Food System Roundtable WR

Food System Roundtable WR

Advocating for a sustainable food system in the Waterloo Region

About Us

The Food System Roundtable of Waterloo Region is a non-profit advocacy group that has been working since 2007 to create a sustainable food system in the Region of Waterloo. Our focus is on championing a...

Membership

Food insecurity is a growing crisis in our region with the unaffordability of food, housing, and basic necessities along with minimal income and social support, low wages, and growing inequalities. The Waterloo Region Food Systems Roundtable is...

Waterloo Region Food Directory Registration

We are excited to support a new project to promote Waterloo Region’s many farms, markets, and community food organizations. This Fall, the Food System Roundtable of Waterloo Region is launching a free online directory to connect Waterloo...

Waterloo Region Food Directory Registration

We are excited to support a new project to promote Waterloo Region’s many farms, markets, and community food organizations. This Fall, the Food System Roundtable of Waterloo Region is launching a free online directory to connect Waterloo Region residents to their local food system by allowing them to search for ways to Eat Local, Grow Local, and Give Local. We encourage you to add your business or organization to the list by completing the registration form. Let’s show our community all the great things happening in Waterloo Region! 
 

Technical and design support for this project is provided by Open Food Network Canada, a national nonprofit that works with local food and farming enterprises to scale fair, local, and sustainable agrifood initiatives. Funding support has been provided by Community Foundations of Canada and the Canada Healthy Communities Initiative.

Blog Posts

Events

July 2024: Annual General Meeting

On July 9, the Roundtable held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) to share its year in review, hold Board Member elections, foster discussions and networking, and further plans for the future of our local food system.

April 2024: Food System Advocates Networking Event

Hosted by Civic Hub, the Food Advocates Meeting brought together over 30 food advocates in the Waterloo Region. Through networking and breakout group opportunities, the Roundtable was able to capture a diverse image of what a food system is.

February 2024: Board Members Sensemaking Retreat

In February, the Board held a “retreat” to address some uncertainties identified at the Advisory Meeting, and began to explore ideas around Governance, Theory of Change and Fundraising. Board Member Jim Jones offered to use his skills to facilitate a Participatory Sensemaking Workshop.

August 2023: Advisory Meeting

On August 22, 2023, the Roundtable met with some of its advisors to review the report Gathering Our Gifts: Strengthening Food Sovereignty in the Waterloo Region (Miltenburg, 2023) and brainstormed some ideas for meeting the challenges and acting on the opportunities listed in the report.

Our History

The Food System Roundtable of Waterloo Region has been embedded in the region’s food system for over 15 years.

Early History described by Toronto Food Policy Council: “The Region of Waterloo Public Health led a process in 2005-2006 to develop a food system plan, beginning with their discussion paper, titled Towards a Healthy Community Food System in Waterloo Region. The report identified priority food-related issues and the need for co-operation among many different organizations and individuals to achieve a healthy food system together. Through a community and stakeholders’ consultation process, the decision to form a Roundtable came out of a 2006 forum. A start-up committee of 8 people was formed, who spent a year developing the Roundtable’s Terms of Reference. A call for applications was then circulated, and the committee decided on 18 members. In November 2007, the Roundtable was officially recognized at a public launch event at Conestoga College.”

The Roundtable played a critical role in bringing food justice, sustainability, and security issues to the forefront through the development of the Food Charter, adopted by the Region of Waterloo in 2013. Today’s Roundtable is a non-profit organization focused on “championing healthy, sustainable, and equitable food system through policy advocacy, education, and community partnership building in the Region of Waterloo”.