Category Archives: Anniversary Program

The Rural Sociology Group of Wageningen University will celebrate its 75th Anniversary on the 13th of May 2022. Join our event entitled “Rural Sociology: past, present and future” and reflect upon the past and present of rural sociology and discuss its future challenges.

Immersing in Kisumu’s urban food markets

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This blog post by Marit Meijer shares her experiences during the second fieldwork period of the project “Learning from Food Provisioning Networks in City Regions of Kenya”.

From May 26th to August 12th, 2025 I spend 2,5 months in Kenya for the second fieldwork period of the project “Learning from Food Provisioning Networks in City Regions of Kenya”. The focus of the fieldwork was to immerse (for 2 months) in two urban food markets in Kisumu, namely Kondele Market and Kibuye Market. People who have congregated in these market places for the last 10 years shared with us the history of their careers and their perspectives on present and future developments of the food markets. We want to extend our deepest gratitude to everyone willing to share with us their time, effort and personal stories so generously. And to those who introduced us to them. A special thanks goes out to Damarice Auma Akwanya, Moline A’chieng and Isiah Okoth.

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A short tribute to my highly esteemed (former) colleague Dirk Roep (one year after retirement)

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A year ago, my colleague Dirk Roep reached retirement age. He had organized a wonderful farewell party, where I was also supposed to give a speech to honour him, his work and his contribution to the Rural Sociology Group. Unfortunately, I had to cancel due to illness and was unable to give my speech. So now, a year later, on Dirk’s 68th birthday, I am writing down what I wanted to say a year ago at Dirk’s farewell party:

After 35 years of working for the Rural Sociology Group (and its predecessor, the Sociology Department) in various positions (and even more different employment contracts), the time has now come to enjoy a well-deserved retirement. Of those 35 years, we have known each other for 32 years, we have been colleagues for roughly 28 years, and I have been the chair of the Rural Sociology Group (and thus formally your ‘manager/supervisor’) for 20 years.

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Reflection | Workshop Sharing Field Notes

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A reflection on the workshop Sharing Field Notes

On Monday May 26th, our colleague Anna Roodhof (PhD Candidate at Rural Sociology) attended a workshop on sharing field notes, which was organized by Leiden University, DANS-KNAW (Data Archiving and Networked Services), ISS (the Institute of Social Studies at Erasmus University), and PNN (the Netherlands’ PhD Candidates Network). This workshop was organized to discuss qualitative data – field notes in particular – in the context of open science, specifically the FAIR and CARE principles.

Field notes are a type of data collection that is very common at the Rural Sociology Group and elsewhere: they are prevalent in many disciplines, including anthropology, linguistics, sociology, archeology, ethnobotany, and ecology. These notes are often textual, but can include visual components such as sketches or photos. They can be written for a variety of reasons: to provide context, to serve as primary data, or to explicate the researcher’s positionality in the field. While it is uncommon for this type of data to be published in full, it can be done.

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SWIFT Project: Strengthening Gender and Diversity in Agriculture

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Last November, the SWIFT consortium gathered in Geneva for an inspiring and thought-provoking mid-term meeting. Over four days, researchers, farmers, and activists came together to share progress, exchange ideas, and discuss the future of gender and diversity in agriculture. From immersive discussions at Ferme du Lignon to policy debates at the Geneva Graduate Institute, the event highlighted the importance of feminist and queer perspectives in shaping agricultural policies.

Key topics included:
– Building feminist viability indicators with women farmers
– Participatory video-making for agroecological storytelling
– Gendered analysis of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy
– Strengthening visibility and rights of LGBTQIA+ farmers

Georgia Diamanti and Clara Lina Bader have captured these moments beautifully in their reflections, from engaging panels to farm visits that demonstrated alternative models of agriculture in action. Read their insights on the challenges and opportunities ahead for gender justice in food and farming!

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Spring School | Rethink. Reimagine. Reclaim.

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𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 the way citizenship shapes our agricultural and food systems. Engage with critical debates on justice, fairness, and the democratization of food provisioning.

𝗥𝗲𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲 agriculture through the lens of agrarian and food citizenship. Explore how individuals and movements challenge existing systems and build equitable alternatives.

𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺 agency in shaping the future of food and agriculture. Learn how acts of citizenship drive meaningful change toward fairer and more inclusive systems.

Join us in this graduate course, 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗔 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗟𝗲𝗻𝘀 (May 19–23, 2025). Participate in seminars, workshops, and excursions led by leading scholars like Engin Isin and Cristina Grasseni, and contribute to envisioning just and sustainable futures.

More information and registration.