Our team of researchers is actively engaged with a range of academic, industry and community partners to develop and conduct research. At the AUT Centre for Critical Food Studies, we focus on conducting research that is built in partnership with practitioners, taking participatory and critical approaches that inform practice and build the capacity of individuals and communities to inculcate change.
This area addresses the factors associated with food systems that are environmentally sustainable, socially inclusive, culturally appropriate and economically viable. In doing so, they can become resilient food systems that can adapt to external factors like climate change, globalisation and economic shifts.
This research addresses how food security can be achieved in vulnerable communities where challenges like climate change, import dependency and economic disparities can severely impact access to adequate food. The research outcomes provide a platform from which to advocate for food sovereignty by supporting the use of indigenous knowledge, traditional agricultural practices and local food systems. This research underscores the importance of community-driven solutions to achieve long-term resilience.
Tourism is fundamentally linked to food systems. Every food decision that is made in tourism has consequences which can enhance a destination’s wellbeing or may contribute to a range of negative impacts. Food can be viewed as a common thread linking all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Eating habits within tourism may be positioned to positively contribute to the SDGs.
Research in this space explores personal and community identity formation through a food lens. It questions what we eat, how we eat it and the ways in which the foods that we eat impact on how we view ourselves, our communities and wider societal constructs.
Also known as “chef activism” in which the intersections between food, culture and activism are used as a means to understand and demonstrate that the choices made in the professional kitchen can have far-reaching consequences beyond just the plate.
Through developing dishes based on customary ways of eating and cooking better use of local resources can be achieved. A key component of this is ‘beneficial recipes’, which draws on theory-informed practice of supporting planetary and human health while respecting culture and traditions to support food security and sovereignty.