Author Archives: Christianne

Video series | Han Wiskerke: Leading RSO with passion and insight into the complexities of agriculture and rural development.

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Han Wiskerke, Professor and Chair of the Rural Sociology Group, shares his passion for understanding the dynamics of agriculture, rural development, and food provisioning. Discover how his leadership and research are making a difference in addressing contemporary challenges like farmer protests.

“As Chair of the Rural Sociology Group since 2004, I’ve witnessed the critical importance of understanding the dynamics of agriculture, rural development, and food provisioning. Our research not only sheds light on issues like farmer protests but also offers solutions for the future. Leading a team of passionate individuals who thrive collectively is what drives me every day.”

Watch more “Rural Sociology: Passionate@Work” videos here.

Video series | Georgia Diamanti: Contributing to inclusive agricultural policies through collaborative research.

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Georgia Diamanti, PhD candidate at the Rural Sociology Group, shares her experience working on the SWIFT project, focusing on the impact of European agricultural policies on women farmers and the importance of collaborative, bottom-up approaches.

“As a PhD candidate at the Rural Sociology Group, I’m proud to be part of the SWIFT project, working with diverse stakeholders to create more inclusive agricultural policies in Europe. This collaborative approach inspires me, knowing that even small contributions can be part of a larger transformation.”

Find out more about the SWIFT project here.

Shaping Sustainable Futures: Insights from the 15th IFSA Conference

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Mark your calendars for a wonderful event set to take place from 30th June to 4th July 2024 in Trapani, Sicily, Italy – the 15th International Farming Systems Association (IFSA) conference. This conference promises to be a gathering of minds dedicated to exploring systemic change for sustainable futures, with a focus on crucial topics such as postgrowth farming systems.

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Are Forests Still Relevant for the Nutrition Security of Traditional Forest Dwellers? Insights from One Year of Fieldwork in Kalahandi, Odisha

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By Amrutha Jose Pampackal – Forests have garnered a lot of attention in international policy discussions in recent years because of their role in addressing the rising challenges of biodiversity loss and climate change. Less discussed is the importance of forests for the sustainability of many local food systems. Across the globe, billions of people live in proximity to forests and are directly or indirectly dependent on them for their food security. While some view traditional forest dwellers as protectors, others view local people’s dependence on forests as a threat to forests’ health. As part of my PhD research, I study how the nutritional security of forest-proximate communities can be strengthened without increasing the socioeconomic and ecological pressures on forests.

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Convivial writing experiences – Insights from the Polička Collective

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While many departments, research institutes and universities offer a fertile ground for intellectual collaboration and mutual support structures, like-minded scholars also happen to work outside these formal frames, often hundreds, if not thousands, of kilometers away. In this blog post, we reflect upon how a group of ten scholars writing joint articles based on individual research became what we currently call the emerging Polička Collective: a spatially dispersed and interdisciplinary alliance of scholars interested in diverse and community economies in Eastern and Central Europe (CEE) and the Former Soviet Union.

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