Convenors: Paola Minoia (University of Turin) and Chiara Rabbiosi (University of Padua)

Format: hybrid

In recent years, critical geographies have increasingly questioned the relationship between food, place, and communities. New theoretical approaches, such as new materialism, posthumanism, and post-representational theories, are pushing the boundaries of food discourses. These perspectives call for novel tools to investigate socio-ecological relationships beyond the traditional "wordy world" of food systems and policies. Concurrently, decolonial approaches focusing on food pluriverses, Indigenous ontologies, and food knowledge are challenging capitalist and colonial pressures on food systems driven by extractivist and homogenizing globalization.

Drawing from post-development and decolonial perspectives, this panel session aims to explore dynamic "foodscapes" as spaces of friction, resistance, and justice through transformative and creative methodologies. We invite contributions that present case studies reflecting methodological advancements in creative, Indigenous, participatory visual methods, storytelling, and community mapping. These approaches can uncover diverse experiences and relationships within food systems where care and conviviality are core values.

We are particularly interested in case studies that investigate how communities navigate and resist capitalist-colonial pressures. We encourage submissions that highlight a multitude of voices, imaginations, and perspectives through creative methods, illuminating the entanglements between food and communities in the pursuit of food justice. These studies may illustrate various interactions between different social groups, human and more-than-human agents, and cultural, ecological, and political dynamics at different scales to create alternative networks.

• Potential topics for case studies may span various levels of the food cycle, including but not limited to:

• Land-rootedness and agroecology

• Social and environmental care in food production

• Harvesting and conservation practices

• Fermentation and traditional food processing

• Distribution systems and alternative markets

• Food mobilities and storage

• Sharing economies in food systems

• Consumption patterns and cultural significance

• Recycling and waste management in food contexts

We welcome diverse perspectives and innovative approaches that contribute to our understanding of transformative foodscapes and their potential for fostering food justice. Recognizing that creativity has been increasingly prominent in food research, resulting in multi-modal outputs as a way to engage researchers, communities, and broader audiences, we encourage the proposal of creative presentation formats. Since creativity is not just a methodological tool for research but a transformative process from project design to dissemination, this session welcomes presentations based on conviviality and sharing, storytelling, artistic exhibition, and critical mapping.

The session is developed in connection with the research project Fo.C.E. (Food Communities Entanglements).

Abstract length: 250 words

Deadline: 20th February 2025

If interested, please send an abstract within the deadline to the convenors' email addresses: paola.minoia@unito.it and chiara.rabbiosi@unito.it