The project founders bring decades of experience in value chain coordination, backed by established relationships with local producers. Following the success of the Diversity model, which sourced up to 80% from local purveyors, we’ve confirmed that the greater Montreal area has sufficient supply to meet the same goals.

We will prioritize working with hyper-local groups like CultivAction and Hamidou as much as possible. Additionally, we’re creating a position on our Advisory Council for a Local Value Chain expert to help finalize these partnerships and ensure strong producer engagement.

We are also incorporating tools developed by Lori Stahlbrand to make it easier for smaller-scale producers to collaborate with us, such as using "infrastructure of the middle" strategies like creating institutional-scale Growing Agreements (similar to CSA models).

In the context of the Equi-table Consortium, "community-led" means that decision-making and operations are grounded in the input and leadership of the people directly impacted by the food service model. Rather than following a traditional corporate structure where profits and decisions are centralized, a community-led approach prioritizes the voices of students, workers, local producers, and other stakeholders.

These groups play an active role in shaping how the food services are designed, managed, and executed. It means that decisions related to sourcing, pricing, and labor practices are co-determined by the people who will benefit directly from the service, ensuring that Concordia’s sustainability, nutrition, and equity goals are at the forefront.

By engaging the community directly and integrating their feedback into both governance and day-to-day operations, the consortium creates a more resilient and inclusive model that aligns with Concordia’s long-standing values of sustainability, equity, and collaboration.

Students have been at the heart of the movement to transform food services at Concordia for decades, advocating for a shift away from multinational corporations in favor of community-driven, sustainable models. Their efforts have led to the establishment of the Equi-table Consortium, which seeks to embody the values of sustainability, equity, and local sourcing that students have long championed.

Students will actively shape and support the food system through internships, co-ops, and volunteer roles, contributing to operations like value chain coordination, marketing, and community outreach. This hands-on involvement provides practical experience in social enterprise and sustainability.

Additionally, Equi-table will prioritize student needs by ensuring that their feedback influences key decisions related to the quality, affordability, and sustainability of the food offerings. Through ongoing collaboration with student groups and organizations, Equi-table will create a food system that reflects the values and priorities of the Concordia community.

Our approach will provide more variety, more nutritious options, and greater value for each dollar spent. By transforming seasonal harvest products in-house, we can offer top-quality meals at prices comparable to conventional providers.

While rising food inflation makes it difficult to predict exact prices in 2026, the cost of food is closely tied to its production. With Equi-Table being a nonprofit, the typical industry gross profit margin of up to 75%—which would go to shareholders—will instead be reinvested. This means either lower prices for consumers or better value for both consumers and workers.