Federal tests find no signs of bird flu virus in Canadian retail milk
By juliana cao on June 3, 2024
Federal tests find no signs of bird flu virus in Canadian retail milk
A shopper walks past the milk and dairy display case at a Target store in Manhattan. Photo credit: Brendan Mcdermid/Reuters
June 3, 2024
Canadian monitoring is underway as the U.S. grapples with an unprecedented outbreak of H5N1 bird flu in dairy cattle. Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) laboratories have tested 142 retail milk samples from across all 10 provinces, the agency said.
“There’s no evidence showing that [H5N1] is threatening our milk supply,” noted Siyun Wang, CSFS Associate and associate professor of food, nutrition and health at UBC.
Read the full article at CBC.
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By juliana cao on May 29, 2024
Business Climate: How drought is changing B.C.’s agriculture industry
A hay field in Westwold, BC. Photo credit: Elaine Stovin.
May 29, 2024
B.C. cattle ranchers, hit hard by last summer’s severe drought, are facing unprecedented challenges. Sean Smukler, director of the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at the UBC Farm, discusses the urgent need for better water management.
“If we’re really serious about building local food systems, and building our food sovereignty, we need to deal with the water supply and demand situation,” says Smukler.
He calls for significant investment in water storage, conveyance systems, and the preservation of natural landscapes to recharge aquifers. Smukler also stresses the importance of educating farmers on efficient water use to secure B.C.’s agricultural future amidst a changing climate.
Read the full article at BC Business.
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By melanie kuxdorf on May 9, 2024
Global effort to end plastic pollution
Dr. Kai Chan
April 26, 2024
CSFS Associate Dr. Kai Chan, professor in the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, discussed the global effort to end plastic pollution.
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By melanie kuxdorf on May 8, 2024
Introduced bumble bee dominates Lower Mainland pollinator surveys
Dr. Risa Sargent
April 24, 2024
CSFS Associate Risa Sargent, who heads the Plant Pollinator and Global Change lab in LFS, and master’s student Sarah Knoerr are featured in a UBC News story to discuss raising concerns about the number of common eastern bumble bees—an introduced species—being found in the wild and in research surveys of pollinators in the Lower Mainland.
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By melanie kuxdorf on May 7, 2024
Wild pollinators could help feed 30 million Canadians, study finds
April 3, 2024
CSFS Associate Matthew Mitchell sheds light on the link between diminishing numbers of wild pollinators and reduced farm productivity in a recent study published in Environmental Research Letters. In his Q&A, he delves into the research findings and proposes ways the public can contribute to protecting wild bees.
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By sandland on April 24, 2024
Introduced bumble bee dominates Lower Mainland pollinator surveys
Image of bumble pee on a flower
April 19th, 2024
Risa Sargent, who heads the Plant Pollinator and Global Change lab in LFS, and master’s student Sarah Knoerr are featured in a UBC News story to discuss raising concerns about the number of common eastern bumble bees—an introduced species—being found in the wild and in research surveys of pollinators in the Lower Mainland.
T”he more bees you have with overlapping floral resource use, the higher the chance for competition. We’re worried that the growing numbers of Bombus impatiens could reduce the population persistence and health of our native bees,” said Sargent.
Read the full article at UBC News
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By sandland on April 24, 2024
An Indigenous ecologist on why we need to stop and listen to save the planet
Image of Jennifer Grenz in a field plot on a farm
April 19th, 2024
Forestry professor Dr. Jennifer Grenz discussed her new book Medicine Wheel forthe Planet: A journey toward personal and ecological healing, and how joining Western science and an Indigenous worldview makes for better science.
Indigenous ecologist Jennifer Grenz has spent decades working to protect ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest through restoration and invasive species management. But recently, frustrated by the limitations of her work, she set out on a mission to incorporate more of her Indigenous worldview into her traditional Western science work.
Read the full article at CBC News
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By sandland on March 14, 2024
Reshaping agriculture: How to fight climate change with farming
Aerial photo of someone farming
March 8th, 2024
The future of farming is about more than just producing food—agriculture can help combat climate change. But we need to transform the way we think about farming. When we consider farmers as stewards of the land, modern agricultural practices can help us build more resilient local food systems.
Dr. Sean Smukler, Director of the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at UBC Farm, explains how we need to support farmers so they can become more resilient to changing weather patterns and other effects of climate change. Researchers are developing and testing strategies to help farmers adapt their practices so they can better nurture local ecosystems.
Watch the full video on YouTube
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By sandland on March 4, 2024
In Canada, the Forest Gardens of the Indigenous Kitselas Emerge From Oblivion
Floor monolith from the peripheral forest shown by Desi Bolton, indigenous to the Kitselas people © Jean-Thomas Cornélis
January 16th, 2024
Jean-Thomas Cornélis talks about his research with Jennifer Grenz, Chelsey Armstrong (SFU), and Kitselas, Sts’ailes and Hanamuwx Indigenous partners. Their research combines archeology and pedology, documenting Indigenous forest-garden agricultural methods. Cornélis works hand-in-hand with the indigenous Kitselas to document the forest-garden agricultural method used by their ancestors.
“These people were therefore not only hunter-gatherers, but also already farmers in the forests,” explains Professor Cornélis. Documenting the forest-garden method, and thereby proving the multi-millennial use – which is moreover innovative, intensive and multifunctional – of this piece of territory could constitute an important element in the fight led by the Kitselas people to recover the land of their ancestors.
Read the full article at DailyScience
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By melanie kuxdorf on February 22, 2024
We are thrilled to announce our Strategic Plan 2024-2029.
The CSFS is uniquely positioned to develop solutions to the problems facing our food system. Grounded by our connection to the land at the UBC Farm, our aim is to have an impact in four key areas: food security, climate, biodiversity, and decolonization.
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