News

The Faculty of Agriculture and the Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology are hosting a collaborative two-day workshop, ‘Enabling Interdisciplinary Food Research’ in Truro on October 20^th, 2023 and in Halifax on November 6, 2023.

Dr. Phoebe Stephens, Dr. Monika Korzun and Dr. Kathleen Kevany of Business and Social Sciences along with Dr. Elizabeth Fitting and Dr. Karen Foster of Sociology and Social Anthropology, received a Connections Grant from the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)  to convene researchers from Dalhousie’s Truro, Studley and Carleton campuses for working sessions to advance  sustainability in our food systems.

Recognizing the inherent interdisciplinarity of food focused research, these workshops aim to create space for researchers to come together, share ideas and develop partnerships. Each workshop will consist of a plenary session, networking opportunities, and tours of food campus initiatives. Transportation will be available to and from both locations.

Bringing together food system researchers across Dalhousie's campuses and numerous research institutes and centres, will shine light on existing interdisciplinary food research, catalyze ideas for the great transformations needed in these times, and facilitate the development of new research partnerships.

Higher education institutions are important spaces for creating knowledge and skills required to tackle the ongoing challenges found in today’s world. Increasing rates of food insecurity, the health impacts of highly processed diets, the environmental impacts of farming, the disconnection between eaters and producers and the power imbalances of actors in the food system have been well documented. Commitment to supporting sustainability is growing across university campuses in Canada, as higher education institutions recognize their role in exploring the challenges and developing potential solutions.

With food security named one of its five Signature Research Clusters, Dalhousie University is investing in food and agriculture research in unprecedented ways; recently it announced it is launching the largest fund-raising campaign for a Faculty of Agriculture in Canada to support resources, facilities, and research across disciplines to support a path towards just and sustainable food futures.

Many scholars and researchers at Dalhousie are aligned with these goals and working towards making our world more sustainable. However, food scholars and researchers are dispersed in various departments and faculties at Dalhousie and often are unaware of relevant work being undertaken by colleagues. These workshops are designed to enhance interdisciplinary connections between food researchers across the university.

The organizers of ‘Enabling Interdisciplinary Food Research’ hope that bringing researchers from various disciplines will lead to more informed, creative and effective decision-making to improving sustainability in our food systems.

Workshop Details:

Enabling Interdisciplinary Food Futures
Truro: October 20, 2023
Halifax: November 6, 2023

Register here. Spaces are limited.

For more information contact Dr. Phoebe Stephens, Dr. Monika Korzun, Dr. Kathleen Kevany, Dr. Elizabeth Fitting or Dr. Karen Foster.