From Research to Policy: Exploring Pathways for Evidence-Informed Impact
How can food systems research contribute to policy discussions and decision-making? What opportunities exist for researchers to engage beyond traditional academic outputs?
This three-part workshop series will help Centre for Sustainable Food Systems’ (CSFS) Associates better understand the policy landscape relevant to food systems, agriculture, and climate-related research, while exploring practical pathways for research mobilization and impact.
The series will begin with an introduction to the provincial and national policy landscape, including key actors, institutions, and opportunities for engagement.
In a following workshop, participants will then explore how CSFS can identify and respond to emerging policy priorities, consider its role within the broader policy ecosystem, and discuss approaches for translating research into policy-relevant formats.
The series will culminate in a collaborative working session focused on developing a policy-facing product, such as a policy brief or evidence summary, aligned with a timely policy opportunity.
Explore the workshops below!
Workshop 1: Understanding the BC Agricultural Policy Landscape and Pathways for Engagement
🗓️📌 September 24, 2026| 12.00 – 1.15 pm
Biodiversity Research Centre, Multipurpose Room 1014
Open to graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, researchers, and faculty
Researchers often work alongside governments, industry organizations, and community partners, yet have limited opportunities to learn how policy systems operate, how priorities are established, and where research evidence can have the greatest influence.
This lunch-and-learn will provide an introduction to the agricultural and food systems policy landscape in British Columbia and Canada, with a focus on how research can contribute to evidence-informed decision-making. Participants will hear about the roles of key organizations and policy actors, and discuss different approaches for translating research beyond academic audiences.
The session will also provide an opportunity for participants to share experiences, identify challenges and opportunities for policy engagement, and consider what support researchers need to engage effectively with policy processes.
Workshop 2: Where Can the CSFS Make a Difference? Exploring Strategic Policy Engagement
🗓️📌 November 16, 2026, 12.00 – 1.30 PM
MCML350 | Floor: 3 | HR MacMillan Building (MCML) | UBCV
Building on Workshop 1, this session will focus on how CSFS can take a more intentional and coordinated approach to policy engagement. Through a panel discussion with researchers experienced in policy engagement and a former senior policy advisor, participants will explore what enables research to influence policy, how evidence is used in decision-making, and the conditions that support meaningful engagement.
Participants will explore:
- Strategic priorities for CSFS policy engagement.
- The role CSFS can play in policy processes at regional, provincial, and national scales.
- When CSFS should lead policy contributions and when it should support or amplify the work of partner organizations.
- Opportunities for researchers to contribute to collective policy positions and initiatives.
- The relationships, processes, and institutional supports needed for sustained and effective policy engagement.
Insights from the workshop will help shape an action plan for the final session in the series.
Workshop 3: Translating Research into Policy-Relevant Outputs
🗓️📌 Winter 2026| Location TBD
This working session will bring together CSFS faculty and researchers to develop a collective contribution to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s consultation on the Next Agricultural Policy Framework (2028-2033). The framework will guide federal, provincial, and territorial priorities and investments in Canada’s agriculture and agri-food sector over the next decade.
Drawing on themes and priorities identified through the first two workshops, participants will discuss emerging challenges and opportunities for Canadian food systems, identify areas where CSFS research can make a meaningful contribution, and develop key messages for inclusion in a CSFS submission to the consultation process.
The session will focus on synthesizing research insights across disciplines and identifying evidence-informed recommendations that reflect the Centre’s expertise and strategic priorities.
Participants will explore:
- Emerging priorities for Canada’s next agricultural policy framework
- Cross-disciplinary themes and recommendations
- Areas where CSFS research can contribute to policy discussions
- Opportunities for ongoing policy engagement by CSFS researchers
- Approaches for communicating research-informed perspectives to policymakers
Outcome: A draft CSFS submission to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s consultation on the Next Agricultural Policy Framework
Funding Acknowledgement
Funding for this event series was provided by the UBC Climate Solutions Research Collective.
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