Background
In the 2016-2017 academic year, students active in the sustainable food groups on UBC campus (Nikki Lax, Sam Puddicombe, Meryn Corkery, Sarah Siska, and Dakota Fozzard) proposed a new way to provide students with access to alternative food, and also ensure the long-term sustainability of the food spaces on campus by creating ‘The Sustainable Food Access Fund.’
The purpose of ‘The Sustainable Food Access Fund’ is to increase the affordability of four campus food outlets – UBC Sprouts, Agora Café, Roots on the Roof, and UBC Farm. This referendum funds these four initiatives to achieve their goal of providing UBC students access to sustainable food. Agora Café and UBC Sprouts receive funding to continue offering low prices, expand community programs, and increase sourcing from on-campus food producers.
Students were asked to vote yes in support of the following statement:
“I support the AMS establishing a Sustainable Food Access Fund through a refundable fee of $0.35* to support on campus sustainable food initiatives (subsidize food prices and increase programming at Agora Café and UBC Sprouts, and offer a student discount at the UBC Farm Market and Roots on the Roof).”
In March of 2018 the referendum question was successfully passed with a significant proportion of votes in favour from students. Agora will use these funds towards improving its sustainability goals.
In 2023, we had over 200 volunteers dedicate their time to help support Agora and help tackle food insecurity at UBC!