards a Sustainable Campus," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-27, October.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. William Lacy, 2023. "Local food systems, citizen and public science, empowered communities, and democracy: hopes deserving to live," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 40(1), pages 1-17, March.
    2. Katy Giombolini & Kimberlee Chambers & Sheridan Schlegel & Jonnie Dunne, 2011. "Testing the local reality: does the Willamette Valley growing region produce enough to meet the needs of the local population? A comparison of agriculture production and recommended dietary requiremen," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 28(2), pages 247-262, June.
    3. Aintzira Oñederra-Aramendi & Mirene Begiristain-Zubillaga & Mamen Cuellar-Padilla, 2023. "Characterisation of food governance for alternative and sustainable food systems: a systematic review," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 11(1), pages 1-32, December.
    4. Douglas H. Constance, 2023. "The doctors of agrifood studies," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 40(1), pages 31-43, March.
    5. Clark, Jill K. & Conley, Brian & Raja, Samina, 2021. "Essential, fragile, and invisible community food infrastructure: The role of urban governments in the United States," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    6. Alison Blay-Palmer & Roberta Sonnino & Julien Custot, 2016. "A food politics of the possible? Growing sustainable food systems through networks of knowledge," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 33(1), pages 27-43, March.
    7. Md. Mahmudul Alam & Basri Abdul Talib & Chamhuri Siwar & Abu N. M. Wahid, 2016. "Climate change and food security of the Malaysian east coast poor: a path modeling approach," Journal of Economic Studies, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 43(3), pages 458-474, August.
    8. Bartlett, Jannette R. & Tackie, Nii O. & Jahan, Mst Nusrat & Adu-Gyamfi, Akua & Quarcoo, Francisca A., 2015. "An Analysis of the Characteristics and Practices of Selected Alabama Small Livestock Producers: A Focus on Economics and Marketing," Professional Agricultural Workers Journal (PAWJ), Professional Agricultural Workers Conference, vol. 3(1), pages 1-25.
    9. Sara A. L. Smaal & Joost Dessein & Barend J. Wind & Elke Rogge, 2021. "Social justice-oriented narratives in European urban food strategies: Bringing forward redistribution, recognition and representation," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 38(3), pages 709-727, September.
    10. Dietrich, Jan Philipp & Schmitz, Christoph & Müller, Christoph & Fader, Marianela & Lotze-Campen, Hermann & Popp, Alexander, 2012. "Measuring agricultural land-use intensity – A global analysis using a model-assisted approach," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 232(C), pages 109-118.
    11. Gilbert Gillespie, 2010. "2009 AFHVS presidential address: the steering question: challenges to achieving food system sustainability," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 27(1), pages 3-12, March.
    12. Brent Hammer & Helen Vallianatos & Candace Nykiforuk & Laura Nieuwendyk, 2015. "Perceptions of healthy eating in four Alberta communities: a photovoice project," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 32(4), pages 649-662, December.
    13. Ashleigh Domingo & Kerry-Ann Charles & Michael Jacobs & Deborah Brooker & Rhona M. Hanning, 2021. "Indigenous Community Perspectives of Food Security, Sustainable Food Systems and Strategies to Enhance Access to Local and Traditional Healthy Food for Partnering Williams Treaties First Nations (Onta," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-15, April.
    14. Sini Forssell & Leena Lankoski, 2015. "The sustainability promise of alternative food networks: an examination through “alternative” characteristics," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 32(1), pages 63-75, March.
    15. Batidzirai, B. & Smeets, E.M.W. & Faaij, A.P.C., 2012. "Harmonising bioenergy resource potentials—Methodological lessons from review of state of the art bioenergy potential assessments," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 16(9), pages 6598-6630.
    16. Amaza, P., 2018. "Impact on household food security of promoting sustainable agriculture among farming households in Borno State, Nigeria," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 277204, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    17. Joshua Sbicca & India Luxton & James Hale & Kassandra Roeser, 2019. "Collaborative Concession in Food Movement Networks: The Uneven Relations of Resource Mobilization," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-21, May.
    18. Ozgul Calicioglu & Alessandro Flammini & Stefania Bracco & Lorenzo Bellù & Ralph Sims, 2019. "The Future Challenges of Food and Agriculture: An Integrated Analysis of Trends and Solutions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-21, January.
    19. Kathryn Teigen De Master & Jess Daniels, 2019. "Desert wonderings: reimagining food access mapping," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 36(2), pages 241-256, June.
    20. Antoinette Pole & Margaret Gray, 2013. "Farming alone? What’s up with the “C” in community supported agriculture," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 30(1), pages 85-100, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:3:y:2011:i:5:p:763-788:d:12490. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.