How can we ensure food systems planning and policy are effectively integrated with other sustainability imperatives?
Sustainable development is best performed through integrated approaches that recognize linkages and interdependencies between environmental, social, and economic factors. Accordingly, FAI employs systems thinking in its planning and policy research to explore how different food systems strategies and approaches align and/or conflict with other sustainability objectives, as well as to examine current progress in integrated food systems planning and policy. Current research projects include an analysis of integrated community sustainability plans in British Columbia to examine how (and how well) local governments integrate food and farm objectives with other environmental, social, and economic goals in their planning processes. Planned projects in this area include an effort that will examine the food systems vulnerabilities highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic and determine ways of increasing resilience to multiple shocks (including climate change), and a project that will use a novel analytical framework to examine how local food systems can be developed in ways that align with climate, biodiversity, and health objectives.
Publications
Jost, F. Newell, R., & Dale, A. (2021). CoLabS: A collaborative space for transdisciplinary work in sustainable community development. Heliyon, 7(2), e05997. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e05997
O’Riordan, J., Karlsen, E., Sandford, B., Newman, L., Hotte, N., Martens, L., Strand, M., & McNamara, K. (2013). Climate change adaptation and Canada's crops and food. Burnaby, BC: Adaptation to Climate Change Team (ACT), Simon Fraser University, July 2013.
Powell, L., Lenore, N., & Kurrein, M. (2016). Agriculture’s Connection to Health: A summary of the evidence relevant to British Columbia. Vancouver, B.C.: Provincial Health Services Authority, Population and Public Health Program.
Newell, R., & Dale, A. (2020). COVID-19 and climate change: An integrated perspective. Cities & Health, 1-5. doi: 10.1080/23748834.2020.1778844
Newell, R., & Picketts, I.M. (2020). Spaces, places, and possibilities: A participatory approach for developing and using integrated models for community planning. City and Environment Interactions, 6, 100040. doi: 10.1016/j.cacint.2020.100040
Newell, R., McCarthy, N., Picketts, I., Davis, F., Hovem, G., & Navarrete, S. (2021). Communicating complexity: Interactive model explorers and immersive visualizations as tools for local planning and community engagement. FACETS, 6(1), 287-316. doi: 10.1139/facets-2020-0045
Superle, M., & Bridgefoot, G. (2021). Cultivate Connect: Fraser Valley farmer to market supply research. Abbotsford, BC: University of the Fraser Valley.