Exploring our ideas by sculpting together. In this exercise, groups visualized their food waste solutions using representative symbols from everyday objects they found outside or at home.
With support from the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, we piloted a Social Innovation Lab from September 2016 to August 2017 in Toronto to determine policy options to address one of the century’s biggest challenges: preventing food waste while honouring the knowledge and values of our Indigenous relations.
Using an approach from the Waterloo Institute for Social Innovation and Resilience, we strategically brought together a variety of stakeholders in a series of 3 workshops to gain a deep understanding of the system, then identified and prototyped innovations and opportunities that can address root causes of challenges.
Seeing
the System
We used whole system thinking tools to gain a broad and deep understanding of the system, bring a diversity of viewpoints, and open new possibilities for interpretation.
Designing
Solutions
Social innovation tools were used to identify emerging patterns, programs, initiatives, ideas that could transform the system. Possible innovations and opportunities were explored.
Prototyping Solutions
Design thinking tools were used to prototype possible innovations and opportunities. A rapid iteration process was used to maximize learning while minimizing the feedback loop.
Contributing to Canada’s Food Policy
Following the workshops, Food Systems Lab was invited to the Summit on Canada’s Food Policy. We published a discussion paper with policy considerations for local, provincial, and federal governments based on our engagement with stakeholders and research.
Videos
Field Testing New Ideas
Two of the ideas generated from the Social Innovation Lab moved forward to being further developed and tested in the community by the Food Systems Lab.
Sponsors and Partners
Thank you to the generous sponsors and partners for supporting the Social Innovation Lab.
