A Young Alumni Award nominee:
More
recently
Higgins
co-created
Building
Roots,
a
firm
working
to
develop
places
to
grow,
cook,
share
and
buy
food
through
the
development
of
new
markets,
urban
agriculture,
kitchens,
stores
and
food
hubs
in
new
and
revitalized
housing.
Higgins
founded
Food
Forward
after
other
policy
and
environmental
advocacy
work
with
Environmental
Defense
and
the
Ontario
Clean
Air
Alliance.
He
was
a
Policy
Advisor
with
the
Association
of
Municipalities
of
Ontario
where
he
brought
new
discussions
in
food
policy
and
diversity,
and
the
director
of
policy
and
communications
for
the
Green
Party
of
Ontario.
Higgins graduated from the University of Waterloo in 2007 with a BES in Environment and Resource Studies. As a student, Higgins volunteered with the UW Sustainability Project and the Federation of Students and continues to connect with the current students involved in these projects. Higgins visited Waterloo and spoke with alumni colleagues about career options and his work with Food Forward after graduation. He remains connected to professors and staff and is a member of the editorial board of Alternatives Journal. Waterloo’s director of food services recently invited Higgins to speak on sustainable food issues to the Canadian College and University Food Service Association
Higgins is most proud of areas where he is working to push the envelope, including bridging the environmental movement's understanding of food and agriculture possibilities, as well as the necessary role of the food movement in social justice, equity, and racism.