Our Advocacy

At Roots on the Roof, we believe food is deeply connected to questions of sustainability, accessibility, health, culture, and community.

Through advocacy, education, and community initiatives, we work to encourage conversations around food systems and inspire action toward a more sustainable and equitable future.

Campaigns & Initiatives

Roots on the Roof engages with campus conversations and initiatives related to food, sustainability, and community wellbeing.

Through educational campaigns, partnerships, and student-led initiatives, we work to raise awareness and encourage participation in creating more sustainable and connected food systems.

Initiatives and partners we are connected with include:

• UBC Food System Initiative (FSI): a university-wide initiative, co-chaired by UBC SEEDS Sustainability and UBC Food Services, that brings students, researchers, staff, and community partners together to advance a sustainable, healthy, secure, and just campus food system.
• Farm to Plate Marketplace : a Vancouver non-profit online marketplace that connects local BC farmers directly with community members, offering fresh produce at cost with a no-questions-asked subsidy so that everyone can afford it.
• Sprouts Community Fridge : a free, always-accessible fridge run by UBC Sprouts in the basement of the Life Building, where anyone can take the food they need, no questions asked.

Food Security & Food Access

Access to nutritious and culturally meaningful food is an important part of building healthy communities.

Through our growing practices, food distribution initiatives, and community partnerships, Roots on the Roof contributes to local food security efforts by supporting access to fresh produce and connecting people with the food systems around them.

Our garden has contributed hundreds of pounds of fresh produce to community food initiatives, helping redirect locally grown food to organizations and individuals who benefit from increased access to fresh ingredients.

Sustainable Food Systems

Our garden is a space for exploring what sustainable food production can look like in an urban environment.

Through rooftop growing, composting practices, pollinator-friendly planting, and seasonal gardening, we demonstrate how small-scale actions can contribute to broader conversations about environmental stewardship and sustainable food systems.

We recognize that sustainability extends beyond how food is grown—it also involves understanding the relationships between land, resources, communities, and the systems that shape our food.

Growing Change Together

Advocacy begins with connection. By bringing people together around food, gardening, and shared learning, Roots on the Roof creates opportunities for students and community members to engage with the challenges and possibilities within our food systems.

We believe that meaningful change grows from informed communities, collaborative action, and the relationships we build with one another.