Public Health Association of BC Public Health Association of BC

Ideas Lab

Watch the information session above to learn more about the Ideas Lab for Food Systems Transformation.

 

Overview

The Ideas Lab for Food Systems Transformation aims to establish collaborative projects among multi-sectoral food stakeholders across Northern BC. Public Health Association of BC (PHABC) and Food Banks BC (FBBC) have partnered to host this program, with support from the BC Government and the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction. The Ideas Lab boosts connection, alignment, and innovation for regional food security solutions. Project groups will work together over 16-months to co-develop and propose innovative, community-driven solutions for redesigning regional food systems to be more equitable and resilient. The Ideas Lab program will facilitate the development and coordination of these projects, provide education and skill-building related to food systems innovation and transformation, and provide seed funding to selected projects.

To establish these projects, regional roundtables will be convened in the northern interior, northwest and northeast regions of BC. We will host virtual meetings and training sessions, and in-person regional and global (Northern BC-wide) networking events. Food systems champions and advocates from across all sectors are encouraged to join.

 

Apply to join the Ideas Lab:
Fill out the application form by July 30, 2024 (extended deadline)

 

Who Can Participate?

Do you have an innovative idea that you have been trying to resource or collaborate on? Come to the Ideas Lab to innovate with organizations from across the region.

Organizations and individuals across Northern BC (northeast, northwest and northern interior) with an interest in collaborating with diverse actors in the food system to implement projects that improve regional food security are invited to the Ideas Lab, including:

  • Food Access Organizations and Food Banks
  • Health Authority Representatives
  • Policy Makers and Government Champions
  • Indigenous Communities
  • Food Producers
  • Researchers
  • Students and Youth Groups
  • Community Service Organizations
  • Funders

If participation is a barrier for you, subsidies can be made available on a limited basis. Please reach out directly to pmoqa.manager@phabc.org to make arrangements.

 

Where?

Projects will be implemented regionally, across the northwest, northeast, and northern interior regions of BC.

 

What to Expect:

  1. Network and collaborate with amongst fellow food advocates and actors in your region both virtually and in person.
  2. Receive training and gain valuable skills in equity-centered design and food system innovation and transformation, enhancing your professional development.Ideate and influence collaborative, multi-sectoral project design and innovation to address food security in Northern BC.
  3. Gain access to an online community of practice to share resources, ideas, and knowledge.
  4. Join a project team and propose an innovative food systems project for seed funding. Successful projects will receive PHABC support and funding to implement.
  5. Programming from September 2024 – November 2025, with ongoing connection, collaboration, and knowledge sharing throughout. The program is divided into 3 phases:
    1. skill-building and ideation
    2. prototyping and funding decisions
    3. implementation and reflection

 

Commitment

  • 1 Representative from each participating organization
  • Lab Time: 15-20 Hours of virtual engagement from September 2024 – November 2025.
  • Project Time: Self-directed collaboration to develop proposal and implement project outside of lab times.
  • Events: 1 Regional and 1 Northern BC-wide in-person event (subsidized by PHABC).

 

Project Examples:

Projects should support regional food security, and promote multi-sectoral collaboration. The Ideas Lab provides an opportunity to identify and solve regional issues together, using design-thinking, social innovation principles, and theories of systems change. Examples could include (but are not limited to):

  • Policy development – the creation of a regional food charter or food policy council
  • Food distribution – development of a transportation corridor or distribution node (i.e. a route, staffing, a vehicle, etc.)
  • Food sourcing support – enhancing connections and contracts with local or regional farmers for ongoing food service procurement
  • Holistic food access models – co-op shopping models, subsidized food markets, etc.

Whatever is produced in this program is property of the commons intended for community sharing.

 

Program Timeline

Please click the timeline graphic to download a higher resolution, or you can download it here.

 

Apply to Join

To apply to join the Northern BC Ideas Lab for Food Systems Transformation program, please fill out this application form by July 30, 2024.

 

Contact

Rebekah Erickson (she/her)
Project Management Office and Quality Assurance Manager
Public Health Association of BC
rebekah.erickson@phabc.org