Dr. Colin Dring

Dr. Colin Dring

Researcher / Lecturer

Colin Dring (he/his) works towards food system justice and sustainability in collaboration with different change makers. He is a community developer, a facilitator, a researcher, a connector, and is inquisitive by nature. He has over 15 years of experience in the field of community food security, agricultural and food system planning, community development, and agri-food policy. He holds degrees in Soil and Environmental Science (B.Sc. 2009), Rural Planning and Development (M.Sc. 2012), and a PhD in Integrated Studies in Land and Food Systems (Ph.D. 2023). Colin has worked with multiple levels of government including Metro Vancouver, City of Richmond, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, Environment Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada as part of the Research Affiliate Program. His work with the government has influenced his interest in the role that state planning plays in achieving justice in the food system through land-use planning, agri-food system governance, and political practices. Colin’s doctoral research examined how local levels of government, across unceded First Peoples’ territories, attempts to shape agricultural futures in contexts of difference, complexity, and unpredictability. His current work explores how communities can imagine alternative food systems (and their contexts) that are socially just and open space for new paradigms of relational ethics, accountability, and reciprocity between humans, other-than-humans, and the Land/planet. This work aims to shift local food and agricultural planning towards decolonial practices that achieve sustainable and equitable food systems.

1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
Senior's Hall

UNLOCKING FARMLAND ACCESS

As farmland becomes increasingly tied to the rising prices of speculative markets, accessibility for food producers continues to slip further out of reach. The implications for regional food security are profound, making this issue a pressing concern for our panelists, who have long been engaged in this conversation. Drawing on their firsthand knowledge, experience, and insights, this panel will explore a range of innovative approaches to farmland access—highlighting their strengths, limitations, and the work to be done to ensure the future of farms and farmers.

1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
Seniors Hall (across parking lot)

UNLOCKING FARMLAND ACCESS : CREATIVE PATHWAYS TO SECURING FARMLAND

As farmland becomes increasingly tied to the rising prices of speculative markets, accessibility for food producers continues to slip further out of reach. The implications for regional food security are profound, making this issue a pressing concern for our panelists, who have long been engaged in this conversation. Drawing on their firsthand knowledge, experience, and insights, this panel will explore a range of innovative approaches to farmland access—highlighting their strengths, limitations, and the work to be done to ensure the future of farms and farmers.