Research

Research Interests

  • National School Food Programs
  • Canadian School Food Programs (SFPs)
  • Farm to School (F2S) Programs
  • Politics and Public Policy
  • Economic Development
  • Sustainable Food Systems

Informed by my time working for the Ontario Student Nutrition Program, my research examines school-based food and local food ‘farm-to-school’ programs. Specifically, my work explores the possibility of these programs to expand the scope and sustainability of local/regional food production via scaled-up programming and sales to elementary and high school-based breakfast, snack, and lunch programs.

Nationally, I examine school food models across the country, and the broader movement that is calling for a National School Food Program as Canada is the only G7 country without such a program. In June 2019, I was honoured to participate in the Federal Government’s first roundtable on developing a National School Food Program to discuss preliminary results from the 2018/19 Canadian School Food Program Survey I conducted in collaboration with Dr. McKenna at the University of New Brunswick.

Collectively, my research aims to capture the social and economic return on investment of school food programs to move the dial on health and well-being in Canada while supporting the Canadian economy.

Current Research Projects

  • Canadian School Food Program Survey

    In collaboration with Dr. Mary McKenna, I am surveying government ministries and departments that fund school food programs in Canada to create the first national baseline of programmatic coverage in the 2018/19.

    In June 2019, I was honoured to participate in the Federal Government’s first roundtable on developing a National School Food Program to discuss preliminarily results from the 2018/19 National School Food Program Survey.

  • Linking Farm and School in New Regional Agri-Food Value Chains

    Three year research project funded by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs evaluating the economic impact of farm to school programs in Ontario.

    To learn more, read my article in the Conversation Canada by clicking the image above.