Environment Seminar: The Food-City Nexus In An Era Of Climate Change

Abstract: Food is at the centre of the planetary crisis. The current industrial food system produces about one third of all GHGs, and is a major contributor to the breakdown of our planetary life support systems. In an increasingly urbanized world, cities are where the climate crisis is coming home to roost. The urgency of the climate crisis is creating a new food-city nexus and a need for “people-centred food policy.” In this seminar, I will identify six pillars of “critical food guidance” that are at the heart of the food-city nexus, and offer some suggestions for citizen engagement and people-centred food policy in an era of climate emergency.
This seminar is adapted from a forthcoming book chapter co-authored with Wayne Roberts, in Critical Food Guidance, edited by Ellen Desjardins and Jennifer Sumner, and published by McGill-Queen’s University Press.

Brief Bio: Dr. Lori Stahlbrand is a Professor at the Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts at George Brown College, where she is currently the academic lead in developing an Honours Bachelor’s Degree in Food Studies, in partnership with the University of Toronto. She is also an Adjunct Professor at New College, University of Toronto. Lori has wide-ranging experience in the food sector, as a food policy specialist, a non-profit leader and an academic. Her areas of expertise include food policy councils, food and cities, food and equity, local and sustainable food systems, food procurement, and citizen engagement on food-related issues. Prior to joining George Brown, Lori worked for the City of Toronto, where she was responsible for the Toronto Food Policy Council, now in its 30^th year and widely regarded as the leading food policy council in the world. While a non-profit leader, Lori was key in implementing the first and largest local and sustainable food purchasing program at a Canadian university, at the University of Toronto. Lori has a PhD in Geography, with a research focus on the role of creative public procurement in promoting healthy, just and sustainable food systems. Prior to engaging with food issues, Lori spent 15 years as a nationally-recognized journalist and broadcaster with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.