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NEWS
News Editor Karissa Ketter
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News Writers Chloë Arneson and Pranjali Mann
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news@the-peak.ca
SUSTAINABLE SUSTENANCE
SFU hosts virtual seminar on food systems The seminar discussed issues around racism within our food systems and sustainable agriculture CHLO Ë ARN E S ON // NE WS W RI TE R
On May 25, SFU hosted an online event to discuss the impact climate change has on food systems, farmland, and ecosystems. The session was hosted by Ione Smith, founder of Upland Agricultural Consulting, a cultural consulting company. She explained the flooding that occurred in the Fraser Valley this past fall led to significant erosion in topsoil. “This has a huge impact because these soils take hundreds if not thousands of years to develop. So as much as I’m concerned about a drought or a wildfire, I’m really concerned about the loss of our topsoil.” Smith had a plan to renew a sense of positivity and hope on the journey to protect our food systems, which she referred to as “the six R’s” — reconciliation, resilience, research, regeneration, redundancy, and radicalism. “It’s really important that we address racism within our food systems and we address food sovereignty right off the bat. Without dealing with these issues we are not going to get to climate justice issues or food system justice issues,” said Smith. Smith opened the conversation by explaining the challenges to the local food systems. “Most of us don’t only eat what’s coming out of our garden or from the local farms in our community. We are often eating products that are based and grown far around the world that have been processed and shipped to us,” she said. “In fact, what most of our food on a day to day basis is reliant on are things like cheap migrant
Among Ione Smith’s main concerns is the erosion of BC’s top soil. labour, tons of processing and added sugars, salts and fats. And at the end of the day, unfortunately quite a lot of waste.
As much as climate change is impacting our food system, our food system is impacting climate change. It’s a give and take relationship. I O NE S M I TH FOUNDER OF UPLAND AGRICULTURAL CONSULTING
“As much as climate change is impacting our food system, our food system is also impacting climate change. It’s a give and take relationship,” she said. The discussion highlighted despite the overwhelming issues presented by climate change and climate doom, there are a multitude of strategies that exist to preserve food systems and climate justice. Smith noted climate change is our new
PHOTO: Aboodi Vesakaran / Unsplash
reality — we need to accept our circumstances and do what we can to deal with it. Smith explained, “The weather patterns particularly around rain and snow events are changing. We’re seeing a hugely volatile system. We’re seeing a lot more droughts and then a lot more flooding. Nothing is consistent anymore with regards to our precipitation. Not just in BC and not just in Canada, but worldwide.” One of the projects her company worked towards was helping the Líl’wat Nation create an agricultural business plan. “They are creating a social movement out of it where they are feeding the families within the community first and foremost. The primary objective is community wellness and they’re selling excess food at the Pemberton farmers market and all of those funds go back into the farm,” said Smith. Smith and her team have no intentions of stopping there. “We’ve got close to 20 projects on the go right now,” Smith said. Their website states their goal is to work “collaboratively with land use professionals around the province to improve local food systems.” You learn about Upland Agricultural Consulting and their upcoming projects on their website or follow their Instagram for more updates.
DELICATE DEMOCRACY
SFU suggests new system of decision-making for its Board of Governors The new motion could allow one person to call the shots without majority approval CHLO Ë ARNE SON // NE WS W RI TE R
On May 10, SFU proposed new amendments to their policies on the Board of Governors (BoG) decision-making process. The general counsel and university secretary would be able to make amendments to university procedures without Board approval. The general counsel and university secretary would additionally have the power to approve and make changes to definitions applicable to university procedures and policies. These policy amendments have not been approved by the BoG. The BoG is the senior governing body of SFU. They are responsible for the “business of the university [regarding] property, revenue, and policies.” The Board consists of 15 members including SFU administration — chancellor of BoG Tamara Vrooman and president Joy Johnson — elected faculty, students and staff, as well as appointees chosen by the provincial government. SFU claimed this proposal would provide “improved efficiency and expediency, and better use of resources. Policy B10.00 describes the processes to create and revise policies so the university community has increased transparency into the process.”
The policy will consider community feedback before further discussion.
PHOTO: Allyson Klassen / The Peak
In an interview with The Peak, SFU said the Board will seek community input going forward. “Given the high degree of interest, the policy office will be reaching out to student, faculty and employee groups to offer to answer their questions about these proposed amendments.” They remarked. “Feedback will be considered in further amendments to this policy.
the decision. They encouraged students to email the university or message them on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to voice their concerns before May 25. Their action toolkit outlines the issue in more detail and provides more instructions on how to influence this policy decision.
“B10.00 is an existing policy that was created to provide guidance and support to members of the university community who are developing new university policies or revising existing policies.” They added, “The policy increases transparency on this process. It also helps reduce bureaucracy and increase efficiency for members of the university community who develop, oversee, and implement policies.”
It can affect policies on student misconduct, freedom of expression, sexual violence and assault, whistleblowing, and human rights.
Save SFU Democracy is an organization created as a result of this potential decision. In a press release, they stated that “giving unsupervised power to one individual at the university to make changes to the documents that guide SFU is a direct attack on the democratic structures that keep SFU running. “This proposal has far-reaching impacts,” writes the press release. “It can affect policies on student misconduct, freedom of expression, sexual violence and assault, whistleblowing, and human rights.” Save SFU Democracy produced several action items for staff and students to join them in speaking against
SAVE S F U DEMO CRACY P RE S S REL EAS E
The Peak reached out to Save SFU Democracy for more information, but did not receive a response by the publication deadline. You can follow Save SFU Democracy on Twitter for more information on their campaign. For further information regarding policy development, you can visit the FAQs on the policy development and revision website.
