Participatory Research Methods for Examining Lessons from COVID-19 about Local Food Systems Vulnerabilities to Exogenous Shocks

Participatory processes are integral to sustainability and resilience planning; involving diverse stakeholders ensures planning practices and outcomes are grounded in local social, economic, environmental, and cultural contexts and realities. It follows that research and tools supporting planning processes should also be participatory, and such research approaches can lead to useful knowledge for developing appropriate, place-based approaches for addressing critical sustainability issues. Using the Fraser Valley region (British Columbia, Canada) as a case study, this research experiments with participatory research (PR) methods and tools for supporting long-term food systems planning by examining regional food vulnerabilities and opportunities/needs for building resilience to exogenous shocks. The research involved a survey and a series of workshops supported by an online collaboration platform, CoLabS, which engaged different food system stakeholders to first, reflect on what COVID-19 has revealed about regional food systems vulnerabilities, and second, discuss how these insights can be used for integrated long-term planning and increasing food resilience in the face of a variety of environmental and socioeconomic hazards. Strengths of this research include its place-based approach, relationship development and reciprocity aspects, multi-dimensional exploration of vulnerabilities and issues, and the use of dynamic digital tools. Limitations of the research include its lack of comprehensive participation and representation, capacity limitations of potential participants, influence of current real-world issues on research activities, and limited functionality of some online tools. Lessons and insights from this research demonstrate the importance of employing adaptable and flexible methods and tools when conducting PR on sustainability issues.