Development Drinks Toronto: Responsible Consumption and Production on Campus
Event Details
On Tuesday, February 26th, you are invited to Development Drinks Toronto in partnership with Engineers Without Borders, Green Campus Cotton, Regenesis, World University Services of Canada, OPIRG at York and Fairtrade Canada.
We invite you to join us at et al. where you will have the opportunity to meet social and environmental justice warriors, find out about green initiatives on campus and chat with international development professionals, activists, students, and enthusiasts.
It will be a night of fun where you can connect with Toronto’s International Development network and support those working toward sustainable consumption and production on campus!
Fee: Admission is FREE – snacks will be provided!
When: Tuesday, February 26 – 5:00PM to 8:00PM
Where: et al. (South Ross 166, York University, 4700 Keele St, Toronto, Ontario, M3J 1P3)
*This venue is fully accessible and a safe space for all.
Guest speakers:
Madison Hopper: Madison has a master’s in business and the Environment from York University. During this time, she specialized in various market intervention strategies for social entrepreneurs that emphasize sustainable practices, particularly focusing on issues of trade justice. Madison now directs a campus incubator called Green Campus Co-operatives that develops small enterprises which are designed to address particular commodity market problems using fair trade, Organic value chains and co-operative principles. Her hope is to create a community of business leaders who can look at market problems and embrace their complexity, so they may develop long-term solutions through various alternative business models. Right now, the co-operative is operating a garment business that sells Fairtrade and Organic Certified clothing to campuses, faith groups, schools, teams, clubs and events. They also co-run a cafe on the York University campus that offers items sourced by sustainability transformative supply chains.”
Chef Rebecca Russo: Rebecca is a chef that focuses on sustainable cuisine. Her personal background has been entrenched in organic and sustainable cultivation, through her family’s biodynamic approach to farming. She is currently the chef manager at Etal a recent winner of a York sustainability award. She is constantly seeking solutions to waste by active research in fermentation and preserving. Chef Russo has built relationships with like-minded vendors to create a menu that is both nutritious and seasonal. Her approach is to create engagement and understanding of procurement. It’s not always easy and she is happy to swim against the tide. The delicate balance with working with farmers so that they be properly compensated is a major goal. Fairtrade and sustainable foods that make the world better and the community more informed.
Irena Smith: Irina is Engineers Without Border’s Campaign Coordinator with the Policy and Advocacy Team. She has a history of making trouble and seeking change, everywhere from the migrant rights movement to student politics to the coffee fields of the Dominican Republic. She leads strategy, tactics, and community mobilization for EWB campaigns. She has over eight years of experience as a community organizer at both grassroots and organizational levels and holds a B.A. in International Development Studies from the University of Saskatchewan and an M.A. in Women and Gender Studies from the University of Toronto.
