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Our Food Future: 50 x 50 x 50 by 2025

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Consultation has concluded

Imagine a food system where there’s no such thing as waste and where everyone has access to the healthy, nutritious food they need.

Imagine a living lab that promotes collaboration between food entrepreneurs, farmers, researchers and social innovators — and a rural-urban partnership that leverages smart technology to make it all possible.

A global transformation has begun — and Guelph/Wellington aims to lead the way. Our goal is to become Canada's first technology-enabled circular food economy.

Food is a fundamental requirement of life and the basic structure of today's linear "take-make-dispose" food system is unsustainable economically, socially and environmentally. By fostering a rural-urban partnership and bringing the food system and communities back into healthy balance, we hope to achieve our bold vision of 50 x 50 x 50 by 2025:

  • 50% increase in access to affordable, nutritious food;
  • 50 new food businesses and collaboration opportunities; and
  • 50% increase in economic revenues by reducing and reimagining our food waste.

Guelph/Wellington has been named a finalist in Infrastructure Canada’s Smart Cities Challenge, and together we have a chance to win $10 million to put our vision into action. Help us create the food community of the future — Our Food Future.

Imagine a food system where there’s no such thing as waste and where everyone has access to the healthy, nutritious food they need.

Imagine a living lab that promotes collaboration between food entrepreneurs, farmers, researchers and social innovators — and a rural-urban partnership that leverages smart technology to make it all possible.

A global transformation has begun — and Guelph/Wellington aims to lead the way. Our goal is to become Canada's first technology-enabled circular food economy.

Food is a fundamental requirement of life and the basic structure of today's linear "take-make-dispose" food system is unsustainable economically, socially and environmentally. By fostering a rural-urban partnership and bringing the food system and communities back into healthy balance, we hope to achieve our bold vision of 50 x 50 x 50 by 2025:

  • 50% increase in access to affordable, nutritious food;
  • 50 new food businesses and collaboration opportunities; and
  • 50% increase in economic revenues by reducing and reimagining our food waste.

Guelph/Wellington has been named a finalist in Infrastructure Canada’s Smart Cities Challenge, and together we have a chance to win $10 million to put our vision into action. Help us create the food community of the future — Our Food Future.

Tell your story

Do you have a story about challenges accessing nutritious food? 

Do you have a story about a food innovation that makes a difference?

Do you know of a person or an organization who are working to take food waste out of the equation? Are you? 

Tell us the story. 

Girls at a farm

Thanks for telling us your story and helping Guelph create a circular food economy. 

CLOSED: This discussion has concluded.
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    Indigenous Sweetwater Teachings - led by Kyl and Bill Morrison Moose Cree/ Métis

    by Smart Cities Team, almost 6 years ago

    Sweetwater teachings are presented through Land-based educational experiences. The initial reason for introducing the Sweetwater teachings was to enlighten children and adults to the source and presentation of their everyday foods.

    It had been noticed and discussed that there seemed to be a disjoint between the foods we eat and where they actually come from.  Sweetwater seemed to be one of these more obvious products.  As we initially introduced the notion of Sweetwater (the sap from the maple tree) people immediately thought of and said “Oh yes I know maple syrup”.  That was our encouragement and direction to introduce the... Continue reading

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    Workstream members makes changes to their daily lives

    by Smart Cities Team, almost 6 years ago

    Workstream members shared a lot of professional knowledge with us to help develop the Smart Cities proposal. We are excited to hear about how discussion of food issues and a circular food economy has encouraged them to make changes in their personal lives:


    “After learning more about how much food waste residents are producing in Guelph-Wellington, our household sat down and discussed how we could reduce our impact. We decided to start by limiting how much food we throw away, and made a rule to not go grocery shopping until all options (and fridge resources) had been exhausted. This was... Continue reading

  • Share A lot to be proud of! on Facebook Share A lot to be proud of! on Twitter Share A lot to be proud of! on Linkedin Email A lot to be proud of! link

    A lot to be proud of!

    by Smart Cities Team, almost 6 years ago

    During our workstream meetings, members shared and learned so many things among one another. Members from the workstreams related to each of the three goals were asked to reflect on what they are most proud of regarding the Smart Cities-Our Food Future proposal. Below is what they had to say:

    “I am proud of the level of collaboration and true sharing of ideas and resources around issues of food security in our community. We have moved the discussions and actions from charitable giving to root causes and equity of access. This has lead to the development of the SEED and... Continue reading

  • Share Conestoga College is dedicated to a circular food economy on Facebook Share Conestoga College is dedicated to a circular food economy on Twitter Share Conestoga College is dedicated to a circular food economy on Linkedin Email Conestoga College is dedicated to a circular food economy link

    Conestoga College is dedicated to a circular food economy

    by Smart Cities Team, almost 6 years ago

    One of our workstream members, Luis Garcia, Chair of the Institute of Food Processing Technology [IFPT] at Conestoga College, describes the Institute's dedication to making a circular food economy possible:

    “At IFPT we have been working towards making our food industry better in many ways, one of them is reducing waste and we are doing it in two ways:

    • Training programs: educating students on the importance of maximizing use of resources, raw ingredients, etc.
    • Through applied research projects with SMEs [small and medium-sized enterprises]. We’ve helped them optimize use of resources through automation and better process design.

    Through the Smart... Continue reading

  • Share College of Business and Economics at the University of Guelph on food on Facebook Share College of Business and Economics at the University of Guelph on food on Twitter Share College of Business and Economics at the University of Guelph on food on Linkedin Email College of Business and Economics at the University of Guelph on food link

    College of Business and Economics at the University of Guelph on food

    by Smart Cities Team, almost 6 years ago

    During our workstream meetings, we receive input from and collaborate with organizations and individuals on how to meet our Smart Cities Goals. During a workstream reflection, Melanie, Director, CBaSE at the University of Guelph, describes how it promotes a circular food economy:

    • Students from the University have worked with community clients through the John F. Wood Centre for Business and Student Enterprise to help them explore food insecurity issues.
    • Startups from the Hub Incubator have explored systems, processes and solutions to help innovate the food value chain.
    • Faculty are researching sustainable business practices and community engagement strategies to help recognize... Continue reading
  • Share The SEEDxEverdale partnership on Facebook Share The SEEDxEverdale partnership on Twitter Share The SEEDxEverdale partnership on Linkedin Email The SEEDxEverdale partnership link

    The SEEDxEverdale partnership

    by Smart Cities Team, almost 6 years ago

    During our workstream meetings, we receive input from and collaborate with organizations and individuals on how to meet our Smart Cities Goals. During a workstream reflection, one of our workstream organization members, The SEED, writes about an exciting collaboration underway:

    “Because of the Circular Food Economy Project the SEED is partnering with Everdale to launch the “Good Food Project” in 2019:

    • Everdale is growing 2 acres of fresh food for the SEED
    • With corporate partners this food will be given free or almost free to the SEED
    • The food will be distributed through the SEED’s social enterprises:
  • Share The SEED is making a difference on Facebook Share The SEED is making a difference on Twitter Share The SEED is making a difference on Linkedin Email The SEED is making a difference link

    The SEED is making a difference

    by Smart Cities Team, almost 6 years ago

    During our workstream meetings, we receive input from and collaborate with organizations and individuals on how to meet our Smart Cities Goals. One of our workstream organization members, The SEED, describes the many ways in which the circular food economy concept influences their activities:

    “Because of the Circular Food Economy:

    • The SEED is scaling up our work in employing and training NEET [not in employment, education or training] youth (20 youth in 2019)
    • Employed at SEED social enterprises and other Circular Food Economy businesses”
    • The SEED is launching the Upcycle Kitchen
    • The Upcycle Kitchen will also be available for other... Continue reading
  • Share 10 Carden (10C) is involved! on Facebook Share 10 Carden (10C) is involved! on Twitter Share 10 Carden (10C) is involved! on Linkedin Email 10 Carden (10C) is involved! link

    10 Carden (10C) is involved!

    by Smart Cities Team, almost 6 years ago

    During our workstream meetings, we receive input from and collaborate with organizations and individuals on how to meet our Smart Cities Goals. One of our workstream members, Julia Grady, Co-Founder and Excecutive Director of 10 Carden, writes about one of the contributions it can make to the Smart Cities goals:

    "10C is in the process of launching the shared commercial kitchen. This work began in 2016 and has really had an opportunity to align with the goals of Smart Cities, circular food economy... we had a “test the business and vision model” with a group of invested people. Feedback showed... Continue reading

  • Share Laura's Story on Facebook Share Laura's Story on Twitter Share Laura's Story on Linkedin Email Laura's Story link

    Laura's Story

    by Smart Cities Team, almost 6 years ago

    During our workstream meetings, we receive input from and collaborate with organizations and individuals on how to meet our Smart Cities Goals. One of our workstream members, Laura of Guelph Family Health Team, writes about what opportunity she is most proud of in the the Smart Cities proposal:

    “Working with community partners to provide better navigation to members of the community that needs assistance accessing nutritious foods and that are struggling with food insecurity in primary care.”

    Thanks, Laura!

  • Share Kristel's Story on Facebook Share Kristel's Story on Twitter Share Kristel's Story on Linkedin Email Kristel's Story link

    Kristel's Story

    by Smart Cities Team, almost 6 years ago

    During our workstream meetings, we receive input from and collaborate with organizations and individuals on how to meet our Smart Cities Goals. One of our workstream members, Kristel Manes, describes how involvement of Business Centre Guelph-Wellington in the Smart Cities proposal has influenced BC GW's work with its clients :

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