Workshop 2: Photo Gallery

From Mar 1 to 2, we hosted our second Food Systems Lab workshop on designing solutions to address the issue of food waste. We applied our systems understanding developed in the first lab and used it together with social innovation tools and methods to identify emerging patterns, programs, initiatives, ideas that could transform the system. Here is a glimpse of what we did over the two days.

Hon. Glen Murray, Minister of Environment and Climate Change for Ontario and Special Advisor to the Food Systems Lab dropped by for a visit to share some opening remarks. Photo by Belinda Li.
Telling the story of workshop 1 through improv. Photo by Lesia Kinach.
The first cut of ideas at the end of the first day. Photo by Lesia Kinach.
Tammara Soma and Dr. Marie Wilson (Food Systems Lab Special Advisor on Indigenous Matters and Commissioner for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada) leading the closing circle on the first day. Photo by Ania Ek. 
Exploring our ideas through bricolage. In this exercise, groups sculpted their solutions using representative symbols from everyday objects they found outside or at home. This group worked on food literacy in schools as a way to reduce food waste by re-valuing food and building skills to prepare, preserve and store food. Photo by Belinda Li.
Sharing our bricolage creations. Photo by Ania Ek.
After creating the bricolage, groups were asked to remove the most important element and rebuild their bricolage. For this group (Ministry of Waste Reduction), they had to remove the connections between the three levels of government. Their solution transformed from the one on the left to the one on the right. Photos by Belinda Li.
Moving from ideas to concept. Each group used a Rhizome Impact Canvas to translate the ideas (the elements in the sculpture) into a business concept, like this one. Photo by Rafaela Gutierrez.