Sustainable food

Food nourishes us as individuals and brings together communities. It shapes our health, cultures, environments, relationships and even our local economies. Sustainable food means producing, processing and consuming food in ways that protect the planet, support local systems, and ensure long‑term food security.

Access to affordable, sustainable and healthy food is a growing priority for students. UNB supports this by offering several initiatives that increase access to local, nutritious and environmentally responsible food.

Free Food Planters

UNB Sustainability plants ten self-watering Free Food Planters around the Fredericton campus, and two self-watering Free Food Planters around the Saint John campus every summer. The Free Food Planters program aims to provide the UNB community with access to some free, local, healthy and sustainable food.

Food from our planters is free for anyone to take as needed. You can explore all the locations of our Free Food Planters on our campus sustainability maps.

Campus community gardens

Located behind Neville Homestead on the Fredericton campus and beside the Canada Games Stadium on the Saint John campus, UNB’s community gardens offer space for students, staff and faculty the opportunity to grow their own food.

The gardens are open daily from dawn until dusk.

Plot registration opens in mid April each year. If you’re interested in renting a garden plot, contact services@unbsu.ca or UNB Fredericton or sustain@unb.ca to be connected with the garden team at UNB Saint John.

UNBSU and UNBSRC Food Programs

University of New Brunswick Student Union (UNBSU) Food provides multiple programs aimed at improving student access to sustainable and affordable food options. These services include a food bank, a breakfast program, the Campus Community Garden and more.

The UNB Students' Representative Council (UNBSRC) works to address student food insecurity through its Resource Centre, which supplies a range of essential items and limited free food options, as well as through a Breakfast Program.