As a follow-up of the first European Sustainable Food Planning Conference, which took place on 9 and 10 October 2009 in Almere (The Netherlands), the Urban Performance Group of the University of Brighton (UK) will host the second European Sustainable Food Planning Conference on 29 and 30 October 2010. Like the first one, this second conference will be held under auspices of the Association of European Schools of Planning (AESOP).

Context and aim

Planning for sustainable food production and consumption is an increasingly important issue for planners, policymakers, designers, farmers, suppliers, activists, business and scientists alike. In the wider contexts of global climate change, a world population of 9 billion and growing, competing food production systems and diet-related public health concerns, are there new paradigms for urban and rural planning capable of supporting sustainable and equitable food systems? This conference will promote cross disciplinary discussions between active researchers and practitioners in response to this question, and related issues articulated during the first European Sustainable Food Planning Conference held in 2009 in Almere.

Keynote Speakers:

• Prof. June Komisar (Ryerson University, Toronto.  Architect, member of the Toronto Food Policy Council and a co-curator for the exhibit Carrot City: Designing for Urban Agriculture)
• Dr. Joe Nasr (Co-coordinator, MetroAg – North American Alliance for Urban Agriculture, and Associate, Centre for Studies in Food Security, Ryerson University ,Toronto)
• Prof. Tim Lang (Professor of Food Policy at City University, London)
• Carolyn Steel (Architect, Columnist, Lecturer and Author of ‘Hungry City: How Food Shapes Our Lives’)

Themes

Working at a range of scales and with a variety of practical and theoretical models, we will review and elaborate definitions of sustainable food systems, and begin to define ways of achieving them. To this end 4 different themes have been defined as entry-points into the discussion of ‘sustainable food planning’. These are

a) Urban agriculture.
Convenors: Prof. Dr. Han Wiskerke and Dr. Jan-Willem van der Schans (Rural Sociology Group – Wageningen University) 
Click here to download the full description for Urban agriculture.

b) Integrating health, environment and society.
Convenors: Assoc Prof.  Dr. Bettina Bock (Rural Sociology Group – Wageningen University) and Prof. Martin Caraher (Professor of Food and Health Policy – City University London)
Click here to download the full description for Integrating health, environment and society.

c) Food in urban and regional planning and design.
Convenors: Prof. Dr. Arnold van der Valk (Land Use Planning Chair – Wageningen University), Andre Viljoen (Senior Lecturer in the School of Architecture and Design – University of Brighton), Katrin Bohn (Bohn & Viljoen Architects)
Click here to download the full description for Food in urban and regional planning and design.

d) Urban food governance.
Convenors: Prof. Dr. Kevin Morgan (Professor of Governance and Development – School of City and Regional Planning at Cardiff University) and Dr. Petra Derkzen  (Assistant Professor, Rural Sociology Group – Wageningen University)
Click here to download the full description for Urban food governance.

Call for abstracts

For each theme we are seeking contributions. Abstracts should be no longer than 500 words, and e-mailed to Andre Viljoen (a.viljoen@brighton.ac.uk) no later than the 31st May 2010.

Format, fee and registration

The conference will be a short intense event allowing ample time for questions and discussion. The conference will be conducted in English and translation facilities will not be available. Peer reviewed proceedings including context setting essays will be published following the conference by Wageningen Academic Publishers.

The conference fee is £210. This includes a copy of the proceedings (Hardback and mailed directly to delegates) refreshments, lunch on Friday and Saturday and a buffet dinner on Friday. Food will be prepared using locally sourced ingredients.
Please note that the conference fee does not include accommodation, but advice on suitable accommodation will be provided at the registration stage.
Unfortunately we are unable to provide reduced student fees or offer travel grants.

More information

For more information, see the conference website.