and climate action,” and “impact and identity”) along
with specific goals to meet in each area. Sustainability
remains an overarching area of emphasis for the University, with a view to making decisions that consider
impacts on future generations such as a commitment
to responsible stewardship of land and resources (University of Regina 2020). As well, the plan aligns the
17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) with the U of R’s five areas of focus, a nod
to the local priorities generated through deep local
consultation also reflecting global concerns identified
through UN policy processes. The plan has a social
impact objective of meeting the community’s various
social, cultural, economic, environmental, and technological needs. This objective includes specific targets
such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing production of waste and consumption of water,
and broadening partnerships and connections “with
communities in the pursuit of knowledge and discovery projects” (ibid.), all of which can shape campus
generated sustainable livelihood strategies.
The University of Regina and a Living Laboratory
Approach through Food
The University of Regina in its new strategic plan
made a specific commitment to advance learning
through living laboratories (University of Regina
2020). According to All Our Relations the University’s
labs are described as a form of
...open innovation through modelling and creating real-life environments sustained by partnerships and collaborations for the creation,
prototyping, validating, and testing of new technologies, services, products, and systems in real
life contexts…a great opportunity to act, monitor, and model sustainability for communities
as a Living lab that pilots ways to achieve net
zero emission sustainability…[and may] act as
a model for future research in additional areas
of focus. (ibid. p.15)
Living labs are conducive to expanding relationships and generating sustainable livelihood strategies
that positively impact society. One specific livelihood
area of particular relevance for the U of R and its region
is food production and consumption. The University
of Regina’s main campus is located in the capital city
of Regina with approximately 215,000 residents—
a small city by global standards. The province of
Saskatchewan, located in western Canada, has longstanding roots in a prairie agricultural economy. While
the economy has diversified in recent years, agriculture is an important contributor to the provincial economy, both domestically and internationally through
primarily agricultural exports. With modern agricultural production in Saskatchewan, however, there are
substantial adverse environmental impacts such as
water pollution and land degradation from agricultural
fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides, high fossil fuel
use through energy intensive, large scale cereal grain
farming (contributing to climate change), and destruction of natural habitats (through wetland destruction
for increased cropping area, conversion of on-land
water storage to rapid drainage, and seeding of crop
monocultures). Further unsustainable impacts occur
through food processing production. Individuals and
households influence these impacts as well through
their eating choices and habits of food purchasing
and domestic gardening. These affect the environment through food-related energy consumption and
waste generation, making them an interesting focus
for “study” in a living lab related to responsible
consumption and production.
At the U of R a systems approach to food (social,
economic, cultural, environmental) has developed,
exemplifying a campus living laboratory approach
connected to livelihood. The U of R has started
to transform the physical landscape of the campus
by integrating production and consumption of food
through establishing campus fruit and vegetable gardens and an apiary (beehive). These initiatives build on
strengths from the campus and local community. The
food gardens were started by the Regina Public Interest Research Group (RPIRG), a student-funded and
run not-for-profit research organization founded in
2011. The University also contributes funds to the gardens through a campus sustainability initiative called
the Sustainability and Community Engagement Fund
(University of Regina, n.d.). While the campus gardens are planned and delivered by RPIRG they are
primarily volunteer-run due to the many relationships
established with all scholars (Petry 2018) including
faculty members (mostly from science, social science
and humanities disciplines), students, staff (including
facilities management) and community organizations.
RPIRG organizes tours, cooking nights, and seminars
on local food production, harvesting, and reducing
waste such as composting that anyone can participate
in. Produce grown in the gardens is donated to students
and individuals in need, with a portion of the harvest
donated to Carmichael Outreach, a local communitybased organization that provides services to people
“who are experiencing, or at risk of experiencing,
homelessness” (Carmichael Outreach, n.d.).
In 2015, the edible campus apiary (beekeeping)
project was started with a grant from the Sustainability and Community Engagement Fund to encourage
pollination for the fruits, vegetables, and flowering
plants on campus. It is part demonstration and part
teaching project. The apiary is used in an undergraduate biology class to study the relationship between
food production and bee ecology, and for visits from
community members. For example, children from the
campus daycare can learn about local food production and the importance of bees and pollinators in the
food web. Several potential formal research projects
have been discussed, but these are only in their early
planning stages at the time of writing this article. The
apiary also provides positive externalities by helping
to pollinate nearby community gardens that are located
off-campus in a nearby neighborhood. The apiary was
36
with specific goals to meet in each area. Sustainability
remains an overarching area of emphasis for the University, with a view to making decisions that consider
impacts on future generations such as a commitment
to responsible stewardship of land and resources (University of Regina 2020). As well, the plan aligns the
17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) with the U of R’s five areas of focus, a nod
to the local priorities generated through deep local
consultation also reflecting global concerns identified
through UN policy processes. The plan has a social
impact objective of meeting the community’s various
social, cultural, economic, environmental, and technological needs. This objective includes specific targets
such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing production of waste and consumption of water,
and broadening partnerships and connections “with
communities in the pursuit of knowledge and discovery projects” (ibid.), all of which can shape campus
generated sustainable livelihood strategies.
The University of Regina and a Living Laboratory
Approach through Food
The University of Regina in its new strategic plan
made a specific commitment to advance learning
through living laboratories (University of Regina
2020). According to All Our Relations the University’s
labs are described as a form of
...open innovation through modelling and creating real-life environments sustained by partnerships and collaborations for the creation,
prototyping, validating, and testing of new technologies, services, products, and systems in real
life contexts…a great opportunity to act, monitor, and model sustainability for communities
as a Living lab that pilots ways to achieve net
zero emission sustainability…[and may] act as
a model for future research in additional areas
of focus. (ibid. p.15)
Living labs are conducive to expanding relationships and generating sustainable livelihood strategies
that positively impact society. One specific livelihood
area of particular relevance for the U of R and its region
is food production and consumption. The University
of Regina’s main campus is located in the capital city
of Regina with approximately 215,000 residents—
a small city by global standards. The province of
Saskatchewan, located in western Canada, has longstanding roots in a prairie agricultural economy. While
the economy has diversified in recent years, agriculture is an important contributor to the provincial economy, both domestically and internationally through
primarily agricultural exports. With modern agricultural production in Saskatchewan, however, there are
substantial adverse environmental impacts such as
water pollution and land degradation from agricultural
fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides, high fossil fuel
use through energy intensive, large scale cereal grain
farming (contributing to climate change), and destruction of natural habitats (through wetland destruction
for increased cropping area, conversion of on-land
water storage to rapid drainage, and seeding of crop
monocultures). Further unsustainable impacts occur
through food processing production. Individuals and
households influence these impacts as well through
their eating choices and habits of food purchasing
and domestic gardening. These affect the environment through food-related energy consumption and
waste generation, making them an interesting focus
for “study” in a living lab related to responsible
consumption and production.
At the U of R a systems approach to food (social,
economic, cultural, environmental) has developed,
exemplifying a campus living laboratory approach
connected to livelihood. The U of R has started
to transform the physical landscape of the campus
by integrating production and consumption of food
through establishing campus fruit and vegetable gardens and an apiary (beehive). These initiatives build on
strengths from the campus and local community. The
food gardens were started by the Regina Public Interest Research Group (RPIRG), a student-funded and
run not-for-profit research organization founded in
2011. The University also contributes funds to the gardens through a campus sustainability initiative called
the Sustainability and Community Engagement Fund
(University of Regina, n.d.). While the campus gardens are planned and delivered by RPIRG they are
primarily volunteer-run due to the many relationships
established with all scholars (Petry 2018) including
faculty members (mostly from science, social science
and humanities disciplines), students, staff (including
facilities management) and community organizations.
RPIRG organizes tours, cooking nights, and seminars
on local food production, harvesting, and reducing
waste such as composting that anyone can participate
in. Produce grown in the gardens is donated to students
and individuals in need, with a portion of the harvest
donated to Carmichael Outreach, a local communitybased organization that provides services to people
“who are experiencing, or at risk of experiencing,
homelessness” (Carmichael Outreach, n.d.).
In 2015, the edible campus apiary (beekeeping)
project was started with a grant from the Sustainability and Community Engagement Fund to encourage
pollination for the fruits, vegetables, and flowering
plants on campus. It is part demonstration and part
teaching project. The apiary is used in an undergraduate biology class to study the relationship between
food production and bee ecology, and for visits from
community members. For example, children from the
campus daycare can learn about local food production and the importance of bees and pollinators in the
food web. Several potential formal research projects
have been discussed, but these are only in their early
planning stages at the time of writing this article. The
apiary also provides positive externalities by helping
to pollinate nearby community gardens that are located
off-campus in a nearby neighborhood. The apiary was
36