The Circular Food Innovation Lab was a collaborative public sector research lab convened by the City of Vancouver Solid Waste Services, Solutions Lab and DESIS Lab at Emily Carr University to work towards equity and circularity within Vancouver’s food system.
From 2024 – 2026, the lab brought together grocery stores, food producers, distributors, food service providers, food rescue organizations, health authorities, municipal and Indigenous government and food justice advocates to ask “How might we work together to increase circularity in Vancouver’s food system so that: food is not lost or wasted; access to food is nourishing, equitable, and culturally resonant; and habitats are protected for current and future generations of humans and beyond-humans?”
Read Towards Equity and Circularity in Vancouver’s Food System, the lab’s report published in April 2026.
Lab Conveners: Laura Kozak, Lily Raphael, Erin Nichols
Design team: Maria Azam, Frankie Fowle, Bianca Del Rio Kodato, Marcia Higuchi, Laura Kozak, Morgan Martino, Lily Raphael, Sania Siddiqui, Yuki Xiang
Supported with funding from Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance, Environment and Climate Change Canada and Mitacs