creating sustainable and just places through food
Food constitutes a vehicle to understand and address current social, economic, health and environmental crises operating at different scales. Examples ranging from global food price volatility to the increase of food banks in our neighbourhoods, from climate change to biodiversity losses, and rising levels of obesity sitting alongside staggering undernutrition numbers, situate the delivery of good food for all as one of the main societal challenges of our time. By changing our food system we can thus contribute to build more just and sustainable places where people can enjoy healthy and happy lives. Let's do it!
FOOD GOVERNANCE, JUSTICE AND POLITICAL ECOLOGY
My latest publications have provided new insights into food system governance deficiencies and how to develop more integrated food governance approaches. I have also explored new notions of global and participative food justice to make sure we don't leave anyone anywhere behind. I argue that political ecology is a useful lens to do so. If you want to read more see my academic publications and feel free to ask for copies if having trouble accessing them.
Guides and toolboxes to build more sustainable and just food systems
I work closely with practitioners in action-research processes, that is, research that is developed with communities and aims to deliver positive social change. In these processes, I co-produce new knowledge with diverse stakeholders such as buying groups in Spain or the Sustainable Food Cities Network in the UK. In some cases this valuable experience is codified for example in a Rough Guide to develop Urban Food Strategies, a guide to establish Food Policy Councils or a toolbox to measure progress in sustainable food cities. Visit the section on action research and toolboxes to explore some of these tools and give us feedback!
research Locally embedded, globally engaged
A key part of my work is to learn from practitioners and share my experience and knowledge in academic and non-academic fora. I am fortunate to participate in key food debates through events such as the UN Habitat III Conference held in Quito in 2016, the Milan Food Policy Pact meeting hosted in Valencia in 2017 or the Gobal Food Security Conference happening in Cape Town in 2017. I also work closely with a range of stakeholders from the Cardiff Food Council to the Carasso Foundation. If you are interested in seeing some of my presentations and take away messages from my participation in these spaces visit the section on presentations and engagement.
