Ty Sorensen is a graduate student in the Master of Arts in Global Governance Program at the Balsillie School of International Affairs. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Political Science (concentration in International Relations) from the University of British Columbia (UBC) in 2021.

While attending UBC, Ty worked on several projects that aimed to further the sustainability of the university’s food system. As part of his role as a student representative on UBC Okanagan’s Climate Action Plan Food Working Group, Ty authored a research paper providing recommendations for increasing the sustainability of UBC Okanagan’s food procurement. Additionally, Ty was an active participant in an upcoming sustainable local food pilot project at UBC Okanagan. During the pilot project’s planning stage, Ty completed a research project that reported on the barriers to and opportunities for local food procurement at post-secondary institutions in North America.

After graduating UBC, Ty continued to develop his understanding of sustainable food systems. While working at a small scale, certified organic, and biologically diverse farm, Ty expanded his knowledge of sustainable agricultural practices firsthand. Ty also gained a deeper understanding of food system thinking during his employment at the North Okanagan Land to Table food system network.

While at Balsillie, Ty is particularly interested in conducting research that explores how policies, economic and political structures have contributed to the unsustainable global food system. Subsequently, he is interested in exploring the ways in which multinational governmental organizations, states and non-governmental organizations can foster the growth of sustainable, locally based food systems.