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For Olin Bailly, a fifth-year student in Environmental Biology at Queen’s, directing the for Queen’s Project on International Development’s (QPID) on food insecurity was an exciting opportunity to get involved in sustainability initiatives at Queen’s. It was launched as part of QPID’s high school workshop series to engage students in the social and environmental dimensions of food access.

Each year, QPID’s workshops focus on themes related to sustainability and global development, through interdisciplinary and accessible presentations. This year’s theme of food insecurity was inspired by the recent state of emergency declared by the city of Kingston, revealing in the city is suffering from a lack of nutrition and food.

In alignment with the QPID ethos of a holistic approach to development, the documentary combines perspectives from a variety of disciplines to support an understanding of food shortages. Terrestrial ecologist Dr. Grogan discusses nutrient depletion and agricultural sustainability, sociologist Dr. Cordoba explores social determinants of health and intersectionality, and Andy Mills of Kingston’s Food Sharing Projects offers insight into local community-based responses.

In alignment with the QPID ethos of a holistic approach to development, the documentary combines perspectives from a variety of disciplines to support an understanding of food shortages. Terrestrial ecologist Dr. Grogan discusses nutrient depletion and agricultural sustainability, sociologist Dr. Cordoba explores social determinants of health and intersectionality, and Andy Mills of Kingston’s Food Sharing Projects offers insight into local community-based responses.

The documentary bridges individual perceptions and wider ecological realities, encouraging viewers to see themselves within broader systems. As indicated by Dr Grogan in the documentary, environmental sustainability, whether that be food security or more broadly speaking, simply begins with a heightened awareness of one’s decisions and positionality within the ecosystem.

The documentary bridges individual perceptions and wider ecological realities, encouraging viewers to see themselves within broader systems. As indicated by Dr Grogan in the documentary, environmental sustainability, whether that be food security or more broadly speaking, simply begins with a heightened awareness of one’s decisions and positionality within the ecosystem.

“We often think of ourselves as removed from the natural world… you can’t address environmental crises if you consider yourself removed from the crises itself,” Olin says, reflecting on Dr. Grogan’s comments. Beyond the film, Olin reflects on fundamental questions many students grapple with. For example: how can individual efforts matter in the face of overwhelming global issues like climate change and systemic inequality?

He draws on a quote from the 1970s ecological activist movement to try and answer this,“the price of entry to the environmental movement is hypocrisy,” which describes the tension between benefiting from a society engaged in unsustainable practices, whilst pursuing ecological practice within this framework. While it is difficult to understand one’s place within this paradoxical context, Olin asserts that one’s impact comes from doing what they believe is right, even if it is ultimately just a drop in the bucket. He believes meaningful change comes from finding alignment between one’s values, education, and work, and resisting the discouragement that comes from hypocrisy.

The film’s final and unplanned segment—visiting the Food Sharing Project, became one of the most optimistic parts of the story, during a time when Olin says much of his research was disheartening. Olin captured Kingstonians volunteering for the sake of the community. “One thing I really learned from the process is that we can derive hope from one-another,” says Olin..  Currently, he is continuing to inspire others in his research on sustainable aquaponics, which combines fish farming with plant cultivation in the Freshwater Fisheries Conservation Lab.