A coalition of groups ranging from national food companies to the local YMCA-YWCA are looking to make Guelph, Ontario Canada’s first “circular food economy.”
The project, named ‘Our Food Future’, looks to redefine the way we interact with food by focusing more on local and nutritious agreement, as well as making the most of food waste. The group is looking for funding from the government of Canada’s Smart Cities initiative, who have named it as a finalist for one of two $10 million grants available to cities under 500, 000 people.
Our Food Future’s goal is advertised as “50x50x50”: increasing nutritious food access by 50%, creating 50 new circular businesses and organisations, and increasing circular economic revenue by 50%. The initiative hopes to use Guelph’s unique resources to make its vision possible, and it claims:
“Guelph/Wellington is a hub of food innovation and environmental sustainability, making us uniquely positioned to achieve this vision. Leveraging local expertise, big data and the latest technology, we will transform our food ecosystem into a connected "living lab" where researchers, social innovators, farmers, entrepreneurs and other community partners collaborate to solve complex food problems.”
Circular businesses could include urban farms, recycling plants, and food labs. Ecological initiatives like this often use brochure printing, poster printing, and social media to educate the public about both the need for more sustainable food practices and the way in which their organisation is working to solve the problem. The winners of the Smart Cities competition will be announced on May 17.
