Colin Dring is intrigued by how actors (broadly) attempt to formally intervene in the creation of the future of agriculture and food systems. Research should be community-engaged, applied and contextualized for the needs of individuals, groups, and organizations effecting positive change in their places.
Dring's current research explores the necessary conditions for food actors/stakeholders to integrate social justice and decolonial practices into sustainable food system planning. Additionally, this experimental research creates and implements resources and tools imagining and enacting anticolonial food futures.
Experience
Dring has worked to advance public policy in food, agriculture, climate change, and environmental sustainability with municipal, provincial and federal government and non-profit organizations.
Dring's applied research has supported communities in developing resilient food systems in the Fraser Valley region of BC, local government roles and responsibilities for agricultural and food system planning, food system governance, and critical and decolonial food system education.
Dring's current research integrates decolonial practices into rural food and community planning.
Memberships and Committees
- Planning Institute of British Columbia – Candidate Member (2023 – present)
- BC Foodlands Cooperate – Board Member (2020 – present)
- Sustainable Agricultural Education Association (2018 – present)
Education
2023
Doctor of Philosophy in Integrated Studies in Land and Food System
University of British Columbia
2011
Master of Science in Rural Planning and Development
University of Guelph
2009
Bachelor of Agricultural Science in Soil and Environmental Science
University of Guelph
2004
Bachelor of Arts in French Literature and Psychology (Double Major)
University of British Columbia
Awards
2022
Graduate Award
Faculty of Land and Food Systems
2022
Scholar in Residence Award
Public Health Association of BC
2020
George Weston Doctoral Fellowship
/
2020
Killam Graduate Teaching Assistant Award
/
2019
Teaching as Research Fellowship & Award
University of British Columbia
2019
Public Scholars Initiative Fellowship & Award
University of British Columbia
2018-2020
Doctoral Fellowship
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
2016-2019
Four Year Fellowship Award
University of British Columbia
Research
Research interest
Sustainable Food Systems
Decolonial Food Futures
Community-Engaged Planning
Publications
Lowitt, K., Levkoe, C. Z., Dale, B., Dring, C., Gbejewoh, O., Glaros, A., Harrison, H. L., Knott, C., Loring, P. A., Mendly-Zambo, Z., Patterson, K. & Power, E. (in press). Advancing Basic Income as a Policy Tool for Food Systems Sustainability. Agriculture and Human Values
Newell, R., Dring, C., & Willyono, E. (2024). Imagining Just and Sustainable Food Futures: Using Interactive Visualizations to Explore the Possible Land Uses and Food Systems Approaches in Revelstoke, Canada. Land, 13 (9), Article 9. https://doi.org/10.3390/land13091345
Newell, R., Dring, C., & Newman, L. (2023). Participatory Research Methods for Examining Lessons from COVID-19 about Local Food Systems Vulnerabilities to Exogenous Shocks. Collaborations, 6 (1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.33596/coll.116
Newman, L., Newell, R., Dring, C., Glaros, A., Fraser, E., Mendly-Zambo, Z., Green, A. G., & KC, K. B. (2023). Agriculture for the Anthropocene: Novel applications of technology and the future of food. Food Security, 15: 613-627. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-023-01356-6
Newman, L., Newell, R., Dring, C., Glaros, A., Fraser, E., Mendly-Zambo, Z., Green, A. G., & KC, K. B. (2023). Agriculture for the Anthropocene: Novel applications of technology and the future of food. Food Security, 15: 613-627. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12571-023-01356-6
Newell, R., Dring, C., & Newman, L. (2022). Reflecting on COVID-19 for integrated perspectives on local and regional food systems vulnerabilities. Urban Governance, 6 (2): 316-327. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ugj.2022.09.004
Isaac, J., Newell, R., Dring, C., White, C., Mohaddese, G., Pizzirani, S., and Newman, L. (2022). Integrated sustainability planning and local food systems: Examining areas of and gaps in food systems integration in community sustainability plans for municipalities across British Columbia. Sustainability, 14 (11), 6724; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14116724
Dring, C. C., Čajková, T., Mendes, W., Stein, S., Valley, W., & Clegg, D. J. (2022). Ontological Awareness in Food Systems Education. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 6. https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fsufs.2022.750776
Corkery, M., Valley, W., Liao 廖釆約 J., & Dring, C. (2021). Addressing the call: A review of food justice courses in Canada and the USA. Canadian Food Studies / La Revue Canadienne Des études Sur l’alimentation, 8 (4): 272-297. https://doi.org/10.15353/cfs-rcea.v8i4.456
Rule, N. F., Dring, C., & Thornton, T. F. (2021). Meals in the melting-pot: Immigration and dietary change in diversifying cities. Appetite, 168 (1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2021.105728
Rule, N. F., Dring, C., & Thornton, T. F. (2021). Meals in the melting-pot: Immigration and dietary change in diversifying cities. Appetite, 168 (1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2021.105728
Rule, N. F., Dring, C., & Thornton, T. F. (2021). Meals in the melting-pot: Immigration and dietary change in diversifying cities. Appetite, 168 (1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2021.105728
Rule, N. F., Dring, C., & Thornton, T. F. (2021). Meals in the melting-pot: Immigration and dietary change in diversifying cities. Appetite, 168 (1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2021.105728
Rule, N. F., Dring, C., & Thornton, T. F. (2021). Meals in the melting-pot: Immigration and dietary change in diversifying cities. Appetite, 168 (1). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2021.105728
Valley, W., Anderson, M., Blackstone, N.T., Sterling, E., Betley, E., Akabas, S., Koch, P., Dring, C, Burke, J., and Spiller, K. (2020). Towards an equity competency model for sustainable food systems education programs. Elementa Science of the Anthropocene, 8 (33). https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.428
Dring, C., Lee, S, & Rideout, C. (2020). Public school teachers’ perceptions of what promotes or hinders their use of outdoor learning spaces. Learning Environments Research, 23 (3): 369-378. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10984-020-09310-5
Dring, C., Lee, S, & Rideout, C. (2020). Public school teachers’ perceptions of what promotes or hinders their use of outdoor learning spaces. Learning Environments Research, 23 (3): 369-378. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10984-020-09310-5