The UBC Farm

Beyond eating locally: At the UBC Farm, researchers are investigating the food system, climate change, and health.

Do our food choices impact climate change? A new project launched by the Faculty of Land and Food Systems aims to answer this question by demonstrating how sustainable agricultural techniques and dietary choices can reduce the production of greenhouse gases. Operating out of the UBC Farm, this project goes beyond “eating locally.” By combining strategies that other organizations are investigating – including using biomass as a source of renewable energy and creating habitat with new farming techniques – the faculty hopes to provide a full-system understanding of how a variety of small actions can create a significant impact.

“We’ve only begun the first steps of the project, but it’s clear that student and public interest in this area is huge,” says Mark Bomford, program coordinator for the UBC Farm. “People are looking for ways to help fight climate change, and looking at the food we eat is a great place to start.”

Supported by a $24,090 donation from Vancity’s enviroFund™, the project began in September 2007.

The faculty’s commitment to food security and sustainability is well known, and other recent gifts recognize that. Shortly before his passing in January, alumnus and long-time environmentalist Harry F. (Bob) Fletcher (BSA ‘49, MSA ‘51) generously donated $130,000 to establish an endowment for studies and research focused on food systems, sustainable agriculture and the environment. He particularly emphasized research and education on future food issues as related to policy, stating, “The potential for building strength in our collective understanding of future food challenges is vitally important now as well as for our future generations.”

“In terms of building a sustainable food system, we’re extremely fortunate to have learning environments like the UBC Farm,” Mark says. “I’d like it to serve as the bridge of understanding between the urban food system and the wider region that supports us. Here we’re providing real, tangible examples of how a food system can be compatible with society’s larger goals surrounding climate change and health.”
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