Beginning this fall, UBC students experiencing food insecurity will be able to access supports directly through campus health-care providers as part of a new food prescription program.
The program is one of three UBC food security initiatives supported by a $3.5-million gift from RBC. The gift will also support sustainable agriculture training through the UBC Farm Practicum in Sustainable Agriculture and new Online Practicum, as well as the BC Food Web, a UBC-hosted platform that translates agricultural research into accessible resources for farmers, producers and industry.
"Food security affects student wellbeing, academic success and the resilience of the food systems communities rely on," said UBC President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Benoit-Antoine Bacon. "We are grateful to RBC for this generous gift, which will help UBC directly support students facing affordability pressures with dignity, while also helping farmers and communities build a more secure food system."
The $3.5 million gift represents RBC's largest ever to a post-secondary institution. This gift is part of FORWARD, the campaign for UBC, with the promise and potential to advance healthy lives, a healthy planet and healthy societies.
Martin Thibodeau, regional president, British Columbia for RBC-and FORWARD campaign volunteer-added: "Food security is one of the defining challenges of our time-and UBC is meeting it with both urgency and optimism. Through the UBC Farm Practicum in Sustainable Agriculture, BC Food Web, and the Student Food Security Initiative, we're helping equip a new generation with the skills and confidence they need to lead real change. RBC is proud to stand with UBC in building that future."
Bringing food security into student health care
Beginning in September, the food prescription program will operate out of UBC's newly opened Gateway Health Building , where student health and wellbeing services are brought together under one roof. Alongside physical and mental health screening, students may now be asked about their food security. If a risk is identified, clinicians will create a personalized food prescription and connect students directly to the campus food supports.
"We know that a student who is hungry cannot focus, cannot engage, and cannot perform to their potential-no matter how talented they are," said Noorjean Hassam, associate vice-president, student health and wellbeing. "As we integrate health and wellbeing into one central hub, it's going to be transformative to be able to include nutritional health in the support we provide to students."
Food security is a growing challenge on campuses across Canada, and UBC is no exception. The food prescription program builds on UBC's broader Food Security Initiative, which takes a collaborative approach to improving access to affordable food across both campuses. UBC supports a range of student-led and community-led programs, including the AMS Food Bank, Sprouts, the GSS Acadia Food Hub, Picnic at UBC Okanagan, as well as the UBC-led Food Hub Market at UBC Vancouver.
Strengthening B.C.'s food system
In addition to the food prescription program, the RBC gift also supports two programs within UBC's Faculty of Land and Food Systems.
At a time when the average age of a farm operator in B.C. is over 56, and fewer than nine per cent of farmers are under the age of 35, the UBC Farm Practicum in Sustainable Agriculture and new Online Practicum will train B.C.'s future farmers while also supporting long-term food security for the province.
Meanwhile, the BC Food Web, hosted by UBC's Centre for Sustainable Food Systems, translates complex agricultural research into plain-language resources that farmers and industry can act on directly. Over the past year, the platform has reached more than 5,155 active users globally and recorded over 800 downloads.
To learn more about UBC' s efforts to support food security and student wellbeing, visit https://give.ubc.ca/projects/student-food-security-initiative/ or https://give.ubc.ca/projects/integrated-student-health-wellbeing/
