Category Archives: Food

Seminar on Voluntary Simplicity in Food Choices

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voluntary seminarVoluntary Simplicity in Food Choices – A seminar to navigate through theory and practices of responsible food consumption

Voluntary simplicity is a movement that promises better lives on a more healthy planet. But how does this work in our every day food practices? WASS proposes an afternoon on the theories and practices of voluntary simplicity and critical food consumption: How can voluntary simplicity be understood in a food context? What would it look like? Could it be expressed in movements of artisan local production, organic farming, alternative food networks, etc.? And how?

This seminar features both leading thinkers (Philip Cafaro, Colorado State University; Jeanine Schreurs, Maastricht University) and local practitioners (De Nieuwe Ronde, Veld & Beek, Project EAT). Next to a figurative taste of theories and practices, it offers participants a literal taste of actual locally produced simple foods in order to induce a lively and inspired discussion.

Date: September 10th, 2013
Time: 13:30 – 18:30
Place: Leeuwenborch building, Wageningen

For more information and how to subscribe, contact Simon d’Amico (simona.damico[at]wur.nl).

Foodlinks News (June 2013)

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The latest issue of Foodlinks News is out!

Read about our meeting in Scotland and about some inspiring food initiatives in Edinburgh. Or about the short food supply chain CoP and the important meeting they had on slaughtering and meat processing with some experts in Austria. The newsletter also includes some accounts of the value of participation experienced by members of the public food procurement CoP as well as a short-list of  some of our favourite knowledge brokerage tools!

Would you also like to become a member? Sign up for the Short Food Supply Chain, Revaluing Public Sector Food Procurement or Urban Food Strategies CoP!

The FOODLINKS project brings together different types of knowledge and experience from research, policy and civil society representatives. FOODLINKS organises a collective process of sharing and integrating this knowledge around particular problems of food systems. You can read more about us on our website and if you would like to receive the next edition of Foodlinks News you can subscribe here.

Fruits of internship labor

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IMG_0168Last week I visited Clara, a Master of Organic Agriculture student at her internship with the PeerGroup in Donderen near Groningen. This theatre group located at an old ammunition depot advertised a while ago that they were looking for a student who could set up their farming activity (see earlier blog). Over the past few months she worked hard to design and construct the first step, a vegetable garden near the communal and office spaces. At the same time of building a greenhouse and raised beds she kept a nursery going and when the weather (finally!) got better, planted the seedlings. Now the water pump is working, it will go fast.

This is just step one of a long-term plan to integrate more farming in the area, in collaboration with the community in the village and the care farm nearby. The PeerGroup is open to future students with skills to develop other parts of their unique location which inhabits rare species and special biotope, and is at the same time military heritage, creative work space and publicly open and connected to nearby recreation forests.

Food at the battefields

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This 6th and last lecturing period of the year, I run a capita selecta course on Food Culture with some of the students from the regular course in February in which we read and discuss classics in food culture together. Like two years ago, there is a small but dedicated group of students eager to read entire books rather than the usual scientific papers. We just finished ‘Paradox of the Plenty’ by Harvey Levenstein, a very dense but easy and often funny to read social history of eating in the U.S. spanning from 1920s to about the 1990s. One of the stories to which we awed with amazement is about the abundance, diversity and quality of the food supply and diet of American soldiers during World War II. Continue reading →

Job opening: Assistant / Associate Professor in Food Sociology (tenure track position)

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The Rural Sociology Group of Wageningen University is looking for an assistant or associate professor in food sociology. As an assistant / associate professor you will teach and coordinate Bachelor and Master courses for the Bachelor and Master program International Development Studies (specialization Sociology of Development), the Master program Health and Society and for the Master program Food Technology (specialization Gastronomy), and supervise Master thesis research for these programmes. You will undertake independent research and participate in (and coordinate) international research projects, specifically focusing on food provisioning in urbanizing societies and on the relations between food and public health, social equity and sustainable urban and regional development. Other aspects of the job include project acquisition, training and supervision of PhD students and participation in various research and/or education committees.

 

We ask

  • A PhD degree in (rural) sociology, food policy, social/human geography or related social science discipline;
  • An inspiring vision on sustainable food provisioning in urban and metropolitan regions;
  • Considerable experience with agro-food research, proven by publications in key international journals, and preferably in the fields of food culture, alternative food networks, urban food strategies and/or public food procurement;
  • A relevant international network;
  • Good didactic qualities and the capacity to motivate students (candidates will be required to follow the Learning and Teaching in Higher Education Programme (LTHEP, in Dutch referred to as BKO), a system adopted by all Dutch universities);
  • Excellent writing skills;
  • Good management skills;
  • Fluent in English;
  • Preferably a proven record in acquisition of research projects;

To be considered for an Associate Professorship, substantial teaching experience, proven didactic qualities, publications in leading journals and a proven record in acquisition of research projects and supervision of PhD students are prerequisites.

 

We offer

A challenging career trajectory called Tenure Track. From the position of Assistant Professor or Associate Professor you can eventually grow into the position of a Professor holding a Personal Chair. Of course training and coaching are provided and interdisciplinary (international) cooperation is stimulated. You will also be given the chance to build up your own research line.

We offer you a temporary contract for three years (0.8 – 1.0 fte), which can lead to a permanent employment contract. Gross salary:

  • Assistant professor: from € 3227 to € 4418 (Scale 11 CAO Dutch Universities), based on full time (1,0 fte) employment and dependent on expertise and experience.
  • Associate professor: from € 4472 to € 5444 (Scale 13 CAO Dutch Universities), based on full time (1,0 fte) employment and dependent on expertise and experience.

For more information about Tenure Track within Wageningen UR look at http://www.wageningenur.nl/en/Jobs/Tenure-Track.htm

 

Additional information

Additional information about the vacancy can be obtained from:

Prof. dr. ir J.S.C. Wiskerke, Chair of Rural Sociology Telephone number: +31 317 482679/4507 E-mail address: han.wiskerke@wur.nl

 

Application

To apply, please upload your letter of motivation and your CV, including a list of publications via the online application button on the Wageningen University vacancy webpage before June 17 2013. You will receive an automatic e-mail confirmation within 24 hours.