Learn More About Our Food Systems Consulting Company

About Food Lens Consulting

Scott Rowe and Rubina Jamal formed Food Lens Consulting in 2015. They met in 2011 at the Table Matters Network, a public health- and food-related network in North Vancouver, which they had separately joined because of similar interest in improving access to better food in their individual communities.

In 2014, they worked together on a project headed by the City of North Vancouver to scale up food rescue on the North Shore. During this project, they decided to formalize their working relationship by establishing a company.

Our Company Philosophy and Mission

At Food Lens Consulting, our vision is to help build communities such as for-profit or nonprofit organizations and schools where people are connected by food. We also aim to empower communities to optimize food systems so that there is better access to healthy food.

Our mission is to design and implement circular, low-waste food systems and build reciprocal collaborative networks. We achieve systemic changes in the food system in that community through food rescue and repurposing, food literacy and skills building, measuring and tracking food waste, recommending policy changes, and general education and awareness. We advise on governance structures for collaborative engagement and assist with planning and implementation.

Why Choose Us

Scott and Rubina believe in the power of food to bring people together. As such, they build systems to capture food before it is wasted and ensure that the implemented solution is designed to be environmentally and economically viable.

Our diverse backgrounds make us a strong team. Scott is a Red Seal Chef who has been a leader in the food recovery movement on the North Shore.

Rubina is a graduate of the London School of Economics and was a former lawyer who practiced in Kenya and British Columbia. Her expertise lies in policy and governance. As an immigrant from Kenya, she brings her cultural perspective to food. As such, she was appalled by the disconnection of Canadians with food juxtaposed with their sense of abundance.

Our Accomplishments Since Our Founding

  • Helped build collaborative networks between community organizations
  • Advised on creating and improving food repurposing programs
  • Launched a school meal program based on food recovery principles
  • Advanced food literacy through staff training
  • Instructed volunteers and youth to prepare food safely and effectively
  • Developed a data collection tool to track surplus food usage
  • Given talks on the food cycle and food sustainability to public and community groups
  • Took part in a national campaign for a universal school meal program

We have helped reframe the conversation about surplus food, from being considered as inedible to being treated as healthy food that should be saved and can even be fed to our children. Our company has coached organizations on food recovery and showed how to do this while maintaining a food safe environment.

Food Lens Consulting has brought different groups together to maximize our impact through collaborative and reciprocal arrangements. We are excited about the advocacy campaign for a national universal healthy school food program in Canada.

What Sets Us Apart

Our company offers practical solutions that facilitate broader societal and organizational changes around food. We provide a broad range of services such as hands-on training and implementation, feasibility studies, and governance/structural advice and strategies. With our diverse occupational, gender, and cultural backgrounds, we bring together different perspectives on problem solving.

Our Memberships

Coalition for Healthy School Food (A group advocating for a universal school meal program in Canada)

Rubina

  • Law Society of British Columbia

  • Board Director, BC Association of Farmers' Markets

Our Licenses

Scott

Red Seal Chef, Red Seal Interprovincial Program

Rubina

  • Conflict Resolution and Advanced Mediation, Justice Institute of British Columbia
  • Strategic Planning and Board Governance, Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges

Scott and Rubina

FOODSAFE Level 2, FOODSAFE™