Centre for Sustainable Food Systems
A collaborative approach to a better way of life

IN THE BEGINNING...

It was simple. Food was grown by local farmers. It was plentiful and nutritious. Today, Ontario imports 20 billion dollars of food annually. Let's get back to simple. Let's join together to make a local, abundant sustainable food system. Think differently. Join the journey.

Together we can create a Sustainable Food System!

Go Local, Go Fresh, Go Green – the greatest opportunity of our lifetime!

We live in an exciting time. Never in our history have we had such an incredible opportunity to positively impact economic, environmental and social outcomes all at once!

Together, we have the knowledge and ingenuity to create a Sustainable Food System. Together, we can enjoy the benefits of replacing much of the food we import with sustainably produced, processed and distributed local & regional food.

Our mission is to build a strong sustainable agriculture and food economy in Southwestern Ontario with our county partners.

The Team, the Knowledge – It’s yours. Let's go!

The Sustainable Food System project team recently completed eighteen months of research into the trends and challenges facing the agriculture system. It involved regional stakeholders and global sources. The result was a unique, high-level framework capable of delivering on triple bottom line outcomes.

The Centre for Sustainable Food Systems invites you to take advantage of this knowledge. We are here to help your county create and execute an action plan and to collaborate with other counties throughout the region. 

Resilient Economic, Environmental and Social Outcomes.

  • Viable economic opportunities for agriculture and food entrepreneurs.
  • New production, processing and distribution jobs brought about by responding to demand for innovative local food products.
  • Cost optimized distribution pathways to reach local and regional food purchasers in ways that meet all of their needs.
  • Increased wealth and prosperity to farm and rural communities by engaging in new resilient economic strategies.
  • Creation of a Sustainable Food System that operates within the carrying capacity of the environment and contributes to our health and wellbeing.

Join the Journey.

The legacy we leave our children is in our hands. Together, we can create a resilient, sustainable food system that provides tasty, nutritious food from local sources. 

We look forward to hearing from you!

Tom Schell
Director, Centre for Sustainable Food Systems

“We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children.” ~ Native American Proverb