Jenelle Regnier-Davies

• PhD, Environmental Applied Science and Management, Toronto Metropolitan University
• MA, Geography, University of Waterloo

Jenelle is an interdisciplinary scholar who bridges environmental studies, human geography, and sociology, focusing on equity, leadership, and civic engagement. She has led projects that connect research, praxis, and public discourse to advance just and inclusive communities. She teaches using qualitative and participatory action research methods, with an emphasis on urban governance, policy, food systems, and justice.

Beyond Jenelle's academic profile, she has over 15 years of experience working with communities through facilitating workshops, focus groups, community-focused food safety training and hands-on food literacy programming. Today, her work advances community-engaged research and applied policy analysis through partnerships with local governments and community organizations.

Refereed contributions

Regnier-Davies, J. & Edge, S. (2025). “We shouldn't always have to be resilient”: A critical discourse analysis of food system resilience and equity in Toronto, Ontario, in an era of global polycrisis. Canadian Food Studies Journal. https://doi.org/10.15353/cfs-rcea.v12i2.706

Regnier-Davies, J., & Edge, S., (2024). Harnessing food system equity from the ground up: Shifting co-governance practices in the funding of food security responses during the pandemic crisis in Toronto, Canada. Food, Culture & Society, 1–23, https://doi.org/10.1080/15528014.2024.2383014

Regnier-Davies, J., Austin, N. & Edge, S. (2023). The intersection of structure, agency, and resiliency within charitable food programs in Toronto during the COVID-19 pandemic. Critical Public Health, 33(3), 355–362. https://doi.org/10.1080/09581596.2022.2130740

Regnier-Davies, J., Edge, S., Yu, M., Austin, N., Nasr, J. & Koc, M. (2022). The role of community-based organizations in driving emergency food security responses: Towards equity and resiliency in post-COVID urban food systems. Urban Governance, 2(2) 336-346. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ugj.2022.10.003

Si, Z., Regnier-Davies, J. & Scott, S. (2018). Food safety in urban China: Perceptions and coping strategies of residents in Nanjing. China Information, 32(3), 377–399. https://doi.org/10.1177/0920203X17742887

Forthcoming book chapters

Regnier-Davies, J. & Edge, S. (Revised and submitted). Evolving food system challenges, opportunities & understandings for supporting immigrant wellbeing and inclusion. In: Mustafa Koc, Cecilia Rocha, Sara Edge, Jenelle Regnier-Davies (eds). (Re)Thinking Food Security in the 21st Century. University of Toronto Press.

Edge, S. & Regnier-Davies. J. (Revised and submitted). Community food hubs as cultivators of local food security, health & belonging in precarious times: Examining the Rexdale Community Hub’s Community Grocery Market. In: Michelle Vine, Rachel Harris, Dr. Kate Mulligan, and Dr. Jennifer Dean (eds). Exploring Place and Health through Community Health Interventions. Routledge: Geographies of Health Series.

Non refereed contributions

Regnier-Davies, J., Yu, M. & Edge, S. (2022). Preparing for food security after COVID-19: Strengthening equity and resilience in future emergency responses in Toronto. Prepared for the City of Toronto’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Office. Available at: https://www.torontomu.ca/content/dam/foodsecurity/Documents/Preparing-for-food-security-after-COVID-19-Strengthening-equity-and-resilience-in-future-emergency-response-in-Toronto.pdf

Jenelle is looking forward to working with motivated students passionate about food system and food security equity. Jenelle is interested in offering supervisor support to students with research interests in community-based food system activities, critical examinations of food policy and discourse, food system governance and socio-spatial justice and equity using qualitative and/or community-based participatory research methods.