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Paper short abstract:

Dalits (erstwhile "untouchables") are the most deprived and marginalised social group in India. There is an acute lack of anthropological literature on the 'food' of Dalits. This gap is often gauged by personal narratives based on memories. I propose to present the ground realities.

Paper long abstract:

Dalits (erstwhile "untouchables" Indian caste system) are the most deprived and marginalised social group in India. There is an acute lack of anthropological literature on the 'food' of Dalits. This gap is often gauged by personal narratives based on memories, for instance, autobiographical and autoethnographic writings of Dalits. In my doctoral research project, I endeavoured to study what Dalits are actually eating in the 'absence' of hunger, as food is available in the society, contrary to what we read in the newspapers about the deaths due to hunger in different parts of the Indian subcontinent; and in the 'presence' of food which may not fit best in the definition of 'healthy and appropriate' food. In this ethnographic and quantitative account of Dalit food cultures based on the fieldwork I pursued in the district of the northern state of India, I wish to present how Dalits are managing to content their bellies, nourish their bodies and satiate their souls in the contemporary cultural (values and belief system), economic (lack of proper work, poverty, agriculture and public distribution system) and political scenarios (politics of religion and sanitation); their everyday lives, work and struggle to dig 'food' out of 'waste' as 'waste' for some is food for many.

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Urban Senegalese eat two staple foods: rice and millet. Drawing on research on everyday eating under pressure in the Dakar suburb of Pikine, this paper examines the local theories and practices of consumption that emerge as Senegalese navigate between high prices and scarcities.

Paper long abstract:

Urban Senegalese eat two staple foods: rice and millet. While millet is increasingly promoted as the nutritionally and ecologically better choice, urban Senegalese tend to think of an ideally balanced diet as incorporating both foods. This paper draws on fieldwork on everyday eating under pressure in the Dakar suburb of Pikine, conducted during a period of intense food insecurity and high food prices. During this period millet played an important role in food coping strategies, as the cost of rice and other imported foods rose sharply. While people sought refuge in eating repertoires based on millet, the cost of millet remained high, because the local staple was scarce. Examining how Senegalese navigate between high global prices and local scarcities, pragmatically blending different kinds of eating, we identify local theories and practices of consumption that can break down entrenched distinctions embedded in food security and sovereignty approaches.

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This paper attempts to unpack the migration aspiration and everyday struggles of Thai migrants who earn extra income through wild berry and mushroom picking and selling in Finland.

Paper long abstract:

The Finnish culture is closely connected to forest and nature. According to the Jokaisenoikeudet (Everyman’s rights) principle, everyone in Finland is allowed to pick berries and mushrooms in forests and natural areas. Apart from picking wild berries and mushrooms for consumption, people in Finland could make extra income from selling berries and mushrooms they picked. However, berry and mushroom picking for commercial purposes is hard work since it requires long-distance walking in difficult terrain areas. There are also risks of seasonal fluctuations in the prices of berries and mushrooms. In recent years, most commercial picking in Finland is conducted by foreign pickers ‘invited’ by Finnish berry-purchasing companies, and the majority of these pickers are from Thailand entering Finland as short-stay visitors who do not have employment contracts. Existing studies on this issue mainly focus on the lack of labour protection and the exploitation and human trafficking of seasonal pickers from Thailand. It is rare to find research on Thai migrants picking wild berries and mushrooms who are long-term or permanent residents in Finland. This paper, part of the EU-funded "Decision making of aspiring (re)migrants to and within the EU (AspirE)" project, looks at: What are the determinants of migration aspirations of Thai migrants who pick wild berries and mushrooms in Finland? What motivated them to pick wild berries and mushrooms? What were the challenges they faced when picking and selling berries and mushrooms? Empirical data were gathered through semi-structured interviews with Thai berry pickers living long-term and permanently in Finland.

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Acai & tapioca are culturally significant in Brazil and have been consumed by indigenous people. Ethnographic research explores the intersections of Brazilian foodscapes in Lisbon. This study examines innovative consumption spaces, motivations, worker conditions, and environmental impact.

Paper long abstract:

Acai berries and tapioca have deep cultural roots in Brazil where they have been traditionally consumed for centuries by indigenous people. Both foods have gained popularity in recent years, particularly in Lisbon, a multicultural city where the Brazilian emigrant community is very significant due to the political history between Brazil and Portugal. Acai and tapioca are often marketed as healthy foods due to their natural and nutrient-rich properties and the EU regulations classifies them as “novel foods” on the common European market not considering that these foods have a whole traditional transformation process behind. Using an ethnographic approach, this work aims to understand the Brazilian foodscapes reality intersections in two Lisbon's neighborhoods: Arroios and Penha de França where innovative consumption spaces, such as: street markets, restaurants, and specialized stores have proliferated, due to the growth of tourism activity in Lisbon which brings with it an associated gentrification— where more traditional stores are being replaced by these new spaces— but also creating spaces of cultural confluence where various nationalities connect and contact. In addition to exploring the cultural motivations and experiences of the different consumers of acai and tapioca in these spaces, this communication also aims to reveal some of the difficult journeys and precarious conditions of the workers in these stores, not forgetting the concerns about the sustainability of their production and the environmental impact in some traditional communities in Brazil that rely on the acai and tapioca—where they often remain the last piece in the capitalist extractive chain.

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This research explores the impact of home food habits, like storage and cooking, on Santiago's urban life. It looks at how shopping and food choices affect mobility, infrastructure and social interactions, linking household food practices to social and environmental urban sustainability.

Paper long abstract:

Over the past few decades, there has been a significant increase in interest from the social sciences in understanding the importance of food and nutrition in contemporary life. This study focuses on how patterns of food consumption within households impact urban dynamics, neighborhood structure, and forms of sociability. Based on the assumption that these dietary routines affect not only health or sustainability but also the urban structure and the dynamics of the city, this paper aims to comprehend and highlight various urban impacts of domestic food consumption. This project investigates how decisions about where to shop, what foods to select, and whether to cook at home or order food delivery affect aspects such as urban mobility, traffic safety, and air pollution. It will explore how choosing to buy at local shops, supermarkets, or through apps influences neighborhood structure and social interactions.

Conducted in Santiago, Chile, the study targets a diverse range of household heads to collect qualitative data on food acquisition methods, purchase frequency and quantity, food types, and in-home storage and consumption dynamics. Through cross-analysis, the study seeks to uncover the intricate connections between food consumption patterns and urban environments. The findings aim to contribute to the discourse on urban sustainability and food security, offering insights for urban planning and policy.

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In this paper we explore the sociocultural perceptions of the risks associated with the food consumed by non-dependent people over 65 years of age in Spain. In conclusion, the results of this study can help us better understand their representations about safe, healthy and sustainable food.

Paper long abstract:

This ethnographic-based research in combination with various mixed techniques, was carried out between 2021-2022 in rural and urban municipalities of the autonomous communities of Andalusia (AND), Catalonia (CAT) and the Valencian Community (COV) thanks to the support of the I+D project “Eating matters: Challenges of an inclusive, healthy and sustainable food for better ageing”. In total, three field work stays were carried out in the rural municipalities of Humilladero (AND), Teresa (CV) and Terres de l'Ebre (CAT), as well as in the cities of Granada, Barcelona and Valencia. 115 people were interviewed and 58 food diaries and 51 free listings were applied to men and women of different ages and of medium to low income.

For the analysis of this study we have taken into account biographical characteristics, food culture, socio-economic conditions, health situation, age and, above all, the feminisation of tasks related to food provisioning and preparation. The universe of older people is diverse and they are concerned about certain risks regarding food and manage them in the best possible way, which is why we believe that situations such as repeated diet, unwanted eating alone and access to cheap and not very diverse food, among others, end up affecting life quality and health. In conclusion, we hope this paper sheds some light on how risk perceptions and management in diverse and changing situations can contribute to the understanding of what safe, healthy and sustainable food means for this group.

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Paper short abstract:

This presentation addresses how the generations born in Spain between the 40s and 50s of the past century perceive and experience the changes from a pre-modern food system, passing through a modern agribusiness model to the current trend of postmodern eco-sustainable responses to food modernity.

Paper long abstract:

Although food consumption practices in Spanish households are increasingly identified not only with the model of food modernity but also with the more fragmented practices of food postmodernity, in those households made up of people over 70 years-old, we can still observe the presence of food production and transformation practices, less influenced, apparently, by food modernity and postmodernity. We are talking about a generation born between the 1940s and 1950s, which has experienced enormous changes in the production, distribution, and food consumption system. In a post-war childhood, this generation has known the pre-industrial model, based on the family production of food for self-consumption and the small-scale exchange of scarce surpluses. A population that often emigrated in their youth to the main industrial capitals of the country, abandoning agricultural and livestock activity to integrate into the industrial and service sectors. Agricultural modernisation sped up in those years, and small family farms couldn't join the process. Agribusiness, industrial food processing, and extensive distribution chains have transformed Spain's food landscapes throughout a generation. In recent decades, when this cohort has reached retirement age, they have recovered activities that they knew from their childhood, such as gardens for self-consumption, at a time when food modernity, omnipresent, is being questioned for its social and environmental unsustainability and postmodern movements such as food sovereignty or agroecology are emerging.

This presentation aims to address how this cohort, which was born between the 40s and 50s of the last century, perceives these changes and to what extent they value and practice "traditional" agri-food knowledge, how they have integrated food modernity into their day-to-day lives, and to what extent they are familiar with and promote the concept of environmental sustainability or even participate in forms of activism for eco-sustainable food.

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This paper aims to analyze the sustainability of agroecological cooperativism in Catalonia, specifically regarding cooperative supermarkets. The communication addresses two of their challenges: the socioeconomic homogeneity among members and the lack of integration of care in their organization.

Paper long abstract:

Since the nineties, agroecology has spread across Spain through different agents involved in the development of territorialized food systems. In Catalonia, food-coops linked to small farming projects have played an essential role both in the support and viability of farming and in the dissemination of agroecological values. Since 2015, there has been a certain stagnation in the development of food-coops in relation to the number of groups and their size. Simultaneously, larger-scale models such as cooperative supermarkets are emerging. These new organizational forms try to deal with some of the challenges posed by the more widespread, smaller-scale model; specifically, in relation to the socioeconomic homogeneity among members and the lack of integration of care in the organization of the cooperative. This communication presents data from nine larger-scale agroecological provisioning projects collected through ethnographic fieldwork carried out between 2020 and 2022 in Catalonia. The research aims to analyze the sustainability of these new models in relation to the aforementioned challenges, as well as the strategies and mechanisms to address them. The results point to a reflection on the concept of moral economy in these collectives that seek to (re)embed food provisioning systems in values such as reciprocity, trust, environmental and social sustainability and justice. To what extent can we refer to these food systems as transformative?

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Paper short abstract:

The COVID-19 crisis, as well as the Ukraine crisis, have affected significantly the food chains in Turkey. This study focuses on food collectives in Ankara, exploring the alternative tools and strategies they have developed to create sustainable food chains.

Paper long abstract:

In the last thirty years, the agricultural sector in Turkey had massive transformations. In line with a neoliberal transformation that globally impacted the food chain, Turkey switched to the production of cash crops and increased its dependence on global markets for most of its staple food. The imposition of market-oriented farming contributed to massive rural-urban migration and further increased the need to import staple food that used to be abundantly produced in Turkey. In such a context, COVID – 19 crisis and the global raise of food prices that followed by the Ukraine crisis had a deep impact on the food chains in Turkey – especially in big cities - and are leading to reflections on sustainable revisions of the food chains. This paper explores the experience of food collectives all located in the urban area of Ankara. In the last 10 years, these collectives developed and implemented alternative tools and strategies to create sustainable food chains in the urban area of Ankara. We have been conducting ethnographic research about these collectives, with whom we are also directly involved in the activities of division and distribution of the food since June 2022. Sustainability among these grassroots movement is framed as part of a broader political alternative they aim to create against the policies of the government. The presentation will critically assess how the idea of sustainability is developed in these social realities and what kind of impact can have in the political landscape of the urban area of Ankara.

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This paper explores how Australian civic food networks adapted to COVID-19, facing multiple resource challenges. Strengthening producer-consumer relations proves challenging for lasting sustainability. Results prompt enquires into network scalability and sustainability pre-and-post crises.

Paper long abstract:

Responding to challenges posed by COVID-19, this paper examines the adaptive strategies employed by civic food networks (CFNs) in Australia. More specifically, it explores how CFNs responded to the pandemic and the mechanisms through which they operate to bring systematic change (pre-/post-COVID-19). Central to this exploration is the roles these networks play in shaping consumer behaviour toward supporting ethical and sustainable consumption practices. Previous studies have emphasised CFNs’ dual-contribution in enhancing consumer knowledge and broader food system transformation. Assuming their potential in mobilising communities towards embracing the values of alternative and local food systems, CFNs are considered to have the potential in facilitating transformations in producer-consumer relations in ways individual consumers cannot.

This work disagrees by bringing further nuance to the role of CFNs in the context of crisis. Analysing survey and in-depth interview data through the lens of ethical consumption and scalability, findings from this work highlight that whilst being able to adapt and respond to the pandemic effectively, CFNs encountered various barriers in essential resources, exacerbating pre-existing challenges. Despite the potential for CFNs to foster more grounded producer-consumer relations and knowledge-sharing, consumer sovereignty remains pivotal in shaping food consumption practices, making it exceedingly challenging to implement enduring food consumption changes that can support transitions towards a more sustainable and just food system. Findings raise important questions about the ability for food networks to sustainably scale up operations, strengthen capacity-building, and improve network relations across a given geographical landscape: during and after times of ecological, political, and social crisis.