Yui Hashimoto, MA Candidate (hashimy@mcmaster.ca)
Allison M. Williams, Ph.D (awill@mcmaster.ca)
As climate change and resource scarcity continue to affect harvests and food prices, food-related issues will only continue to become more salient. The study of food security is an interdisciplinary field, having been examined by scholars in a range of disciplines. Recently, more inclusive concepts have gained popularity. Such concepts propose moving beyond food security and moving towards examining the holistic food system. Such ideas include community food security (Hamm & Bellows, 2003), food sovereignty (La Via Campesina, 2011), and food justice (Just Food, 2011). This session seeks to include any and all of these concepts from food security to food justice.
Geography has contributed to the food security literature with food desert research and GIS technology; however, it has yet to lead the conversation on food-related issues, nor has it elucidated methods to study them, despite these issues being inherently geographic. Various geography subfields—such as health, transportation, political, and feminist—can contribute unique methodologies to food-related research.
This session has the goal of bringing together scholars, and practitioners from all subfields to discuss topics that relate to working towards food-related goals including:
- innovative approaches to examining food security (e.g. community-based participatory research, participatory GIS)
- municipal food policies
- regional, national, international food systems
- innovative programs and policies contributing to food security
- emergency food system/community-based food services and programs (e.g. food banks and school meal programs)
To be considered for this session, please e-mail the organizers with an AAG submitted abstract and PIN by 25th September.
