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Feeding a City: Urban Agriculture in Montréal
DANIEL HABERMAN, ARYEH CANTER, ANAIS CLERCQ, WILLIAM DREYER, LAURA GILLIES, LAETITIA PANCRAZI, VALENTINE RINNER, FEDERICO MARTELLOZZO The Office de Consultation Publique de Montréal’s (OCPM) recently published report on the state of urban agriculture in Montréal confirms that urban agriculture can provide social wellbeing and a better living environment to Montréal’s inhabitants. While this report focuses on qualitative information, our study quantitatively evaluates the potential for the city of Montréal to produce enough vegetables for its demand. Using a range of urban gardening and hydroponics yields, we calculate the ability of Montréal’s 33 boroughs to meet local vegetable demand. Results vary greatly depending on growing method, indicating the importance of management when implementing such a system. A performance index will evaluate the ability of each borough to meet its food demand using primarily vacant space and residential yard space for organic agriculture. Boroughs that are able to sustain high population densities and feed themselves are considered to have the most efficient land use for urban agriculture. Further research should examine economic, ecological and social trade-offs when designing urban agriculture systems. This research is intended to supply information of potential yields from different urban agriculture systems in Montréal, and start the conversation on optimal agricultural land use composition for the boroughs on the island.
ABSTRACT.
This study was completed in partial fulfillment of the course requirements of GEOG 460: Research in Sustainability.
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C
ultivating crops and raising livestock in and around cities is not a new concept, but a forgotten one. Urban agriculture is the practice of growing, processing and distributing food in towns, cities and in peri-urban areas. By 2025, two thirds of the global population will live in urban centers, increasing the need to produce food closer to its consumers (MacRae et al., 2010). The exponential growth of our population is threatening food security in cities (FAO, 2003). Diversifying food inputs, including a range of local sources, is one way in which cities can become more resilient as they would no longer have to depend solely on imports of food from rural areas or other countries (Grewal and Grewal, 2012). One of the proposed solutions to increase food security and make cities more sustainable is to implement local urban agricultural systems. Urban agriculture provides many benefits to urban and rural populations, as well as both the global and local environment. To begin, Duchemin et al. (2008) underline the improvement of the urban lifestyle by creating united, self-sufficient communities, giving access to fresher, healthier, local food, and reducing food miles and cities’ carbon footprints. Equally important, urban agriculture (1) modifies urban settlements by creating green areas and reducing the urban heat island effect; (2) creates better living conditions for urban residents by providing them with ecosystem services such as water and air purification; and (3) effectively reduces poverty and hunger by recycling urban food waste and creating new jobs (Duchemin et al. 2008). Reducing poverty and hunger are essential factors in achieving sustainable development (Duchemin et al. 2008). Over the past few decades, these numerous benefits have led North American cities to adopt urban agriculture ini-
tiatives (MacRae et al., 2010; Altieri et al., 1999). The viability of large-scale urban agriculture, however, requires more research. Urban agriculture can be implemented in diverse forms, by people of varying levels of expertise, and with different farm management techniques (Duchemin et al., 2008). Montréal has been implementing agriculture for the past 30 years through collective gardens, city-organized community garden programs, and personal gardens (Duchemin et al., 2008). Gardening techniques range from organic agriculture, with no pesticides or herbicides use, to hydroponics, where crops are fed nutrients through water, eliminating the need for soil. While hydroponic systems are generally able to produce extremely high yields, they typically require an increase in energy use and labour, and entail higher infrastructure costs (Jensen and Collins, 1985). For this reason, this project will minimize the use of hydroponics, favouring the use of soil-bound agricultural methods in areas of the city deemed to be suitable for conversion. Furthermore, L’Office de Consultation Publique de Montréal (OCPM) recently published a report on the state of urban agriculture in Montréal, after a petition of over 22,000 signatures called for its inception. This report confirmed that urban agriculture can provide social wellbeing and environmental quality to Montréal, but failed to provide any quantitative data on Montréal’s urban agriculture’s capacity. The main goals of this study are twofold and attempt to compliment the qualitative findings of the OCPM report. First, the research will measure the ability of the island of Montréal to meet its vegetable demand using a variety of urban agricultural systems, such as organic or high intensity methods. Second, the study will comment on the ability of Montréal’s 33 boroughs FIELD NOTES | VOL II | 69
to provide a full vegetable diet to their inhabitants while minimizing the use of hydroponics. Multiple land use scenarios will simulate how the city might change if it were forced to be self-sufficient in its vegetable production. A performance index will evaluate the boroughs in a scenario where (1) hydroponics use is minimized and (2) the use of vacant and residential yard space for farming is maximized. Boroughs that are able to sustain high population densities without having to resort to the use of hydroponics are considered to have the most efficient land use for urban agriculture.
METHODS
In order to assess the potential for urban agriculture on the island, consumption and production patterns are considered. Representing the recommended consumption for an active healthy lifestyle, the proportion and variety of vegetables found within a local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) basket constitutes the vegetable intake of a Montréaler. Production patterns simulate meeting this demand. The total production of each vegetable is calculated for various farming systems by allocating each system’s respective yield to assorted land use types according to four outlined scenarios.
Vegetable demand
According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UN FAO), Statistics Canada (StatsCan), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the World Health Organization (WHO), the recommended daily intake of dense and leafy vegetables, frozen vegetables, and fruit is 500 grams per person per day. Fresh vegetables should represent about two thirds of this daily recommendation (Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide, 2011). Thus, the
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recommended intake per person per day of fresh vegetables is 330g. Vegetable demand per borough is calculated using the population data from the 2011 Statistics Canada census (Ville de Montréal, 2012). The following formula yields yearly vegetable demand for a given population, and is applied to each borough on the island of Montréal: Yearly vegetable demand per borough (grams) = population * 330g/day * 365 days Vegetable yields and varieties
A CSA basket designed and distributed by Santropol Roulant, an urban garden in Montréal, will represent the proportion and mix of standard vegetables present in the average Montréaler’s diet. As yields can vary greatly depending on the type and intensity of farming, the study will explore a range of yield estimates (Duchemin et al., 2008). The study defines high intensity urban agriculture as closely monitored projects that can produce much higher yields than either conventional or basic organic agriculture (ibid.). Conversely, low intensity urban agriculture is a production system with a less intensive management system and generally has poorer soil quality (ibid.). In essence, this broad range of gardening techniques can produce vastly different yields. The analysis uses yield ratios to establish the yields for low and high intensity urban agriculture, which were determined using Statistics Canada (2012) data for conventional agriculture yields in Québec. Low intensity urban agriculture yield per vegetable are conservatively estimated as a ratio of 0.74 of the corresponding conventional yield for that vegetable (Seufert et al., 2011). Conversely, high intensity urban agriculture yields were calculated using a ratio of 3.14 that of conventional
yields (Duchemin et al., 2008). This range of values is important in determining a range of the population that could be fed both on the island as a whole as well as per borough. Hydroponic yield data per vegetable was compiled and averaged from a variety of sources. Montréal’s Lufa Farms, a local hydroponic rooftop greenhouse operation that supplies vegetables to the island, volunteered their vegetable yield data. Since hydroponic systems are generally indoors and are not dependent on climate, these yields were combined and averaged with yields from international studies (Jensen, 1988; Resh, 2002), producing a single yield value per vegetable.
LAND USE AND POPULATION
The study utilizes a land use map obtained from Communauté Urbaine de Montréal as well as a map outlining the 33 boroughs on the island from the TRAM Group (2011). Roads were removed from all land uses on the map using an average width of 8 meters per two-lane road. The land uses deemed available for urban agriculture in the simulations are: vacant space, residential yard space, and industrial rooftop space. The study defines vacant space as all unused space in a borough including officially unexploited space and parking lots (Desjardins, 2001). Residential areas are split up by housing density, with ten percent of high-density housing areas, and twenty percent of medium and low-density housing areas considered viable for vegetable production. This proportion of residential area is an estimation of land that would otherwise be used as a lawn or garden, and is therefore available for urban agriculture in the simulation. The study defines low-density housing as semi-detached row housing, medium-density housing as
townhouses or two or three houses with adjoining walls, and high-density housing as condominium or apartment buildings (Desjardins, 2001). The Permanent Agricultural Zone in Montréal extends over five boroughs. This agricultural zone is left intact in the analysis and all production in this zone is assumed to be vegetable production with conventional agriculture yields. Hydroponic production is assigned to take place on industrial rooftops. Lastly, the most recent Montréal census provides population data population data for each borough (Ville de Montréal, 2011).
SIMULATION SCENARIOS
Applying the following scenarios to the entire Island of Montréal determines the percentage of its vegetable demand that could be met by allocating agriculture to the selected land use types: Scenario 1: Vegetable production is allocated to all vacant space on the island, first using low intensity urban agriculture yields and again using high intensity agriculture yields. Scenario 2: Vegetable production is allocated to all industrial rooftop space using the hydroponic yields. Scenario 3: Vegetable production is allocated only to residential yard and garden areas, using either the low or high intensity yields. Scenario 4: Combination of Scenarios 1-3. Vegetable production is first allocated to vacant space and then to residential areas. If vegetable demand still is not met then the remainder of required production is allocated to hydroponic agriculture on industrial rooftops. FIELD NOTES | VOL II | 71
Scenario 4 is repeated, assessing the ability of each of the 33 boroughs to feed its inhabitants rather than the island as a whole. The permanent agriculture zone, situated in the western end of the island, is included in each scenario using conventional agriculture yield values. A performance index measures the ability of each borough to support a high population density without resorting to hydroponic production to meet its vegetable demand. An ideal borough would support a high population density, grow all of its vegetables using vacant or lawn space, and would not require any hydroponic use.
RESULTS
The results of the four scenarios are found in Table 1. The use of high versus low intensity urban agriculture has an extremely large impact on the percentage of the population that can be fed, suggesting that the use of vacant and residential space is extremely important in food production. If all vacant space is utilized with low intensity yield values in combination with all industrial rooftops for hydroponics yields, MontrÊal’s vegetable demand
can be met three times over (scenario 4). Using only a percentage of residential yard space, high intensity urban agriculture can also meet the food demand for the entire island (scenario 3). A simulated scenario assesses the amount of supplementary hydroponics required for each borough. Considering low intensity yields (Figure 1a), the borough with the highest hydroponic demand is Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extention, where 86% of the vegetable demand must be provided with hydroponics. Conversely, no hydroponic use is necessary to meet the vegetable demand in 13 of the 33 boroughs. For high intensity farming (Figure 1b), 24 boroughs do not require hydroponics to meet their food demand. In order to determine the feasibility of these plans, the percentage of industrial rooftop space required to meet the demand for each borough is calculated. For example, some boroughs may require 50% of vegetables from hydroponics to meet demand, but do not have enough rooftop space to grow that amount of vegetables.
Table 1. Four land use scenarios expressing the percent of food demand met on the entire island of MontrĂŠal using either a conservative estimate or a high estimate for urban agriculture yields. Scenario 1. All vacant space
Low Intensity Yields
High Intensity Yields
55.7%
180.6%
2. All industrial rooftops
276.7%
3. Residential (10% high density, 20% medium & low density)
38.8%
108.9%
4. Vacant space + industrial rooftops + residential space
336.7%
531.8%
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Figure 1. Percentage of vegetable demand that must be produced through hydroponics per borough after using low intensity yields (a) and high intensity yields (b) in all vacant space and residential yard space. See Appendix for borough key. FIELD NOTES | VOL II | 73
Figure 2. Percentage of available industrial rooftop area required to meet the food demand of the given borough after using low intensity yields (a) and high intensity yields (b) in all vacant space, and residential yard space. See Appendix for borough key. 74 | HABERMAN ET AL.
In this case, the borough would not be able to provide an adequate amount of vegetables to its inhabitants. With low intensity farming (Figure 2a), 12 boroughs did not have the required rooftop space. However, with high intensity estimates (Figure 2b), only two boroughs are unable to grow enough vegetables with their industrial rooftops. These boroughs are Plateau-Mont Royal and Rosemont-La Petite Patrie. The boroughs that require large amounts of rooftop space either have an extremely high population or an extensive amount of land that is dedicated to another land use type, such as commercial or industry, making it difficult to implement effective urban agriculture in these areas. When comparing the performance of the boroughs, the study considers an ideal borough to support a high population density while farming in areas that are easily convertible to agricultural space (Figure 3). These areas include all vacant space as well as residential space that would otherwise be used for lawns or ornamental gardens. Higher population density implies
that there is less space available for urban agriculture. In this case, supplementary hydroponics is likely required unless the borough has a surplus of residential and vacant land use, such as the boroughs located in the bottom right quadrant of Figure 3. Using conservative low-yield estimates, only one borough achieves this efficient use of space, whereas with high yield estimates eight boroughs perform in the ideal quadrant.
DISCUSSION
Even with low intensity yields, utilizing all vacant space, industrial rooftops, and the chosen percentages of residential yard space meets the vegetable demand of MontrÊal’s population (Table 1). However, these scenarios do not reflect the energy required to maximize food production, nor do they consider that inputs may be limited. They simply state the quantity of food that can be produced on the entire island by efficiently using the specified spaces with estimated yields. In reality, a scenario like this could create unequal ac-
Figure 3. Performance indicator of each borough comparing relative hydroponic production needs against relative population density for low yield (a) and high yield (b) scenarios where all vacant space and allotted residential space is used for organic agriculture. A negative hydroponic production value means that the borough exceeds its vegetable demand without needing any hydroponics. A positive value means that at least some hydroponics use is required. See Appendix for borough key with population data. FIELD NOTES | VOL II | 75
cess to food or food deserts, since the boroughs with large amounts of vacant space would essentially become producers to fill the needs of the more consumptive residential boroughs. This goes against two of the main advantages of urban agriculture: (1) to minimize the transportation costs by bringing food closer to consumers and (2) to create greater access to food by bringing the consumers closer to the food production process, eliminating the need for a middleman. For the purpose of food access and population-based allocation of vegetable production, the ability of each borough to meet its own vegetable demand is more relevant. Currently, there are disparities in access to fresh vegetables in in MontrĂŠal (Bertrand et al., 2008). Creating a system where production is concentrated in densely populated areas would ensure that each borough produces enough food that is easily available to all its inhabitants, and aid in eliminating food deserts. The analysis of the 33 boroughs (Figure 3) illustrates which are the most efficient at producing soil-bound vegetables while maintaining high population densities. Areas with higher population densities are more built up and therefore contain less space for non-hydroponics urban agriculture. As a result, a borough with a population density lower than the islandwide average should have more space available for urban agriculture. It then follows that a borough with high population density and a low need for hydroponics is the most efficient in terms of food production. The performance index provides insight into the efficiency of each borough in terms of its ability to feed its population with its current land use. That is not to say that urban planning policies should force the under-performing boroughs to have similar infrastructure as, for instance, 76 | HABERMAN ET AL.
Saint-Leonard, which can potentially provide vegetables to all of its inhabitants. There are many other factors that influence the planning of space in a borough, and this figure only captures one aspect. However, if developers consider the applicability of urban agriculture to cities, these results have implications for zoning and planning and should be investigated in more detail.
LIMITATIONS
While these results are encouraging for the potential of urban agriculture in MontrĂŠal, the analysis chose not to consider seasonality. The shortened growing season at this latitude will reduce potential yields from non-hydroponics urban agriculture and will increase the amount of hydroponics required in all boroughs to meet year round demand for fresh vegetables. For this reason, the exact effects of a shortened growing season would have been difficult to determine. In reality, boroughs in our simulation would likely only use hydroponics during the winter months and implement outdoor agriculture during the growing season to maximize the production performance. Additionally, the study does not assess the effect of urban pollution on the quality of the vegetables since conclusive research on this subject has yet to be completed. Pundits of urban agriculture may also argue that the implementation of largescale urban agriculture has resounding economic consequences for rural farmers. However, rural farmers will likely always be able to grow more extensive crops like cereals, which garner much higher production value than vegetables (FAO Statistics, 2011). This study focused primarily on yields and does not explore the other positive or negative impacts associated with urban agriculture. Although urban agriculture is
an interesting solution to improve cities’ ecological footprints, risks and constraints still exist. For one, land competition can emerge between the transportation, housing, industrial and agricultural sectors, reducing the amount of land available for urban agriculture. The analysis of the boroughs shows that most would be able to meet their inhabitant’s vegetable demand, decreasing the disparity in vegetable access across the island. While this might aid in providing food security by increasing availability, issues of accessibility and use must also be deliberated when implementing a project such as this, and are not considered in this study. Furthermore, water and air pollution, as well as contaminated urban wastes can lead to disease and other health concerns, which can dissuade the adoption of urban agriculture by urban residents. Further research is required in order to determine other trade-offs involved in the large-scale production of food in an urban environment. Only when all the trade-offs are understood can we implement adequate policies. This study serves as a steppingstone in this process by providing a range of potential vegetable yields available to the island. Ultimately, policy should be based off significant and comprehensive data, which is currently lacking in the realm of urban agriculture.
importantly, this research demonstrates that a real potential exists for urban agriculture to play a significant role in meeting Montréal’s vegetable needs.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We have many people to thank. First, we would like to acknowledge Lufa Farms for providing data about their hydroponic system and giving us a tour of their facilities. We also would like to thank Dr. Duchemin’s office for their research and data on urban yields in Montréal as well as guidance in conducting our own research. Our work would have been impossible to do if it had not been for Professor Federico Martellozzo, and we thank him for his supervision and leadership.
CONCLUSION
This research provides a starting point for further analysis of the quantitative potential of urban agriculture in Montréal. This preliminary study has significant impacts for zoning and redistricting plans. The ‘ideal’ borough maintains high population density while retaining the ability to meet the majority of vegetable demand with minimal input from hydroponics, at least during the summer months. Most FIELD NOTES | VOL II | 77
APPENDIX Table 1. MontrĂŠal boroughs with associated population.
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REFERENCES Agudo, A. (2004). Measuring intake of fruits and vegetables. WHO Library Cataloguing in Publication Data, 1-40. Altieri, M. A., Companioni, N., Cañizares, K., Murphy, C., Rosset, P., Bourque, M., & Nicholls, C. I. (1999). The greening of the « barrios »: urban agriculture for food security in Cuba. Agriculture and Human Values, 16(2), 131–140. Ayalon, R. (2005). Making Rooftops Bloom: Strategies for encouraging rooftop greening in Montréal. Retrieved from: http://archives.lesjardins.ca/rooftopgardens.ca/files/ Making_Rooftops_Bloom_Final_Draft.pdf Bertrand, L., Thérien, F., & Cloutier, M.-S. (2008). Measuring and mapping disparities in access to fresh fruits and vegetables in Montréal. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 99(1), 611. Brown, K. H., & Jameton, A. L. (2000). Public Health Implications of Urban Agriculture. Journal of Public Health Policy, 21(1), 20. Burger J. R., Allen C. D., Brown J. H., Burnside W. R., Davidson A. D., et al. (2012). The Macroecology of Sustainability. PLoS Biol, 10(6), 1-7. Communauté Urbaine De Montréal. (1996). Occupation Du Sol Map. [Arcview Shape] 1:20,000. Duchemin, E., Wegmuller, F., & Legault, A.-M. (2009). Urban agriculture: multidimensional tools for social development in poor neighbourhoods. Field Actions Science Reports. The journal of field actions, (Vol. 1). Retrieved from: http://factsreports. revues.org/113 FAO and WHO. (2004). Fruit and Vegetables for Health. Kobe, Japan. Retrieved from http://pages.au.int/afnsd/documents/fruitand-vegetables-health-report-joint-faowhoworkshop-1%E2%80%933-september2004-kobe-jap
FAO. (2003). Increasing fruit and vegetable consumption becomes a global priority. FAO News Room Focus. Retrieved from: http://www.fao.org/english/newsroom/focus/2003/fruitveg1.htm FAO Statistics. (2011). Value of Agricultural production. Retrieved from: http://faostat. fao.org/site/613/default.aspx#ancor FAO Statistics. (2012). Canada economic indicators. Retrieved from http://faostat.fao. org/CountryProfiles/Country_Profile/Direct.aspxlang=en&area=33 Government of Canada. (2007). Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide - Main Page Health Canada. landing page. Retrieved from: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/foodguide-aliment/index-eng.php Grewal, S. S., & Grewal, P. S. (2012). Can cities become self-reliant in food? Cities, 29(1), 111. INPES. (2011). Au moins 5 fruits et légumes par jour (Dépliant). Programme National Nutrition Santé. Retrieved from: http:// www.inpes.sante.fr/30000/pdf/0806_nutrition/fruits_legumes.pdf#xml=http:// search.atomz.com/search/pdfhelper.tk?sp_ o=1,100000,0 Jensen, M. H., & Collins, W. L. (1985). Hydroponic Vegetable Production. In J. Janick (Ed.), Horticultural Reviews (p. 483–558). John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Retrieved from: http://onlinelibrary.wiley. com/doi/10.1002/9781118060735.ch10/ summary Jensen, M. H. (1997). Hydroponics worldwide. In International Symposium on Growing Media and Hydroponics 481 (p. 719–730). Retrieved from: http://www.actahort.org/books/481/481_87.htm
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MacRae, R., Gallant, E., Patel, S., Michalak, M., Bunch, M., & Schaffner, S. (2010). Could Toronto provide 10% of its fresh vegetable requirements from within its own boundaries? Matching consumption requirements with growing spaces. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 105127. Resh, H. M. (2004). Hydroponic Food Production: A Definitive Guidebook of Soilless Food-growing Methods : for the Professional and Commercial Grower and the Advanced Home Hydroponics Gardener. New York: Routledge. Santropol Roulant. (2012). Fresh Baskets. Retrieved from: http://santropolroulant.org/ site/what-we-do/urban-agriculture/freshbaskets/ Seufert, V., Ramankutty, N., & Foley, J. A. (2012). Comparing the yields of organic and conventional agriculture. Nature, 485(7397), 229232. Smit, J., & Nasr, J. (1992). Urban agriculture for sustainable cities: using wastes and idle land and water bodies as resources. Environment and Urbanization, 4(2), 141152. Statistics Canada. (2012). Fruit and vegetable production (Catalogue no. 22-003-X) Subar, A. F., Heimendinger, J., Patterson, B. H., Krebs-Smith, S. M., Pivonka, E., & Kessler, R. (1995). Fruit and vegetable intake in the United States: the baseline survey of the Five A Day for Better Health Program. American journal of health promotion: AJHP, 9(5), 352360. TRAM Group. (2009). Montréal Borough Map. [ArcView Shape] 1 :20, 000. USDA Vegetable Guidelines. (n. d.). Discovery fit & health. Retrieved from: http:// health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/foodnutrition/facts/usda-vegetable-guidelinesga.htm
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Ville de Montréal. (2012). Montréal En Statistiques Retrieved from:http://ville. Mo n t r é a l . q c . c a / p o r t a l / p a g e ? _ p a g e id=6897,67633583&_dad=portal&_ schema=PORTAL Ville de Montréal. (2011). Population Totale en 2006 et en 2011- Variation- Densité. Retrieved from: http://ville.Montréal.qc.ca/pls/ portal/docs/page/mtl_stats_fr/media/documents/01_population_densit%c9_2011. pdf
Our Contributors STEPHANIE AUSTIN Stephanie Austin is a U3 Joint Honours student in Geography and International Development Studies from Victoria, BC. In the summer of 2012 she interned in the agriculture wing of the Association for India’s Development (AID India) for two and a half months in Tamil Nadu, India. Her main project in this internship was the creation and implementation of a quantitative farmer survey on the agricultural extension system. Her main research interests are sustainable livelihoods, rural development and food security.
ARYEH CANTER Aryeh Canter is a fourth year B.A. & Sc. in Sustainability, Science and Society with a minor in Urban Systems. He is interested in local economies and how to increase resilience within our communities. Originally from San Francisco, Aryeh has spread his roots in Montréal helping out at a local student synagogue, as well as working in the environment community at McGill. During his free time Aryeh enjoys sitting in parks with friends and enjoying Montréal’s thriving music and arts scene.
ANAIS CLERCQ Anaïs Clercq is majoring in Sustainability, Science and Society and minoring in French Literature. She is from Québec city and moved to Montréal to attend McGill. Anaïs is interested in biodiversity, conservation, and sustainable development and is also passionate about art in general.
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WILLIAM DREYER Will Dreyer is a fourth year student hailing from Saratoga Springs, NY, USA. He is in the Faculty of Arts and Science and majoring in Sustainability, Science, and Society, with a minor in International Development. Will has been a member of the Alpine Ski Racing team for all his four years at McGill.
LAURA GILLIES Laura Gillies is a U3 Arts & Science student majoring in Science, Society & Sustainability and minoring in Economics. Hailing from Toronto she moved to Montréal to attend McGill. Laura’s main areas of interest are water policy and corporate social responsibility.
LISHAI GOLDSTEIN Lishai is a soon-to-be excited, nostalgic, and slightly nervous graduate of McGill University, majoring in Political Science and minoring in Middle East Studies. The extent of her geography resume involves being a finalist three years running in her elementary and middle school geography bees. She hates winter but loves Montréal, believes that American Oreos taste better than their Canadian counterparts, and is often the recipient of life advice from taxi drivers. Lishai’s research is inspired by many years of personal observations and experiences in the field.
DANIEL HABERMAN Daniel Haberman is a fourth year B.Sc. Geography student at McGill University with a minor in Geographic Information Systems. His main areas of interest focus on the earth sciences, with particular regards to issues of sustainability in balancing a food system with a dynamically growing and shifting population. Daniel is currently a research assistant in the Land Use and Global Environment lab at McGill and Co-President of the McGill Undergraduate Geography Society.
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CARLI MELO Carli Melo, a Burlington, Ontario native, is completing her fourth year at McGill in pursuit of a B.A. with Honours in International Development Studies and a minor in Geography. In 2012, she participated in the Canadian Field Studies in Africa (CFSIA) program and completed an Arts Internship with the Vision Sisters in Kibera, Kenya. She is interested in women’s rights, economic empowerment and social justice.
LAETITIA PANCRAZI Laetitia Pancrazi is majoring in Sustainability, Society and Science and minoring in History of the Americas at McGill University. Laetitia grew up in Paris, France and moved to Montréal for university. She is interesting in urban planning, sustainable architecture, and sustainable development. She wants to create her own company that would bring together environmental and economic concepts and help people move towards more sustainable lifestyles.
MERCEDES SHARPE ZAYAS Mercedes Sharpe Zayas is an Honours Student in Anthropology with a minor in Geography. She is interested in indigenous protest movements and the role dialectical urbanism plays in gender politics. Her work is conveyed through both ethnographic film and the written word.
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JARED SIMPSON Jared Simpson is a GIS analyst and Arctic researcher with a warm heart. He is currently studying Geography with a minor in Earth and Planetary Sciences specializing in using GIS to quantify the amount of erosion along Arctic coastlines. His passions include running, GIS, and sushi, as well as spending way too much time in McGill’s Geographic Information Centre.
VALENTINE RINNER Valentine Rinner is originally from London, UK. Valentine is a fourth year Bachelor of Arts and Science student with a major in International Development and minors in Computer Science and Interdisciplinary Life Sciences. She is interested in Urban Policy as well as geospatial computing tools. She also writes for student newspapers on topics ranging from new technologies to Montréal’s culture and arts scene.
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