Concordia Food Coalition

What Concordia Food Coalition does

Concordia Food Coalition (CFC) is a nonprofit community-led coalition founded in 2013 and based at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec. The organization coordinates a campus alternative food system spanning production (gardens, urban farms), processing, distribution, education, and waste recovery, working through a network of 30+ partner student food groups including People's Potato, Frigo Vert, the Concordia Greenhouse, and the Hive Cafe Co-op. Its core programs include the Concordia Farmers Market (seasonal markets on both Loyola and SGW campuses), the STIR Program (incubation, training, and micro-grants for student food initiatives), and the crEATor Micro-Grants for food-systems media projects. Supporting resources include a campus Food Map, Emergency Food Guide, International Students Good Food Guide, free educational zines, and a Campus Cookbook Archive.

The organization's business model is anchored by a recurring student fee levy of $0.16 per credit on undergraduate students, passed in 2013 and operational since 2014, with a successful increase in 2018. Secondary, marginal revenue comes from refundable market vendor deposits ($10 for student vendors, $20 for non-student vendors) at the farmers market. CFC holds an institutional seat on the Food Advisory Working Group and the Hive Cafe Co-op board, and is currently developing the New Food Enterprise (NFE), a planned cooperatively governed social enterprise intended to replace the university's incumbent food service provider. The organization employs approximately 7 people, including a General Coordinator (Gabriela Lopes), Education and Engagement Coordinator (Sheena Swirlz), Market and Food Waste Coordinator (Jijii Buck), and Food Network Coordinator (Roxy Momax), and is governed by a 9-member board. CFC also partners with the Communal Lunch Project on the DevOur Campus initiative aimed at federating campus food coalitions nationally.

From a technology standpoint, CFC is not a technology company; its operations rely on community organizing, program management, and a WordPress-based web presence rather than proprietary platforms or software. The New Food Enterprise and DevOur Campus initiatives represent the most material forward-looking strategic moves, as they would respectively expand CFC's role from coalition coordinator to direct food service operator and extend its model beyond Concordia.

Name

Concordia Food Coalition

Legal name

Concordia Food Coalition

Website

https://concordiafoodcoalition.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Concordia Food Coalition is a nonprofit coalition at Concordia University in Montreal that incubates student food groups, runs seasonal farmers markets, and coordinates a 30+ partner campus alternative food system, funded primarily by a $0.16/credit student fee levy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Montreal

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Student Fee Levy: The CFC collects $0.16 cents per credit from undergraduate students through a fee levy passed in 2013 and operational since 2014. This is their primary funding source enabling them to carry out their mission of transforming Concordia's food system.
2. Market Vendor Deposits: Vendors at the Concordia Farmers Market pay deposits ($10 per table for Concordia students, $20 per table for non-students) which are refundable after completing market days. This covers operational costs for market management.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Concordia Food Coalition (CFC) is a nonprofit fee-levy organization that builds a local, sustainable, and affordable food system at Concordia University. It operates a seasonal farmers market on both campuses, incubates student-led food initiatives through the STIR program, distributes Market Dollars for food access, produces educational resources (zines, cookbooks, guides), and coordinates a network of over 30 partner food groups across food production, processing, distribution, education, and waste recovery.

Product overview

The Concordia Food Coalition (CFC) is a nonprofit campus food organization operating as a platform of interconnected programs rather than a single product. The core offerings include the CFC Farmers' Market (seasonal markets at both campuses with vendor programs and Market Dollars), the STIR Program (incubation and support for student food initiatives), and the crEATor Micro-Grants (media project funding). The organization coordinates the broader Student-Run Food System through a network of over 30 partner organizations spanning food production, processing, distribution, and waste management. Supporting offerings include the Food Map (campus food location database), Emergency Food Guide, Campus Cookbook Archive, International Students Good Food Guide, free Zine Publications on food system topics, and the Campus Food Updates Newsletter. The New Food Enterprise (NFE) represents a planned social enterprise to become the campus food service provider. These programs collectively aim to build sustainable, accessible, and democratic local food systems at Concordia University.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CFC Farmers' Market A seasonal farmers' market operating at Loyola Campus (June-August) and SGW Campus (September-October), providing fresh local produce and artisanal products directly to the Concordia campus community. Features vendor partnerships, CSA basket connections, and a Market Dollars Program for student food security.
• STIR Program (Support, Training, Incubation, and Resources) A food initiative development program supporting student-led food groups through mentorship, training, resources (space, software, materials, networks), expense reimbursements, and promotional support. Offers three program streams with seasonal application periods in fall, winter, and spring.
• crEATor Micro-Grants Small grants program supporting campus food systems media projects including zines, podcasts, photo series, videos, and infographic campaigns. Provides funding for project materials, research support, design assistance, and office/meeting space. Open to Concordia students and alumni.
• New Food Enterprise (NFE) A planned social enterprise designed to become Concordia's campus food service provider, focused on environmental, social, and economic sustainability. Being developed in partnership with the Concordia Student Union, Hive Cafe Co-op, SEIZE, and university administration.
• Campus Food Map A comprehensive digital map of food spots and gardens on both Concordia campuses, including restaurants, free meals, community fridges and pantries, campus gardens, and top grocery stores with location details, hours, student discounts, reviews, and photos.
• CFC Emergency Food Guide A food aid resource guide providing information on free or low-cost food options on campus, including pantry access, meal programs, and emergency food support services.
• Campus Cookbook Archive A free digital archive compiling cookbooks from campus food groups, featuring popular recipes and tips for cooking for large groups, including titles like Plant-based on Campus, Roots & Recipes, Vegan on a Shoestring, and Mo' hubbs'.
• International Students Good Food Guide A resource guide for international students covering cultural groups, grocery stores, online ordering, affordable restaurants, student discounts, and ingredient substitution charts for Canadian equivalents.
• Campus Food Updates Newsletter A monthly newsletter sharing updates for Concordia campus food systems groups, including upcoming events, job and volunteering opportunities, articles on food issues, campus campaigns, and key CFC project updates.
• Student's Guide to Cooking A comprehensive cooking resource for students covering simple recipes, available cooking classes, tips for community cooking, and practical tools to set up a kitchen, including equipment guides and food safety information.

Quantifiable outcome

• Emergency Food Baskets Program served students during COVID-19 pandemic response
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, supporting and minor.

• The Hive Cafe Co-opcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFC sits on the Hive Cafe Co-op's Board of Directors, representing their close working relationship. Both organizations are key partners in building the New Food Enterprise (NFE) to replace Concordia's campus food provider with a more sustainable and just option.
• Concordia Student Union (CSU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe CSU is a key partner in building the New Food Enterprise (NFE) and in food system advocacy. CFC receives fee levy funding through CSU and collaborates on sustainability initiatives including the Sustainability Committee Funding and Community Action Fund.
• Communal Lunch ProjectmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership with the Communal Lunch Project (CLP) aimed at establishing a framework for building food coalitions on campuses nationwide and cultivating a federative body for these coalitions to communicate and collaborate. This partnership supports the DevOur Campus initiative.
• Sustainable ConcordiamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-located partner in the Z Annex building. Works in solidarity on sustainability initiatives. The Concordia Greenhouse, which began as a working group of Sustainable Concordia in 2004, is now an established campus food resource.
• SEIZEsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerSolidarity partner in food system development. Collaborates with CFC on advocacy and campaigns for more sustainable campus food systems.
• Food Advisory Working Group (FAWG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFC has a seat at the FAWG where they advocate directly to Concordia's administration and negotiate terms for a more sustainable food system. Primary goals include reforming the food services RFP process and ensuring cooperative organizations like the NFE are given proper consideration.
• Mind.Heart.MouthminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSTIR program participant - an intergenerational project growing food on the Loyola Campus that has received incubation support from CFC.
• CultivActionminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSTIR program participant - a cooperative that took over farm plots once run by City Farm School on Loyola Campus, launching educational components and CSA Baskets.
• Concordia University (Hospitality)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFC works with the university's hospitality division on food system initiatives, including running the farmers market on campus grounds and advocating for policy changes to food vendor requirements.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• FoodShare Toronto: A Toronto-based food justice organization running food access programs, school food initiatives, urban agriculture and food policy advocacy. Comparable to CFC in mission and program mix (food access + education + advocacy), with similar community-led governance values.
• Santropol Roulant: A well-known Montreal-based community food organization providing meals, food security programs and intergenerational food activities. Operates in the same city and shares CFC's community-led food sovereignty philosophy, but is broader in scope and not campus-specific.
• The Stop Community Food Centre: A pioneering community food center in Toronto offering food access, sustainable food education, and urban agriculture programs. Comparable to CFC in its integrated food access + education + advocacy model, though serving a broader urban population rather than a single campus.
• Moisson Montréal: Montreal's largest food bank, providing emergency food aid across Greater Montreal. Relevant comparator for CFC's Emergency Food Guide and Emergency Food Baskets program, though Moisson Montréal is a much larger-scale food bank model rather than a coalition.

Emerging players

• Swipe Out Hunger: A US-based nonprofit addressing student hunger on college campuses through meal swipe donations, policy advocacy and student basic needs programs. Comparable to CFC's mission of campus food security, though focused on a different funding mechanism (meal swipes vs. fee levy).

Broad incumbents

• Community Food Centres Canada: A national umbrella organization supporting a network of community food centers across Canada. While CFC is campus-specific and not a CFCC member, CFCC's integrated model (food access, skills, engagement, advocacy) closely mirrors CFC's programmatic philosophy.

Direct peers

• Meal Exchange: A Canadian national charity focused on student and youth food security, campus meal programs and food literacy. Closely comparable to CFC because it operates a campus-anchored, student-engagement-driven model across multiple Canadian universities.
• McGill Food Coalition: A near-identical student-led food coalition at McGill University in Montreal, explicitly referenced in CFC's history (CFC leadership helped found it). Operates the same community-led coalition model on a peer institution, making it the most directly comparable organization.

Others

• Food Secure Canada: A national Canadian coalition advancing food sovereignty and food security policy. CFC co-hosted the National Food Secure Canada Summit at Concordia, indicating active participation; the organizations share policy goals but Food Secure Canada operates at a much higher federal level.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCIi0y6MBpyQZheFIMyw8cLg
• Facebookfacebook.com/concordiafoodcoalitionpage
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/concordia-food-coalition
• Instagraminstagram.com/concordiafoodcoalition

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Concordia Food Coalition