Betty (Xu Yan)
VFR: Betty, tell us about yourself and why you are interested in food systems.
Betty (Xu Yan): I am a master’s student at UBC, specializing in Food and Resource Economics. In my spare time, I enjoy baking, drawing, and watching TV dramas, although sports do not particularly pique my interest.
My passion for food systems has deep roots. Initially, it stemmed from being a “foodie” who loves to cook and bake. Over time, I realized that understanding the origins and production of food could lead to healthier choices. This simple curiosity evolved into a research interest as I studied more about this multidisciplinary field.
I became acutely aware of food insecurity, a significant challenge in today’s world. However, I also recognized the potential for technological innovation to transform food production and supply management. This juxtaposition of challenges and opportunities sparked my profound interest in food systems.
VFR: Please share more about the master’s degree you’re currently completing at UBC, your specific project with Vancouver Food Runners, and why you were motivated to embark on this project.
Betty: I am currently pursuing a Master of Food and Resource Economics (MFRE) degree at UBC. The MFRE program uniquely combines the aspects of economics, policy, and business within the sectors of food, agriculture, natural resources, and the environment. This program equips students with valuable skills across various fields, including finance, policy, consulting, and data analysis. Beyond academics, the program offers hands-on experiences through collaborations with renowned partners like Vancouver Food Runners (VFR) for our capstone projects.
I chose this project not only because food connects people, communities, and the environment, but also because I am intrigued by the inner workings of nonprofit organizations. I wanted to understand how they operate, the challenges they face, and the impact they have on their communities—especially concerning food systems and food security.
This opportunity with VFR as my capstone project has given me valuable insights into the nonprofit sector, a field that was entirely new to me, and has allowed me to gain a comprehensive understanding of how nonprofits and charitable organizations function and support the community.
VFR: You’ve gathered a lot of data through VFR’s 2024 Nonprofit Partner Survey, specifically feedback on the challenges nonprofits’ face with their community food programming. What are some of the key challenges nonprofits are experiencing?
Betty: The data highlights that budget constraints are the primary challenge for nonprofits, with “limited budget to operate food programs," as their top concern.
Over the past three years, economic barriers have heightened, making it more difficult for Metro Vancouver residents to access food on a regular basis.
As a result, the demand for food services has surged, with organizations reporting an average 75% increase in the number of clients served. Despite nonprofits extending service hours, offering more meals (a 70% increase in meals provided), and expanding their capacity by partnering with other organizations, the community demand continues to outpace organizational resources. This has even forced some organizations to turn people away due to limited capacity.
Budget constraints also create a ripple effect, leading to staff shortages and high turnover rates. In addition, limited staff makes it challenging to focus on complex grant applications and secure stable funding, perpetuating the cycle of financial strain.
Other key food programming challenges included:
1. A limited variety of food
2. Not enough food
3. Not enough fridges or freezers to store food
4. Limited ability to accommodate clients’ dietary needs (e.g. allergies, religious)
5. Food that is past expiration date; and
6. Not enough staff to operate food program
VFR: “Infrastructure” emerged as an area of concern, but nonprofits shared that they’re open to some creative solutions, including sharing infrastructure. Could you share more about this?
Betty: The concept of a “shared economy” has gained popularity in recent years, and “shared infrastructure” aligns with this trend. In the context of this project, shared infrastructure offers significant economic advantages by promoting cost efficiency.
An example of shared infrastructure among nonprofits is the use of refrigerators and freezers, which makes sense considering that 95% of nonprofits can receive perishable food requiring refrigeration.
47% of respondents reported that they currently use or are interested in participating in shared infrastructure programs, demonstrating interest in this area. When evaluating their needs, many nonprofits identified space-related facilities as a top priority. 64% reported that shared storage facilities would be highly beneficial, allowing them to accept more food and expand their food programs.
Despite the potential advantages, shared infrastructure is not yet widely adopted among food programs due to the lack of infrastructure and limited awareness of sharing opportunities. Nonprofits also expressed some concerns about shared infrastructure, particularly regarding challenges such as coordination difficulties, scheduling conflicts, and logistical issues. These are elements that would have to be considered in any shared infrastructure initiatives.
VFR: In terms of food donations, how is VFR’s program supporting community food programming in Metro Vancouver?
Betty: Survey results indicate that VFR’s food donations are making a significant impact on community food programming in several ways:
🫐 Increased Food Quantity: VFR’s program has greatly increased the amount of food available for nonprofit distribution, which has helped to alleviate hunger and reduce food waste within the community.
🫚 Increased Food Variety: Many nonprofits value the variety of fresh food that VFR’s program provides through partnerships with food donors. This diversity enables them to offer more nutritious meals to their clients.
🌽 Cost Savings: Partnering with VFR has enabled nonprofits to save money on food purchases, which can then be redirected towards purchasing more food or enhancing their core social programming (e.g., health services, counselling, childcare, housing). Additionally, VFR’s program helps clients save money on food, further alleviating the financial burden on clients accessing services.
🥕 Service Maintenance and Expansion: Several nonprofits have expressed the importance of VFR’s donations in helping them maintain or even expand their food programs, particularly during times when their own funding is unstable. For some, VFR is the sole source of specific foods, making the program essential to their operations!
VFR: You also found that VFR’s support goes beyond food donations. Could you tell us more about how VFR’s program helps organizations with driving and coordinating donations?
Betty: This project has provided me with an inside look at the complex logistics behind food recovery programs, which involve finding, collecting, sorting, and distributing food. Two crucial elements of this process are vehicles for food transport and food donation sources. VFR plays a key role in enhancing the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the organizations it serves, making a significant impact on Vancouver’s food landscape.
In terms of vehicles, we found that 70% of nonprofits don’t own an organizational vehicle, which forces them to find alternative ways to transport food. This often results in additional costs and stress on staff, such as the need to rent vehicles or allocate time for staff to drive donations.
However, VFR’s program alleviates this burden by partnering with amazing volunteers to transport donations from food donors to nonprofits, saving nonprofits an average of 9 hours of driving time per week!
💡 In fact, "saved staff driving time for food programs" was reported as the second-most positive impact by nonprofits!
Sourcing and coordinating food donations also present additional challenges for nonprofits. Coordinating with food donors—determining if they have extra food, what kind it is, and when it can be picked up—is time-consuming and labor-intensive. When VFR takes on this intricate coordination work, this frees nonprofit staff to focus on their core social programs and spending time with their clients. Nonprofits reported saving an average of 10 hours of labour per week thanks to VFR managing these tasks!
Several nonprofits even mentioned that, without VFR’s program, their food programs might not exist or continue.
VFR: For the project, you developed some final recommendations. What are your main recommendations?
Based on feedback from nonprofits, my top recommendations are:
🍒 Promote Shared Infrastructure Programs: Increase awareness of shared infrastructure programs and encourage participation. The current lack of shared infrastructure and awareness are significant barriers to developing a shared economy within food systems programming. Developing and distributing educational materials on the benefits and logistics of shared infrastructure could reduce concerns among nonprofits and enhance collaboration.
🥥 Culturally Appropriate Donations: Seek partnerships with culturally relevant food donors. In addition, weekly or regular food donations allow nonprofits to adapt and optimize their food programs and better support clients’ needs.
🍎 Support for Fundraising: Financial security is crucial for long-term planning and sustainability in food systems work. Many nonprofits dedicate all their resources to client programs, leaving little time for fundraising. Grant applications can be particularly stringent and time-consuming. Simplifying the grant application process, providing training programs or workshops on grant writing, and regularly updating nonprofits about new funding opportunities could help them secure necessary resources.
🍇 Improve Food Quality: Encourage volunteers and food donors to check the freshness of food when picking it up. This will improve the quality of donations and meet partner expectations. Creating a comprehensive guide that outlines key criteria for assessing the freshness and quality of food could help reduce food waste and maximize the impact of donations.
VFR: What has surprised you the most during this project? And what has been your most memorable moment?
Betty: What has surprised me the most is the incredible resilience and adaptability of the nonprofit organizations that VFR works with. Despite a 75% increase in clients served over the last 3 years, and a 70% increase in meals provided, these organizations have continuously found innovative ways to support their communities.
Even in the face of challenges such as funding shortages, infrastructure limitations, and growing demand, they have extended service hours, developed new programs, and expanded their service areas. Their dedication is truly inspiring, and it demonstrates the power of community-driven efforts.
The most memorable moment of this project was when Michelle Reining (Vancouver Food Runners’ Executive Director) informed me that the Vancouver Food Systems Funding Motion ("Closing the Gap") was passed by Vancouver City Council in July.
This important step has the potential to increase funding for Vancouver’s food system work and advance efforts for positive change in our community. Additionally, data from my project was used in a speech to Vancouver City Council to support the motion.
This project wasn’t just about collecting data—it applied that data in real life, highlighting the real-world value of our work. At that moment, I realized this project wasn’t just a capstone project, but a meaningful contribution to the community. I am grateful to all the nonprofit partners who participated in this survey.
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