The Canadian Association for Food Studies (CAFS) is seeking passionate, engaged individuals to join our Board of Directors for the upcoming term.

We are currently recruiting for the following positions:

  • Practitioner Representative
  • Co-chair
  • Treasurer
  • Faculty Representative

About CAFS

CAFS is a national organization that promotes critical, interdisciplinary scholarship in food studies. We support researchers, practitioners, students, and activists who are committed to advancing food systems knowledge, education, and action.

Why Join the Board?

As a Board Member, you will help shape the future of food studies in Canada by contributing to the strategic direction, governance, and operations of CAFS. You will have the opportunity to work alongside a dynamic team, build professional networks, and engage with a vibrant community of scholars and practitioners.

Board Structure and Expectations

CAFS operates under a co-governance model.

Each Board Member is expected to:

  • Lead a subcommittee or hold a liaison role (with support from volunteers as needed).
  • Attend regular Board meetings (virtual).
  • Support the broader activities of the Association.
  • Champion CAFS’ mission of promoting equitable, critical, and community-driven food systems work.

Terms are typically 2 years with the possibility of renewal.

Current Open Positions

Practitioner Representative

The Practitioner Representative brings the perspectives of those working in real-world food systems — including community organizers, chefs, farmers, public health advocates, and food justice workers — into CAFS governance. This role is ideal for someone outside academia who wants to ensure that practice-based knowledge informs our conversations, priorities, and programming. The Practitioner Rep may choose to lead engagement efforts, host events, or build networks that support practitioners in the CAFS community.

Co-Chair

We are seeking someone ready to take on a role as Co-Chair. This position helps organize the direction of the Board according to our non-hierarchical structure through supporting the internal coordination and record-keeping. As Co-Chair, you’ll help facilitate meetings, represent CAFS publicly, and support collaboration across committees. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys both vision-setting and structure — and wants to support CAFS’ non-hierarchical, participatory governance model.

Treasurer

The Treasurer leads the Finance Committee and is responsible for overseeing CAFS’ financial planning, budgeting, and reporting. This role ensures fiscal responsibility and supports transparent, informed financial decision-making across the Board and its Subcommittees. The Treasurer works closely with the Co-Chairs and Administrator to maintain the financial health of the organization. Ideal for someone who is organized, collaborative, and confident working with budgets and basic financial documents.

Faculty Representative

The Faculty Representative serves as a connection point between CAFS and academics working in food studies and related fields. This role helps to deepen engagement from faculty-level scholars and brings a wealth of institutional and disciplinary knowledge to the Board’s discussions and planning. The Faculty Rep may choose to support mentorship efforts, foster cross-institutional collaboration, or lead engagement initiatives that connect academic colleagues more meaningfully to CAFS’ work. This position is ideal for someone with a strong commitment to supporting the next generation of food studies scholars and strengthening the academic foundation of the organization.

How to Apply

Interested candidates are invited to submit a short expression of interest (approximately 250 words) outlining:

  • Your background and experience
  • Why you are interested in joining the CAFS Board
  • Any relevant skills or perspectives you would bring to the role

Deadline: Monday, June 2, 2025

Send your expression of interest to: cafsadmin@foodstudies.ca

We strongly encourage applications from individuals who identify as Black, Indigenous, racialized, disabled, LGBTQ2S+, and from other equity-deserving groups.

If you have any questions about the Board or the application process, please do not hesitate to reach out.

We look forward to hearing from you!

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Canadian Association for Food Studies Board of Directors