2022-23 Sustainable Food Systems Progress

Target

• Recognize and reinforce the role of urban agriculture in advancing hands-on learning, placemaking, and beneficial social impacts

Status

• Ongoing

Efforts supporting this target

• Hiring of an internal Ecological Management Coordinator: The Ecological Management Coordinator will lead biodiversity assessments and research into best practices to set strategic targets and action plans to improve the campus ecosystem.

• Campus Biodiversity Survey: To advance the university’s commitments to enhancing our natural environment in a focused and effective manner, it is prudent to first take stock of which areas need the most support and in which areas we are already succeeding.  To this end, we have begun our first campus wide biodiversity survey.   This survey will give us the baseline data we need to formulate our biodiversity action plan going forward.

• Creation of a new application process to ensure fair access to campus grounds for gardening and ecology projects.

Calls to Action

• Volunteer with the Concordia gardens
• Sign-up for a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Basket grown at Loyola farm
• Visit the Concordia Farmers’ Market to get produce grown on campus or by local farmers

Related Sustainable Development Goals

Target

• Support the adoption of healthy, plant-based, allergen-free, and culturally inclusive food choices on campus 

Status

• Ongoing

Efforts supporting this target

• Campus Health & Wellness have Health promotion specialists whose work includes nutritional counselling as well as healthy eating workshops. Concordia's health promotion specialists are registered nurses who promote health and well-being. They offer personalized support for students, staff and faculty, as well as presentations, consultations and education for the entire community.

• The dining halls are raising awareness of plant-based food options. Two Climate Awareness weeks were organized where the menus for select stations included dishes’ greenhouse gas emissions and highlighted low-emissions menu options. A front-of-house event was offered where the chefs prepared custom, house-made vegetarian burgers.

Calls to Action

• Book an appointment with Concordia’s Health promotion specialists

• Learn how to identify healthy food options, Healthy eating - Concordia University

• Check out Concordia’s resources on healthy eating and nutritional services
  
• Check out Concordia's Sustainable Event Guide for guidelines on incorporating healthy, plant-based, allergen-free, and culturally inclusive food options into your events
  

Related Sustainable Development Goal

Target

• Reduce food waste and contribute to food security in our community

Status

• Ongoing

Food Waste Indicators

In 2022-23, Concordia Food Services produced 3,683 kg of food waste.

The Concordia community donated 5,343 servings of leftover/surplus food from events to the La Tablée des Chefs program.

Food Security Initiatives

• The Hive Free Lunch served over 1000 meals per week

• The People's Potato served over 1,600 meals per week plus 100 food baskets every other week

• In partnership with La Tablée des Chefs who provided the ingredients received through donations from suppliers, the Grey Nun’s kitchen staff and Aramark head office managers cooked and assembled 4000 portions of food last April. The food was donated to both the Concordia University Student Parents Centre and Resilience Montreal, a community-led project established to support the homeless population in the Cabot Square area.

Efforts supporting this target

• A food security survey was conducted in February 2023 to assess the prevalence of student food insecurity at Concordia. Report to be released shortly. 

• A new food security project was created called Community Cravings. It is a student-initiated food pantry in Hall Building and is managed by the Concordia Student Union. The project distributed $1,000 worth of food in less than two months. Food Services donated a fridge to the project to be able to accept leftover donations. The project also received $6,000 from the Sustainability Action Plan to purchase food during the 2023-24 academic year.

Calls to Action

• Learn more about People’s Potato Emergency Food Basket Program

• Learn more about Emergency Food Resources.

• Learn more about CSU’s Emergency Food Vouchers

• Get in touch with your Hospitality Concordia event coordinator (if applicable) or submit a request to Zero Waste Event Services to ensure that your event’s leftover food is donated 

Related Sustainable Development Goals

Target

• Achieve Fair Trade Silver status 

Status

• In progress

Efforts supporting this target

• Launch of Fair Trade Stingers Roast coffee. A partnership between Concordia Food Services, Manos de Mujeres and Brûlerie Faro.  

• Development of the Fairtrade Ambassadors program, organized through the Student Sustainability Ambassadors Program
• Hiring of a part-time Fairtrade Coordinator to manage the Fairtrade Ambassadors Program, organize student outreach activities and social media.

Calls to Action

• Purchase Fair Trade Stingers Roast coffee for your office or home! 

• Learn more about Concordia’s commitments to Fairtrade  

• Become a Fairtrade Ambassador through the Student Sustainability Ambassadors Program

Related Sustainable Development Goal