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 sustainable food system in Waterloo Region though advocacy, community connections, research, and education. Our work recognizes the value of local food sources and grassroots community food initiatives especially within the context of the climate crisis, decolonization of the food system, and working towards equity and food justice. We work to foster support, advocacy, community connections, research, and education on food system sustainability with the goal to increase ecological and human wellness as well as local food economic viability.
Our organization engages a diverse range of stakeholders and we take a community-based approach in all our initiatives. This means we are a hub for community food stories and knowledge sharing. We also serve urban and rural community members, community organizations, food producers, businesses, educational institutions, and all levels of government who are engaged in sustainable food system initiatives in this region. Our philosophies are rooted in ecological responsibility, equity, and Indigenous perspectives.
From the 2021 TransformWR report by ClimateWR:
“At the Food Systems Roundtable Waterloo Region, we are taking a multifunctionality approach to the climate emergency. Multifunctionality in food and farming focuses on interrelationships between agriculture production, biodiversity regeneration, and the numerous social services we derive from
the land. As we are dealing with complexity, creating the conditions for the emergence of sustaining food systems requires we move beyond a check box approach for a given practice as “climate smart” and look at farming and food in this integrated way”
– Jodi Koberinski, Advisor, Food Systems Roundtable of Waterloo Region