About
ABOUT THE TRINITY FOOD SYSTEMS LAB
The Trinity Food Systems Lab (previously known as the Trinity Sustainable Food Systems Research Group or SFSRG) is comprised of passionate students, staff and faculty focused on research, action, and learning to realize ecologically sound and socially just food systems.
We ground our work in the immediacy of the campus environment, and use it as a site from which to imagine and enact change from the hyper-local through to the global. As part of our praxis, we actively cultivate food growing spaces on campus and invite others to join us, within the Trinity community and beyond! Our growing spaces allow students and faculty to conduct pilot studies in preparation for the Butterfield Rooftop Garden of the Lawson Centre for Sustainability, and to build experiential learning programming for the new Centre.
These spaces provide opportunities to participate in hands-on and analytical work with sustainable food systems. Through these spaces we engage with the campus community, synthesize and conduct research, and work to prefigure more just and sustainable foodways. Students can get involved through the Work Study Program, the Research Opportunities Program (ROP), and Trinity Independent Studies courses. We also welcome student volunteers, including alumni and community members of all ages.
Our growing spaces are sites of action for imagining alternative food systems through place-based pedagogies and community engagement. Student researchers are mentored by faculty across U of T and community partners in theoretical and applied projects. These are often motivated by research proposal assignments developed by students in the Trinity One Butterfield Environment & Sustainability Stream; in turn, sustainability academic programs at Trinity use these sites for experiential learning and motivating further academic inquiry in sustainable food systems. We happily host experiential learning opportunities for academic and community programs outside our institution.
You can learn more about our academic research in the Past Projects page. Projects include multidisciplinary topics such as Toronto food security and food justice, urban agroecological landscapes, and climate change impacts and action.
Meal Exchange: For over 30 years Meal Exchange worked with post-secondary students, staff, and faculty to address student food insecurity on campuses across Canada. Recently, Meal Exchange’s board and staff made the difficult decision to consciously sunset the organization. The Trinity Food Systems Lab is honoured to steward Meal Exchange’s digital legacy, and to continue working toward more just and sustainable campus food systems. If you have any questions or are interested in joining the Lab, please be in touch.
Contact Us:
To get involved with the Trinity Food Systems Lab, email: fsl@trinity.utoronto.ca
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