From July 28 to 30, MiFOOD team members participated in the 6th International Conference on Canadian, Chinese and African Sustainable Urbanization (ICCCASU) in Ottawa. Under the theme “Humanizing Urbanization: Housing, Livelihoods, and Resilient Cities in a Changing World,” the conference brought together global voices to explore inclusive, people-centered approaches to urban development.
The MiFOOD Network organized two panels under the theme International Migration and Urban Food Security: Evidence from Africa, China and Canada. Presentations explored topics such as the role of migrant entrepreneurs in informal food economies, the impacts of COVID-19 on migrant food access, and the gendered dimensions of migration and food insecurity. Contributors included MiFOOD partners from the Balsillie School of International Affairs, namely Jonathan Crush, Naomi Sunu, Bernard Owusu, Zack Ahmed, Sujata Ramachandran, Sean Sithole and Zhenzhong Si, as well as partners from China, including Taiyang Zhong and Huiguang Chen.
In recognition of their outstanding contributions, the ICCCASU honored MiFOOD director Jonathan Crush with the Award of Special Contribution, and project manager Zhenzhong Si with the Award of Excellent Support. These awards highlight their dedication to the success facilitation of the two special conference panels.
The MiFOOD team’s participation at ICCCASU not only showcased the network’s innovative research across continents on the migration–food security nexus, but also strengthened its engagement with global scholars and policymakers committed to building sustainable and equitable urban food systems.
Download the Conference Program HERE