Thompson Rivers University (TRU) in Williams Lake is offering a new micro-credential in food sovereignty for people looking to gain those qualifications outside of the two-year Regenerative Agriculture program.
“It’s really in direct response to community needs,” said Gillian Watt who will be teaching the business-side of the credential and is the program coordinator of TRU’s Regenerative Agriculture program.
The credential is an expansion of the already existing food sovereignty course which students in TRU’s Regenerative Agriculture program take. Students who take the micro-credential will receive a certificate allowing them to work in positions such as a food sovereignty coordinator.
Laura Kalina, one of the instructors, said food sovereignty is defined as enabling people to have control over their own food systems by focusing on locally sourced and sustainably produced options which align with community values and needs. From an Indigenous perspective, Kalina said it is about “about reclaiming and honouring traditional foodways.”
With feedback from both course instructors and students, it became clear there was a need for more than just a course, but an official certificate for students looking to build a career in food sovereignty.
“We’re dancing all around it,” Watt said, explaining the existing program covered food sovereignty but fell short on setting students up for success in that field. Her team at TRU heard from both graduated students and employers in the industry who said the program could benefit from more hands-on learning and business training.
“It's beyond just growing food,” Watt said. “It’s about doing a needs assessment in the community and bringing people together.”
The micro-credential will prepare students to run meetings, develop agendas and engage with the community so their work helps to build a food sovereign community which responds to locals’ wants and needs.
The micro-credential runs from March 24 until Sept. 28 and will cost approximately $2,700. The program is designed to accommodate students’ existing commitments, allowing them to stay in their community and continue working.
The first course teaches students about the theory of food sovereignty, with a virtual seminar taking place every Monday for three weeks and assignments to be submitted between seminars. From April 15 to Sept. 30 students need to complete 488 practicum hours which can be done right in their community, though Watt said the practicum could be started in March as well.
The final portion of the micro-credential is a three-week course which will host a seminar and field trip on Mondays bringing students straight to farms and communities running their own enterprises.
“We really encourage students to try and make the time to come to those field trips because...it's so unbelievable how much people learn by seeing,” Watt said.
Students will conduct their own enterprise analyses to determine whether the enterprises they visit would be a strategic fit in their own community, and what management practices and resources would be needed to be successful.
“It’s environmental sustainability, but it’s also financial sustainability,” Watt said, explaining food sovereignty programs need to be set up for success by being self-sustaining financially.
Registration is open until early March and requires either a high school graduation or a mature student status, though Watt said they are looking into allowing high school students to participate for dual credits.
