Growing In: What can we learn from urban agriculture?

Calgary is facing a push to find new uses for its downtown office buildings, and with stubbornly high vacancy rates, it has become a hot topic among urbanists and policy makers alike. Some advocate for more innovative and non-traditional uses, such as urban and vertical farming, in the downtown core. Could this be a solution to both the urban vacancy challenge and the challenge of economically feeding our population?

Join us as we discuss what models of farming work in modern urban settings, what hurdles they face in getting established, and what we can learn as we plan for the cities of tomorrow. What scale is needed to be successful? What is happening now, and where should we go next? How can policy support the growth of this new industry?

Join The Simpson Centre and The School of Public Policy for our Public Education Series, sponsored by UFA Co-operative Ltd. And UFA’s Rural Communities Founding to discuss engaging issues we are facing in Canadian agri-food.

Thursday, September 15, 2022
11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. MST

Speakers:

Dan Houston, President, Agriplay
Sharene Shafie, Research Coordinator, Urban Farm at Toronto Metropolitan University
Dr. Kevin Jones, Professor, Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Science, University of Alberta

Moderator:

Elena Vinco, Simpson Centre, The School of Public Policy

The School of Public Policy and the Simpson Centre for Food and Agricultural Policy is pleased to host the Simpson Centre Public Education Series, sponsored by UFA Co-operative Ltd. and UFA's Rural Communities Foundation.

This series focuses on the intersection of environmental and economic goals when considering agricultural policy.

The Simpson Centre mobilizes research for better policymaking and decision-making to realize a more sustainable agricultural industry. Strengthening the sustainability of agri-food and agribusiness means increasing food production to feed a growing global population, while attending to social and health impacts and the natural environment. We connect researchers, everyday people, industry stakeholders and government actors to scientific issues critical to the future of Canada’s agricultural and food system.