Sustainability in Canadian Foodservice

Jonathan Bloom is a journalist, consultant, and food waste expert who created the blog Wasted Food. In October 2010, Da Capo Press published his book, American Wasteland. Now out in paperback, the book won the IACP Green Matters Award in June 2011.

Jonathan regularly gives public lectures on the issue of food waste, speaking at colleges and conferences from Indiana (Notre Dame) to Italy (Barilla Food & Nutrition Conference). He consults on food waste reduction, most recently working with the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization and several startups. And Jonathan is the O.V.W. Hawkins Expert-in-Residence at Bucknell University for 2012-13.

Jonathan grew passionate about the topic of food waste while a Park Fellow in the master’s program at UNC Chapel Hill. Upon graduation, the Boston native stayed in North Carolina to work on his book and his Southern accent. An earnest yet mediocre composter, his writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and Newsweek. Jonathan now lives in Durham, N.C., with his family and many, many containers for leftovers.

Wasted Food Blog

As the Toronto-based representative for Vancouver Aquarium’s Ocean Wise program, a national sustainable seafood initiative, Robin works to increase presence and awareness of seafood sustainability issues in Ontario and Eastern Canada. For the past two years, Robin has collaborated with a variety of food service, retail, and distribution businesses as well as other stakeholders to identify and source environmentally sustainable seafood options.

Robin holds a BSc and an MBA in Strategic Management and Sustainability from the University of British Columbia.  Her work in the seafood sector started with First Nations fisheries and aquaculture projects in British Columbia, and has expanded to other food issues with a board position at the Centre for Local Food Initiatives in Toronto’s Riverdale neighbourhood.  She believes that we all vote with our wallets for the kind of world we want, and nowhere is this more pertinent than with seafood during this critical period for global fisheries.  

Ocean Wise website

Professor McAdams joined the faculty in January of 2009 after more than twenty years leadership experience in the Ontario hospitality industry.  After starting his management career in operations and training with Darden Restaurants, McAdams joined Toronto based fine dining company Oliver & Bonacini Restaurant.  His most recent role was as the company’s Vice President of Operations which he held from 2005 until 2008.

Professor McAdams research interests include sustainability issues within the foodservice industry.  He has written papers on both bread and plate waste as well as how to introduce a triple bottom line approach to hospitality school restaurants.  His most recent work has been on tipping and it’s social and economic effects on restaurants and the hospitality industry.  McAdams is frequently asked to share his research and opinions with the media.  His work has been featured in the Globe and Mail, National Post and Toronto Star.   He has also been interviewed on NPR and CBC programs ‘The Current’ and ‘Q with Jian Ghomeshi’.

McAdams has taught “Leadership” to Food and Beverage Management students at George Brown College and received his sommelier accreditation in 2001 from the internationally recognized Court of Master Sommeliers.  In 2007, McAdams was inducted as a “Fellow” of the Ontario Hostelry Institute (OHI) for his work in creating and chairing the OHI’s Top 30 under 30 program which recognizes Ontario’s most promising hospitality leaders.