Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems Panel -12pm EST (Virtual)

Anan Xola Lololi is a Food Sovereignty & Food Justice advocate, musician, and vegan (44 years). Anan is one of the founders of the Afri-Can FoodBasket (AFB) a non-profit Food Justice & Food Sovereignty organization that began in 1995 in Toronto. He has been the executive director of AFB for 26 years promoting Community Food Security, Food Sovereignty, and Food Justice in Toronto, North America, and the Caribbean. Anan has a master’s degree in environmental studies from York University with a focus on Community Food Security and a diploma in Business Administration from Centennial College. Anan is presently a Research Associate Fellow @ Ryerson University & Chair of the Black Food Sovereignty Toronto Working Group. His passion is working in low-income communities to help create food secure communities.

Anan Loli

Food Sovereignty & Food Justice Advocate

Sarah Dent

Executive Director and Co-Founder of Young Agrarians

Sara Dent of Young Agrarians, which hosts farm tours, potlucks, workshops and a website with networking tools like connecting retiring farmers with land to young farmers seeking it. (photo from Sara Dent) Whether it’s visiting a farmers market, signing up for a CSA (community-supported agriculture) box or just paying attention to where the produce in the grocery store was grown, local and sustainable eating has been in the zeitgeist for nearly a decade and it shows no signs of flagging. For many North Americans, food has proven an accessible entry point into issues of consumption,

Joshua Smee

Chief Executive Officer of Food First NL

Joshua Smee is a passionate community-builder basd in St. John’s, Newfoundland, where he works to make the city and the province a greener, more connected, more compassionate place. He is the CEO of Food First Newfoundland and Labrador, a provincial nonprofit organization that collaborates with communities and organizations across Newfoundland and Labrador to advance food security in the province A familiar face in Newfoundland and Labrador, Josh is a community developer with experience in a wide range of nonprofits and social enterprises. He has worked on provincial projects for organizations such as the Community Sector Council NL and Choices for Youth and taken leadership roles on community initiatives such as the St. John’s Farmers’ Market Cooperative, Happy City St. John's, the Tuckamore Festival, and more.