Food
Working alongside student food groups on campus that are active advocates and practitioners of sustainable food choices, Concordia aims to provide food on campus that improves the health of our students, employees, communities and the environment.
Working towards a common goal
Did you know student food groups on campus are active advocates and practitioners of sustainable food choices?
In fact, together our efforts resulted in increased access to fresh, healthy, local and seasonal food, as well as the promotion of and education about agricultural practices that are ecologically sound, economically viable and socially responsible.
Concordia Food Services
Did you also know that the pesto in your pasta and sandwiches served at Food Service locations on campus is prepared in-house using basil grown on the island of Montreal?
Concordia Food Services commits to sustainability throughout their operations by:
- Sourcing ingredients from local, Fairtrade and environmentally-responsible producers
- Serving healthy and diverse foods, including plenty of plant-based options
- Operating zero-waste and trayless residential dining halls
- Focusing on reducing food waste through better ordering and menu planning
- Following sustainable cleaning practices
Hospitality Concordia is also a partner of Tablee de Chefs, an organization that collects lefovers for local charities. During the first six months of 2019, more than 1,300 kg of food was donated from events organized by Hospitality.
For more about Concordia Food Services’ commitment to sustainability, visit their sustainable dining webpage.
Concordia Student Food Groups
The following groups are actively involved in sustainable food systems at Concordia:
Campus Potager
Campus Potager turns unused space on Concordia's downtown campus into vegetable gardens and makes their organic produce available to students, faculty, staff, and the public at large in the summer and fall.
City Farm School
The City Farm School is an initiative to develop partnerships and expertise in urban agriculture on the island of Montréal. With the support of Concordia University, The City Farm School (CFS) offers seminars, discussions, internship placements, volunteer opportunities and popular education style teach-ins on permaculture, organic crop planning, producing seedlings, mushroom cultivation, composting, pest management, organic plant nutrition, rain water harvesting, and other topics of great public interest, promoting a strong focus on experiential learning and the cultivation of a can-do spirit.
Concordia Farmer's Market
The Concordia Farmers' Market is committed to providing students and staff with a great selection of local and organic foods every Wednesday from 12-6pm in the EV Atrium at the downtown campus.
Concordia Food Coalition
The Concordia Food Coalition (also known as Community Food Coalition/ CFC) is a non-for-profit student-run organization concerned about the economic, ecological, and social implications of the food system at Concordia University. The CFC brings together students, faculty and staff to promote and facilitate a transition to a more sustainable food system at Concordia.
Concordia Greenhouse (temporarily closed until winter 2025)
The Concordia Greenhouse Project is a collectively run, consensus-based, non-profit organization. It uses the Henry H. Hall Building rooftop greenhouse as an all-organic space geared towards community, education and sustainable horticulture. The Greenhouse is a year-round green space that hosts workshops, projects and events raising awareness around food issues and alternatives to mainstream consumerism.
Hive Café Solidarity Co-operative
The Hive Café consists of a downtown and a Loyola café that offers locally & ethical sourced, healthy, affordable, and delicious food options. The downtown Hive Café is located in the Hall Building Mezz level and the Loyola café can be found on the 2nd floor of the Student Centre building. The Hive Café Solidarity Cooperative rents out their spaces for events and their delicious catering service is on the Concordia approved caterer list.
Le Frigo Vert
Frigo Vert is Concordia’s student non-profit health food store. It offers a variety of organic and bulk foods, as well as quick snacks, coffee and environmentally friendly household products at affordable prices.
People’s Potato
The People's Potato is a collectively-run soup kitchen that offers vegan meals to students and community members on a by-donation basis. The Potato serves more than 400 meals daily to students and community members with the help of dedicated volunteers and it is dedicated to educating about healthy cooking and food politics.
Check out the Concordia Food Groups Research Project for information about these and other groups, as well as food system maps and other resources.
Fair Trade Steering Committee
Concordia became a designated Fair Trade Campus in 2016. This means that we support better conditions for producers around the world!
The Fair Trade Steering Committee consists of multiple stakeholders and its purpose is to:
- Formalize and continue to build the University’s commitment to fair trade;
- Increase the scope and availability of fair trade products on campus;
- Seek opportunities to further awareness and to extend discussions on social sustainability.
Food Advisory Working Group
The Food Advisory Working Group (FAWG) is a multi-stakeholder group, coordinated through the Office of VP Services, that meets every Fall and Winter semester to share ideas and set targets that better serve the Concordia community.
The FAWG is made up of representatives from the following groups:
- City Farm School / Concordia Greenhouse
- Concordia Food Coalition
- Concordia Student Union (CSU)
- Faculty member
- Graduate Students’ Association (GSA)
- Health Services
- Hive Café co-op
- Hospitality Concordia
- Loyola staff representative
- Office of Dean of Students
- Office of VP Services
- Residence Life Concordia
- Residence student
Campus Gardens
Concordia is home to many gardens at Loyola and a rooftop greenhouse at SGW. The focus of these spaces range from growing food to supporting urban biodiversity, but what they share in common is in offering places for our community to learn, gather and relax.
It's quite likely that you have passed one of our campus gardens at the Loyola campus. Or perhaps you have heard about the Concordia greenhouse. Volunteer or learn more about the amazing student-led initiatives connecting our campus community to experiential learning, food security, and sustainable food options.
Find out more about our campus gardens, farmers' markets and produce baskets >
