Gender and Food. From Unequitable Kitchen Tasks and Dietary Consumption to Sustainable Political Reinterpretations

in To be confirmed (in press)

Infographic 2: Food System Discovers - Actors and Activities in Luxembourg

Computer development (2022)

This infographic forms part of a larger series of infographics produced by the Sustainable Food Practices team at the University of Luxembourg. The first infographic is titled ‘Food System Synopsis – The ... [more ▼]

This infographic forms part of a larger series of infographics produced by the Sustainable Food Practices team at the University of Luxembourg. The first infographic is titled ‘Food System Synopsis – The Foodscape in Luxembourg’ and is available on our website. The second and interactive infographic, titled ‘Food System Discovery – Actors and activities in Luxembourg’, derives from our first infographic and provides a deeper level of analysis, a description and definitions of all the actor groups and their activities in the food system. The interactive online version is available here. The purpose of the series of infographics produced by the Sustainable Food Practices team at the University of Luxembourg is to analyse the food system in Luxembourg in four steps – from mapping the existing foodscape in Luxembourg to elaborating pathways for the transition processes towards a more sustainable food system.  This 2nd Infographic ‘Food System Discovery – Actors and activities in Luxembourg’ (reference: IG2-v.A) allows a user to explore the previously published, first static Infographic (‘Food System Synopsis – The foodscape in Luxembourg’) in further depth using playful and interactive navigation tools. Our methodological approach to this infographic will be made available here soon. Our research resulted in the two overarching kinds of actors: those that deal directly ‘with’ food – operating at the level of the food supply circuit, and actors engaging in a varied array of activities revolving ‘around’ food – operating at the broader food system level. These two combined comprise the whole food system. The research then led to an ensuing distillation of these actors into: actor categories, actor groups, and actor types, with each level further specifying the activities taken by actors. The definitions of the actor categories, actor groups and actor types allows the infographic to be transposed to other contexts, while only the example actors from Luxembourg are context-specific to the country. For these reasons, the depicted food system is not only Luxembourg’s food system, but a more general view of food systems.  In the future we will build on the two first infographics to demonstrate interrelationships, pressure points, gaps and opportunities – and the outcome of this analysis will provide the basis for the research team to unfold pathways for potential optimisation of different leverage points within the system.  [less ▲]

Goodness Groceries! A mobile sustainable food shopping app advocating for food literacy and ethical choices. Entailments for suppliers, consumers and researchers.

Scientific Conference (2022, August)

Within the currently rising concerns around sustainability of food systems, in the related economic areas of regenerative production modes, responsible supply chains and informed consumption, there often ... [more ▼]

Within the currently rising concerns around sustainability of food systems, in the related economic areas of regenerative production modes, responsible supply chains and informed consumption, there often remains a practice gap between what people know they should do and what they actually do. This is preceded by a knowledge gap: the knowledge of what a sustainable product specifically is tends not to be entirely consensual, blurred with potentially contradicting injunctions between different claims of sustainability. Instead of trying to solve this puzzle with metrics, we propose an App that makes various components of sustainability transparent, thus qualifying sustainability complexity. Our aim is not to hierarchically determine ‘the best’ sustainable choice, but rather to relationally empower consumers to choose the product with the sustainability criteria that most fit their values and priorities. Goodness Groceries is a University of Luxembourg consumer study piloting a mobile sustainable food shopping app in partnership with a supermarket chain. The App acts as a virtual shopping companion providing eco-responsible and ethical product information of selected staple food products, each time for up to four types: local organic, local conventional, imported organic and imported conventional. The information provided is based on self-assessments made by product suppliers. Each food item is granted criteria in the four main areas of Environment, Social Well-being, Economic Well-being and Good Governance, subdivided into relevant indicators (cf. SAFA guidelines, FAO 2014) – marked with easy-to-recognise icons. The user-friendly App is designed to scan alternatives of the same product via a QR code whilst shopping, to analyse if this helps consumers make an informed choice – or not, and why. Starting in Spring 2022, entailments of the (ongoing) study and App in terms of structural obstacles for researchers, necessary supply chain adaptations for suppliers and analysis of consumers’ shopping habits and App usage feedback will be discussed. [less ▲]

Priorities of a Food Policy Council for Luxembourg towards a Just, Diversified and Sustainable Food System: Surveys with Citizens and Food System Professionals

Presentation (2022, June 08)

Enjeux de la transition pour des systèmes alimentaires durables

Presentation (2022, March 29)

Was haben mein Tofu-Burger und mein Rindersteak mit dem Klima zu tun?

Presentation (2022, February 02)

In diesem Vortrag werden zunächst die Zusammenhänge zwischen Klima und Ernährungssystem aufgezeigt und mit alltagsrelevanten Beispielen illustriert. Hierbei wird sowohl die Ebene der Konsument_innen in ... [more ▼]

In diesem Vortrag werden zunächst die Zusammenhänge zwischen Klima und Ernährungssystem aufgezeigt und mit alltagsrelevanten Beispielen illustriert. Hierbei wird sowohl die Ebene der Konsument_innen in den Blick genommen als auch die systemische Ebene von öffentlichen Einrichtungen, Labelvergebung und Nachhaltigkeitsbildung. Zudem wird die Rolle von mehr oder weniger kohärenten Agrar- und Ernährungspolitiken beleuchtet. Die anzustrebende Transition zu Ernährungssouveränität innerhalb planetarer Grenzen wird erläutert. Danach werden Lösungsvorschläge erarbeitet, wie ein solches nachhaltiges, sozial gerechtes und ethisches Ideal erreicht werden kann. Hierbei spielen partizipative Ansätze – wie etwa Ernährungsräte – eine grundlegende Rolle, da sie staatliches Handeln mit Marktinitiativen und Innovationen aus Zivilgesellschaft und Forschung kombinieren. Durch gemeinschaftliches Engagement können konkrete Projekte zur systemischen Ernährungswende initiiert und gelebte Ernährungsdemokratie umgesetzt werden. Damit sowohl Tofu-Burger wie Rindersteaks klima-, umwelt- und sozialverträglich sein können. [less ▲]

Luxembourg 2050 - A Guide on Repairing Commercial Zones : Report Phase 3

Report (2022)

Values-Based Territorial Food Networks (VTFN): conceptual framework spanning Local Food Systems (LFS), Short Food Supply Chains (SFSC), Civic Food Networks (CFN) and Alternative Food Networks (AFN)

Scientific Conference (2021, September 02)

Localized food growing and livestock rearing initiatives with more direct transformation and commercialization structures, often at comparably small scales, gained ground worldwide. They represent various ... [more ▼]

Localized food growing and livestock rearing initiatives with more direct transformation and commercialization structures, often at comparably small scales, gained ground worldwide. They represent various types of ‘alternatives’ to industrialised agri-food processes and to standard producers/consumers divides characterizing the global food system. While these alternatives are not always new, they have sparked growing scholarly interest. Over time, the literature has addressed them via four main conceptual denominations: Local Food Systems (LFS), Short Food Supply Chains (SFSCs), Civic Food Networks (CFS), Alternative Food Networks (AFN). These concepts have distinct foci, partial overlaps, and they seek to capture an immense heterogeneity of empirical phenomena. Yet this conceptual plurality risks to conceal that these empirical initiatives, despite their differences, have structural commonalities at food system level, relevant for understanding pathways to a sustainable food system transformation. Therefore, I argue for an overarching concept subsuming the existing ones. Values-based Territorial Food Networks (VTFN) would take into account the diverse perspectives from the four main concepts in this field, classify their specificities and address their shortcomings. The social critique at their core, leading to transitions, is constructed around values of ’doing things differently’, at the level of specific territories. The more robust and authentic these sustainability values in VTFN are – in terms of environmental integrity, social well-being, economic resilience and ethical governance – the more likely they are to be incorporated into practices, to become more and more legitimate and gain a voice at negotiation tables, in order to help reorient the current corporate agrifood regime. [less ▲]

Ernährungssouveränität
: Zweckentfremdeter Rat

Article for general public (2021)

The impact of COVID-19 on alternative and local food systems and the potential for the sustainability transition: Insights from 13 countries

in Sustainable Production and Consumption (2021), 28(2021), 591599

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a major stress test for the agri-food system. While most research has analysed the impact of the pandemic on mainstream food systems, this article examines how alternative ... [more ▼]

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a major stress test for the agri-food system. While most research has analysed the impact of the pandemic on mainstream food systems, this article examines how alternative and local food systems (ALFS) in 13 countries responded in the first months of the crisis. Using pri- mary and secondary data and combining the Multi-Level Perspective with social innovation approaches, we highlight the innovations and adaptations that emerged in ALFS, and how these changes have cre- ated or supported the sustainability transition in production and consumption systems. In particular, we show how the combination of social and technological innovation, greater citizen involvement, and the increased interest of policy-makers and retailers have enabled ALFS to extend their scope and engage new actors in more sustainable practices. Finally, we make recommendations concerning how to support ALFS’ upscaling to embrace the opportunities arising from the crisis and strengthen the sustainability transition [less ▲]