The McGill Food Systems Project works closely with students and professors in applied student research classes. If you are interested in finding a class or starting your own independent study to work with McGill Food and Dining Services on an aspect of the food system at McGill, please send us an email at mcgill.foodsystems.project@gmail.com
2009-2010 Research Projects
GEOG 302: Best Practices for Sustainable Food Purchasing at Mcgill Case Analysis and Management Proposal
The GEOG 302 proposal has lead to a new administrative position in charge of sustainable purchasing. The “Food Systems Administrator” position that has been created through collaboration between GEOG 302, McGill Food and Dining Services and the Sustainability Project’s fund will be actualized in Fall 2010.
ENVR 401: Comparing Sourcing Options for Poultry and Quebec Greenhouse Tomatoes
8 students researched the poultry and greenhouse tomato industries. The ENVR 401 project group worked with the McGill Food and Dining Services to inform their Strategic Plan. Currently, McGill Food and Dining purchases 10% of chicken from independent producers, and has 2% of chicken purchases sourced from organic farms. All chicken is Canadian, with the majority of chicken sourced from Quebec.
ENVR 490: Meatless Monday McGill
The ENVR 490 Meatless Monday independent student research looked at ways to improve the sustainability and health of McGill Food and Dining Services. This research resulted in Meatless Monday McGill, offering more vegetarian and vegan options as well as information about the impacts of eating less meat. This movement is support by the students, McGill Food and Dining Services and Aramark. For more updated information please visit http://meatlessmcgill.tk/
This ENVR 490 independent research project analyzed labour practices and migratory workers in Canada. The paper offer sustainable sourcing criteria, focusing on social sustainability.. The goal of this revision process is to better encompass concerns for environmental, economic and social sustainability in the university’s purchasing policy, beginning with the “call for tender” procedure for distributors wishing to supply the independent residence cafeterias run by MFDS.
A founding member of the MFSP used his Urban Planning course to explain the connections of our sourcing practices at McGill to the larger food system, and the importance and potential dangers of the model.
2010-2011 Research Projects
ENVR 495: Improving McGill’s Supply Chain
Informed by ENVR 401’s poultry research, a student from the original ENVR 401 group continued her research on the poultry industry and McGill’s Supply Chain. This is a two-part analysis on the overall sustainability of McGill’s Food Service.
ENVR 401: Sustainable Seafood
Eight students spent fall of 2010 investigating various sustainable seafood recommendations and exploring feasible local sustainable seafood distributors to be connected with McGill Food and Dining Services. In the months following the research, committed student researchers continued to work with McGill Food and Dining Services, and in particular the “Food Service Administrator” to find suppliers that met the criteria of the research. As stated in the McGill Food and Dining Strategy “As sustainable seafood is a dynamic emerging industry, all newly available certification regimes will be evaluated on ongoing basis according to the definition of sustainable seafood & principles contained in an ENVR 401 research report on sustainable seafood.”
ENVR 490: Student Engagement at McGill University: A Path Towards Collective Action for the Environment
This research conducted by an environment/business management student analyzed student knowledge and engagement with environmental initiatives on campus. The aim of this project was to increase awareness of systems thinking towards issues of sustainability, identify and analyze the student decision-making process, determine the most effective methods for fostering student engagement regarding issues of sustainability, and provide recommendations for the best ways to approach students living in residence for the greatest chance of a lasting impact.
