PhD research week 10

Week 10 was of hibernation mode writing up my first draft of Registration (project proposal). Also a really interesting event at Central Street Kitchen, with amazing food and lovely people.

EVENT: "Food Anthropology" SOAS Food Studies Centre, University of London

In this event organized by SOAS MA Food Anthropology, I had the opportunity to immerse amongst anthropologists and interesting guest speakers, in their incredibly interesting discussion on the current issues of global / local food and thoughts for the future.  I will outline below some of the most interesting points, relevant to my research.

- Dr. Laura Sayre, "telling farm stories" Agriculture Journalism using ethnography . "it's not about individual persons, it is about family" . Ethnography - minute details, longitudinal, direct exposure, participation, attention to individual stories in a large network system, teamwork vs. alone work. . Take field notes!! . Write first impressions . How do you tell the incoherent stories? . Farm stories vs. Food stories - Production vs. Consumption - food with a story vs. my story about food. . Farming involves alot of organizing systems

- What is Ethical Consumption? How do we judge 'ethical initiatives'? . Consumption is just a part of a massive network - society, economics, environment.  We need to see the bigger picture. . The consumer-citizen, involved in the network and system, engaging in other than consumption. . Consumption is not just 'a thing you do', it is part of a larger living system. . Consumer and Producer are not divided. . Why is ethical consumption expensive? what are the hidden costs of 'conventional consumption' ? . It is site specific, culture specific: what is ethical to one, is not ethical to another.

- Jeanette Longfield (Sustain) . The Ambulance vs. Fence story. . "stop trying to change people, its too hard.  Change the world instead, its easier."

- Patrick Mulvany (UKFG) . Farming family and sustainable food systems - add value locally . The variety of food species produced today: before 5000 species of potatoes, today 200. . Small farmers are 70% of world food production . We don't have an overall vision of the food story - how can we make that happen? . The sustainable food story needs to be catchy - the cab driver needs to get it!