The Feeding City lab began in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns as a network of researchers, educators, and students dedicated to tracking and sharing information about how food growers, buyers, workers, and providers were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to sharing knowledge and supporting the work of community food security advocates.

Currently, the Feeding City lab researches, pilots, and expands ideas, innovations, and projects on food security and nutritional health in support of socially just, ecologically sustainable, and culturally relevant infrastructure, and to help re/build food sovereignty through research and action on resilient, climate-smart food and farming futures. It works closely with community organizations, municipalities, social enterprises, ethical businesses, academics, and cross-sectoral partners, across the world, on qualitative research projects and knowledge dissemination activities.

The Feeding City lab is supported by the Culinaria Research Centre of the University of Toronto, the Office of the Vice-Principal Research and Innovation at the University of Toronto Scarborough, and the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada.