On July 31, 2025, the MiFOOD Network hosted a half-day workshop at the Balsillie School of International Affairs in Waterloo, Canada, bringing together researchers from Canada, South Africa, and China to share recent findings on the intersection of migration, food security, and resilience in the face of global disruptions.
Cohosted by the MiFOOD Network, the Hungry Cities Partnership (HCP), the International Migration Research Centre (IMRC), and the Balsillie School of International Affairs (BSIA), the workshop featured four in-depth research presentations followed by discussions.
The event, funded by SSHRC and CIHR, examined how migrants navigate food insecurity and livelihood challenges during crises, with a strong emphasis on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Presentations spanned multiple contexts:
- Sean Sithole (University of the Western Cape & Balsillie Scholar) discussed African migrants in Cape Town, South Africa, examining the intersection of urban food access, economic survival, and pandemic-related policy impacts.
- Zhenzhong Si (BSIA) analyzed how refugees in Kitchener-Waterloo, Canada adapted their food access strategies during the pandemic, highlighting both resilience and systemic challenges.
- Taiyang Zhong (Nanjing University) explored how migrant origin shapes food security outcomes in China, revealing regional variations in vulnerability and resilience of food access.
- Huiguang Chen (Nanjing Agricultural University) examined migrant workers’ social ties and their role in sustaining both livelihoods and food security under stress.
The workshop encouraged cross-regional comparisons, allowing participants to reflect on how structural barriers, policy contexts, and social networks shape migrants’ capacity to adapt. Discussion sessions following each of the presentation revealed shared patterns across countries, such as the disproportionate impact of public health restrictions on already vulnerable migrant populations, as well as distinct contextual factors, such as the role of rural–urban migration in China versus cross-border migration in Canada and southern Africa.
The workshop provided an important opportunity to strengthen research linkages across regions, disseminate research findings to the broader audience and build momentum for the network’s future research agenda in Canada, South Africa and China.
Download the Workshop Program HERE.