UBC Farm and Centre for Sustainable Food System
UBC Farm is a 24-hectare certified organic farm located on Musqueam territory that serves as an integrated teaching, research, and community hub. The farm features cultivated annual crop fields, perennial hedgerows and orchards, beehives, Indigenous-led gardens, and forest stands, producing more than 200 varieties of certified organic fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Functioning as a living lab, the farm has become a key part of UBC’s agroecology research and education, as well as an important Vancouver food hub.
The Centre for Sustainable Food Systems (CSFS) at UBC Farm connects researchers across campus to address critical food system challenges through transformational agroecological research, focusing on climate-friendly and resilient farming practices that support biodiversity, ecosystem services, and economic viability. CSFS currently supports 16 research projects spanning diverse themes from land management to Indigenous food sovereignty, while providing a model of organic production and scientific guidance to support the transition to sustainable agriculture.
Canada’s Centre of Excellence for Next Generation Networks (CENGN) Smart Agriculture Living Lab
Since September 2025, UBC Farm has been designated as Canada's first Smart Agriculture Living Lab in partnership with CENGN, marking a significant milestone in agricultural innovation. This collaboration enables Canadian startups and scaleups to test and validate advanced technologies—including robotics, artificial intelligence, and precision agriculture solutions—in a real organic farming environment with 5G connectivity infrastructure and Class C airspace for drone testing. The partnership combines UBC's agricultural research expertise with CENGN's commercialization support to help Canadian companies prepare innovative products for market entry. This initiative positions UBC Farm at the forefront of driving commercial success in agtech while introducing transformative technologies across Canada's agricultural sector.
Learn more about the Centre for Sustainable Food Systems at UBC Farm and CENGN Smart Agriculture Living Lab