Vancouver Sun and The Province: Increased COVID-19 variant severity not enough evidence for B.C. authorities

Vancouver Sun and The Province: Increased COVID-19 variant severity not enough evidence for B.C. authorities

Increased COVID-19 variant severity not enough evidence for B.C. authorities

Photo of Leonard Foster.

News Source: Vancouver Sun, The Province

February 24, 2021

“Epidemiologists prefer studies of tens of thousands of cases and months of observation.” – Dr. Leonard Foster

Dr. Leonard Foster, CSFS Associate and head of UBC’s department of biochemistry and molecular biology, says that while there hasn’t been enough time to build strong data on variants, it can still be useful to be aware of the hints contained in early research.

Check out the original article at Vancouver Sun or The Province.

Biodiversity Research Photo Competition Results

Biodiversity Research Photo Competition Results

A capture of a larval parasite inside a raspberry.

Warren Wong, a PhD student in Dr. Juli Carrillo’s lab and CSFS student member, won the BRC Photo Competition’s Community Choice Award. His photograph is of a parasitoid (spotted wing drosophila) inside a raspberry.

The image is shown to the left of this text, as well as in this link for better resolution. Congratulations, Warren!

Check out all of the photo entries here.

Delta Optimist: Delta seeing decline in soil organic matter

Delta seeing decline in soil organic matter

Photo of Sean Smukler.

News Source: Delta Optimist

February 21, 2021

“Critical to soil health, the organic matter is on the decline in Delta and throughout the Fraser Valley.” – Dr. Sean Smukler

Delta Optimist reported on a study which shows that organic matter is on the decline in Delta and throughout the Fraser Valley. Organic matter is made up of decomposed plant and animal tissues, and is very important for soil aeration and water holding capacity. Dr. Siddhartho Paul conducted this study while he was a graduate student in CSFS Associate Dr. Sean Smukler’s lab (the Sustainable Agricultural Landscapes Lab at UBC).


Check out the original article here.

The Star and Yahoo: How regenerative agriculture is putting hope in the soil

How regenerative agriculture is putting hope in the soil

Photo of Sean Smukler.

News Source: The Star, Yahoo

February 18, 2021

“This reality is something all Canadians should be concerned about, as soil is integral to our ecosystem and the source of our food.” – Gabrielle Bastien

Dr. Sean Smukler, CSFS Associate and a professor at UBC’s Faculty of Land and Food Systems, gave comments about the impact of regenerative agriculture on agricultural production and the mitigation of climate change.

Check out the original article at The Star or Yahoo.

Cepagro: (Portuguese) International Cooperation Project – Projeto De Cooperação Internacional

(Portuguese) International Cooperation Project – Projeto De Cooperação Internacional

An image of the LiteFarm logo.

News Source: Cepagro

January 22, 2021

“A aceleração da crise climática global ameaça cada vez mais a segurança alimentar e nutricional das populações do campo e da cidade” (Translation: The acceleration of the global climate crisis is increasingly threatening the food and nutritional security of rural and urban populations) – Cepagro

Please see the left sidebar in the article for translation into English.





The “Agroecology in Latin America: building paths” project had been created through international collaboration between Cepagro and UBC via Dr. Hannah Wittman, CSFS Associate and professor at the IRES (Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability). The project’s data collection is conducted by LiteFarm, a digital agricultural management tool developed by UBC’s scientists, designers, and students.

Check out the original article here.

The Conversation: Protecting Biodiversity – Farmers and Agriculture

Protecting Biodiversity – Farmers and Agriculture

Photo of Terry Sunderland

News Source: The Conversation

February 3, 2021

“Given population pressure, it is not politically feasible to increase the extent of protected areas. The question is, how will Africa provide space for its wildlife and food production?” – Dr. Terry Sunderland

Dr. Terry Sunderland, CSFS Associate and professor in the Faculty of Forestry, co-authored an article on why resource conservation strategies should not only focus on protected areas, but also make use of the chance to maintain biodiversity within agricultural landscapes.

Check out the original article here.

National Observer: B.C. Government Invests in Food Supply Chain

B.C. Government Invests in Food Supply Chain

Photo of Hannah Wittman.

News Source: National Observer

February 3, 2021

“Free trade deals like NAFTA have consistently made it more difficult for smaller, regional food processing facilities to compete.” – Dr. Hannah Wittman

Dr. Hannah Wittman, CSFS Associate and professor at the IRES (Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability) & LFS, recently interviewed in National Observer about food shortages during COVID-19. The pandemic has exposed shortcomings in our current food processing and distribution model. To increase the resilience of local processing operations, B.C. food and beverage manufacturers are soon to receive funding from the provincial government.


Check out the original article here.

Medium: Media Coverage of Climate Change during COVID-19

Media Coverage of Climate Change during COVID-19

Photo of Zia Mehrabi.

News Source: Medium

January 28, 2021

“Efforts are needed to put climate change back on the agenda and in the spotlight in media outlets worldwide.” – Dr. Zia Mehrabi

Dr. Zia Mehrabi, CSFS Associate and researcher at the IRES (Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability), wrote about how climate change was covered in the media during the pandemic. Coverage about COVID-19 has dominated news outlets in 2020, but climate change is another important challenge that needs to be addressed to maintain the health and wellbeing of people and the planet.


Check out the original article here.

National Observer and The Star: Food Systems, Equity and Justice

Why one PhD student wants everyone to learn about food systems, equity and justice

Photo of Colin Dring.

News Source: National Observer, The Star

January 6, 2021

“When we think of the food bank, we’re not necessarily thinking that people who use the food bank should have a say in the decisions or the kinds of services offered or the kinds of food provided. The dominant discourse is that people experiencing poverty should just be grateful and thankful. I think this reproduces a system that treats people like objects.” – Colin Dring

National Observer and The Star spoke with Colin Dring (a UBC PhD candidate in agricultural planning) about food justice and accessibility. He helped launch an educational resource called Just Food, which was created with former Work-Learn students Meryn Corkery and Joyce Liao. Colin discusses the lack of diversity in B.C.’s food discourse, and how we can work towards a more equitable food system.

Check out the original article at The Star or National Observer.

National Observer: Plant-Based Meats and Sustainability

National Observer: Plant-Based Meats and Sustainability

Photo of Navin Ramankutty.

“Industrial agriculture is associated with myriad environmental impacts, from nitrous oxide emissions tied to excessive fertilizer use to hurting pollinators through habitat destruction.”

Dr. Navin Ramankutty, CSFS Associate and Canada Research Chair in Global Environmental Change and Food Security, recently gave input in The National Observer regarding the sustainability of plant-based meats.

Check out the full article here.