Seeds of Change

The Centre for Community Partnerships’ (CCP) Seeds of Change: Food Justice Program was a new initiative that brought together students and community organizations to work together on food access and justice in Toronto.

For this pilot program, the CCP established partnerships with eight community organizations, five of which were new collaborations. These organizations provided meaningful placement opportunities for students, who engaged weekly over the course of the winter term 2024. Students primarily contributed to direct food provision roles at food banks and meal programs. Additionally, two hybrid placements focused on resource development and research for food justice innovations.

To enrich the learning experience, the CCP hosted three reflection sessions focused on poverty, food precarity and the impact of power structures on food justice. Students explored the ethics of relying on the charitable sector for basic survival needs and examined the global pathways of food distribution and their environmental impacts.

One student reflected,

“While food banks are necessary services, one goal of Nourish East End is transitioning to a food voucher system where patrons can use donated vouchers in partnered grocery stores. This proposed system would achieve the goals of food banks by supplementing regular grocery bills, while also giving the patron choice. In addition to streamlining food attainment and increasing accessibility, this system would turn solving food insecurity into a community goal rather than the goal of one organization or group.”

Through Seeds of Change, students contributed to their communities and gained valuable insights into the complexities of food justice, preparing them to engage with complex social issues in ways they find personally meaningful. Indeed, some students from the program committed to continuing as much-needed volunteers at their partner organizations.