Food, Empire and Colonialism: From Palestine to Turtle Island
Organized by the Canadian Association of Food Studies (CAFS) ad hoc Committee on Palestine and the Right to Food Thursday May 9th 1-3pm EDT, ZOOM In this discussion, panelists will examine the relationship between food, empire and colonialism, drawing connections between the current genocide in Gaza with colonial projects across Africa and Turtle Island. Panelists will discuss how imperial and colonial regimes have and continue to use deliberate starvation and the weaponization of food and food growing lands as a means of genocidal violence. Amid the horrific settler colonial violence happening in Gaza, we also raise crucial questions about [...]
Recruiting CAFS Board Members – 2023–25
We are recruiting new members for the Canadian Association for Food Studies (CAFS) board of directors. The workload expectations of board members are moderate – the board generally meets by video call once a month. Tasks include helping to organize the annual conference, addressing issues of concern to the CAFS membership, and allocating funding as required. All positions have the same voice in decision-making and some positions have specific responsibilities. Currently, we are requesting nominations for a finance lead (treasurer) and non-specified Board member positions. CAFS is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment. As such, we encourage nominations from equity-deserving groups including [...]
CAFS Assembly 2024 – Sustaining Shared Food Futures
The 2024 CAFS Conference The 19th annual CAFS assembly will take place June 17 & 18, 2024 at Concordia University in Montreal. DEADLINE EXTENDED DATE LIMITE PROLONGÉE All abstracts are due on April 30th, 2024 Tous les résumés doivent être envoyés avant le 30 avril 2024. Sustaining Shared Food Futures CFP Entretenir nos avenirs alimentaires communs AAP If you have any questions please feel free to email us at assembly@foodstudies.ca. Thank you and we look forward to seeing you in Montreal!
Call for Papers/ Appel à contributions
Exploring Carceral Food Systems: Tensions, Experiences and Possibilities A growing number of scholars and practitioners have recognized the complex interconnection between food systems and carceral systems. Attention to this relationship renders visible the various systems of oppression that underpin and sustain the Prison Industrial Complex. Food offered by the State adds to the layers of punishment, but in doing so, it can also create conditions that may foster a cooperative and community-centric economy of food. Incarcerated individuals who have the capital (social and/or financial) to create their own dishes may be able to gain access to resistance, agency, and [...]
INFOLETTRE/ NEWSLETTER
Greetings, CAFS Community— We are now collecting submissions for the next CAFS newsletter. The submission deadline is April 30, 2024 at NOON. All submissions MUST be sent as Word documents (.docx or .doc) to newsletter@foodstudies.ca. Please send tables, photos, and figures as separate, high-resolution files (.jpg, .png. or .pdf). This is a great opportunity to share your research, expand your networks, and get constructive feedback. Please consider submitting: —major research updates, works in progress, or project summaries (250–500 words) —abstracts of forthcoming journal articles, book announcements, events, job postings, other news (150–200 words) —photography, graphics, or audio/video work (links), with [...]
Seeking Reviewers – CAFS Exploration Gallery
Going to the 2023 CAFS Conference? Interested in writing a review of an Exploration Gallery artwork or of the whole Gallery? Canadian Food Studies, the open-access journal of the Canadian Association for Food Studies, is seeking Exploration Gallery reviews for upcoming issues. Please visit the Gallery in Stong College, SC 111, and take a look around. Feel free to speak to the Gallery curator, Lucy Godoy, for advice and/or direction. You can also reach out directly to CFS Reviews Editor, Kristen Lowitt, with any questions or expressions of interest for other reviews. The full call for CFS event, book, [...]
2023 CAFS Conference Program
The program for the 2023 CAFS Conference is now available. We look forward to seeing you soon at York University! Please note the following: For the Reconciling Food Systems Workshop on June 1 (our third plenary), 40 conferenciers will take part in a set of core activities while the balance of attendees will bear witness, reflect, and engage in a parallel process. If you would like to be among the 40 core activity participants, please complete the Google Form for this plenary. (See page 11 of the program.) If you are driving to Toronto, or driving within the GTA to the York [...]
Protected: Upstander Intervention Training (conference scenario)
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2023 CAFS Pre-Conference for Emerging Scholars
You’re invited to the 2023 CAFS Pre-Conference! Are you interested in Food Studies? Do you want to build your academic network, think in new directions, or find a community of others facing early-career challenges? Do you want a smaller space to build relationships before the full CAFS conference? If you answered yes to any of these questions, the 2023 Pre-Conference is for you. Taking place on May 29, 2023, from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm, this one-day event is a great opportunity for focused exchange about the issues you care about (and a nice way to make new [...]
ACÉA 2023 – Programmation plénière
(click here for the English version) Parallèlement au thème de la conférence de l’ACÉA, Confronter le passé, réimaginer l’avenir et œuvrer à la réconciliation dans et par les systèmes alimentaires, notre arc de séances plénières qui s’étend sur trois jours vise à ancrer ces idées complexes dans des réalités alimentaires particulières. Nous souhaitons cheminer de la réflexion à l’action et de la réalisation à la transformation. Nous espérons que ces activités seront à la fois stimulantes et inspirantes, et qu’elles donneront lieu à des moments de réflexion sur où nous en sommes, ainsi que sur des façons ciblées [...]
CAFS 2023 – Conference Plenary Programming
(cliquez ici pour la version française) Paralleling the CAFS conference theme of Reckonings, Reimaginings, and Reconciliations, Within and Through Food Systems, our three-day arc of plenary events is intended to ground these complex ideas in specific food systems realities. Our aim is to move from thinking to doing, and from doing to transformation. We anticipate these events will be both challenging and inspiring, occasions to reflect on where we are and to identify ways to respond purposefully to inequity and oppression within and through food. DAY 1 - MAY 30, 2023 - RECKONING [...]
Recruiting CAFS Board Members – 2023–25
CAFS is now recruiting new members for its board of directors, for the term 2023–25. Elections will take place during the CAFS Annual General Meeting on May 31, 2023 and the two-year term starts immediately following the meeting. The workload expectations of board members are moderate—the board generally meets by video call once a month. Tasks include: helping to organize the annual conference addressing issues of concern to the CAFS membership allocating funding as required All positions have the same voice in decision-making and some positions have specific responsibilities. Currently, we are requesting nominations for non-specified Board member positions, [...]
2023 CAFS Exploration Gallery
The 2023 CAFS Exploration Gallery, curated by Chef Professor and food scholar, Luciana Godoy, is now accepting proposals for works to be exhibited at the conference in May-June 2023. The deadline is February 28, 2023. The Exploration Gallery is an experimental space for sharing knowledge, experience, speculative ideas, emotions, and questions about food, food culture, and food systems. An informal meeting hub and contemplation space, the Gallery also helps expand the scope of food studies, engaging both materiality and interaction. Submissions may include student posters, installations, books/zines, slide shows and videos, two- or three-dimensional pieces, edible art, and other [...]
CAFS 2022 Conference Schedule
The presentation schedule for the 2022 CAFS Conference is now available (updated May 11, 2022). Please click on the image below to download the schedule in PDF format. You can also download the complete Conference Program in PDF, including abstracts and the schedule.
2022 AGM – Save the date!
Save the date! The 2022 Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Association for Food Studies will be held (virtually) on Wednesday, May 11 from 1:00 to 2:00 pm EST. More details will follow in the weeks ahead. In the meantime, please make a note of the date in your calendars. All CAFS members are welcome and strongly encouraged to attend.
Call for Board Members
Seeking New Board Members! CAFS invites expressions of interest to serve on our Board of Directors for (a minimum) two-year term beginning June 1, 2022. There are a total of 5 open positions, including: Treasurer Secretary At-large (3 positions) Board Member Role The general expectation for members of the Board of Directors is to contribute to the governance and stewardship of CAFS. Typically the time commitment will not exceed 2 to 4 hours per month. If you wish to be considered for one of the open positions, please send a one-page expression of interest, indicating which position you’re interested in [...]
Call For Proposals—Meat Studies
Canadian Food Studies Call for Proposals — Themed Issue Meat Studies Guest Editors: Ryan J. Phillips, Ryerson University Elisabeth Abergel, UQÀM Abstract submission deadline: March 31, 2022 We are living through an unprecedented cultural shift regarding our collective relationship with meat. Meat consumption is decreasing in North America, yet increasing in other regions of the world. Meat-rejecting lifestyles such as veganism and vegetarianism are entering mainstream discourses and markets, after having long been relegated to the peripheries of culinary and dietary conversations. At the same time, the current cultural juncture is forcing us to categorically rethink and refine our conventional [...]
CFP for 2022 CAFS Conference now available
The 17th annual CAFS conference will take place from May 12 to 14, 2022, in conjunction with the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences. This will be a fully virtual event. To submit abstracts for (1) individual papers (2) organized sessions, (3) roundtables, or (4) workshops, please review the complete details on our Upcoming Conference page, or download the Call for Proposals in either English or French.
2022 CAFS Awards
Nominations are now open for the 2022 CAFS Awards! Each year, CAFS recognizes the contributions and work of our members. This year we are accepting nominations in two categories: Student Paper Award in Food Studies Award for Excellence in Public Service Please send nominations for either award to the CAFS Administrator. See details below. Nominations will be forwarded to the Awards Committee. You are welcome to nominate yourself or someone else. Submission deadline: March 31, 2022 Notification of awards: April 15, 2022 Student Paper Award Launched in [...]
Seeking CAFS Conference Coordinators
After careful consideration of a range of factors, including the Federation’s recent initiatives with respect to equity, diversity, inclusion, and decolonization (EDID), the CAFS Board has made the decision to join Congress in 2022. Congress 2022 will be held virtually from May 12th to 20th. More specific dates for the CAFS meeting will follow in the weeks ahead. We are now looking for one or two CAFS members who would be willing to join the Conference Coordinating Committee. The primary responsibility of the Conference Coordinators will be to work with the CAFS Board and Congress conference liaisons to undertake conference [...]
CAFS is hiring!
CAFS is looking for a social media specialist to help engage and grow our membership. The role includes maintaining a dynamic online presence for CAFS and Canadian Food Studies, and a commitment of 10 hours/month at $20/hour. Responsibilities include: Generating, assembling, and editing posts relevant to CAFS’ membership on a bi-weekly basis and publishing content to various social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn). Observing engagement and providing feedback on methods and avenues to grow CAFS’ membership and otherwise foster further engagement. Developing and maintaining contact with members of the CAFS community to source and aggregate content. Moderating and responding [...]
Call for Commentaries—Confronting Racism in Food Systems
Canadian Food Studies Call for Commentaries Confronting Anti-Black, Anti-Indigenous, and Anti-Asian Racisms in Food Systems in Canada Systemic anti-Black, anti-Indigenous, and anti-Asian racism pervades food systems in Canada, resulting in structural inequities across the food chain. In recognition of this reality, and as part of the Canadian Association for Food Studies’ commitment to the work of social and environmental justice, described in part in our statement on racialized police violence and systemic racism, we call for contributions for a themed issue of Canadian Food Studies: Confronting Anti- Black, Anti-Indigenous, and Anti-Asian Racisms in Food Systems in Canada. For complete details, [...]
Resources on Food and Racism in So-Called Canada
As part of CAFS’ commitment to the work of anti-racism, described in part in our statement on racialized police violence and systemic racism, we are compiling an open access list of resources at the intersection of food systems, racialized violence, and oppression. The first iteration of CAFS Compendium of Resources on Food and Racism in So-Called Canada was crowdsourced through a call-out to our listserv and network. We asked for recommendations for a diverse range of resources including, but not limited to, scholarship, websites, organizations, webinars, podcasts and journalism, focused within the Canadian context. In the interest of transparency, [...]
Webinar: The Many Truths of Food and Nutrition
Join us for a lively, fast-paced webinar with critical nutrition scholars Alissa Overend and Jennifer Brady, as they unpack the contextual nature of “truth” when it comes to food. As Oscar Wilde wrote, “the truth is rarely pure and never simple.” This deep dive into nutrition, health and wellness, science, and commercial messaging features our presenters discussing: Alissa’s powerful new book, Shifting Food Facts: Dietary Discourse in a Post-Truth Culture “Truths that make us mad!” (including Canada’s Food Guide, food labelling and advertising, singular food truths) Ways for the rest of us to adapt our own understanding of nutritional science [...]
Just Food conference poster art
These beautiful illustrations, part of the Just Food conference artwork, are by DC Artist and Educator Aaron Bland. More information is available on the Inprnt website, where you can also purchase posters of his work.
2021 Conference – Register Now!
Just Food: Because It Is Never Just Food June 9 - 15, 2021 Register now for the 2021 joint conference of CAFS, the Association for the Study of Food and Society, the Agriculture, Food & Human Values Society, and the Society for the Anthropology of Food & Nutrition. Once registration is complete, you can use the Whova app to consult the agenda, find out where all the sessions are located, and connect with other attendees.
2021 Conference Details
JUST FOOD: Because it is never “just food” June 9-15, 2021 This year's CAFS Conference will take place virtually, hosted by the Culinary Institute of America & New York University, and bringing together members of the Canadian Association for Food Studies, the Association for the Study of Food and Society, the Agriculture, Food & Human Values Society, and the Society for the Anthropology of Food & Nutrition. The submissions deadline has now passed and accepted presentations have been announce by email. The call for proposals is below.
2021 CAFS Awards
Nominations are now open for the 2021 CAFS Awards! Each year, CAFS recognizes the contributions and work of our members. This year we are accepting nominations in two categories: Student Paper Award in Food Studies Research Award for Excellence in Food Studies Please send nominations for either award to the CAFS Administrator. See details below. Nominations will be forwarded to the Awards Committee. You are welcome to nominate yourself or someone else. Submission deadline: April 30, 2021 Notification of awards: May 20, 2021 Student Paper Award Launched in 2011, this award was created to recognize scholarly excellence and encourage [...]
Sipekne’katik Mi’kmaw Fishery
Statement on the Sipekne’katik Mi’kmaw Moderate Livelihood Fishery We, the editorial collective for the Canadian Food Studies / La Revue canadienne des études sur l’alimentation, the official journal of the Canadian Association for Food Studies / L’Association canadienne des études sur l’alimentation (CAFS/ACÉA), along with the board of CAFS/ACÉA, are deeply concerned about the unlawful and unjust actions being taken in Nova Scotia that threaten the lives and livelihoods of the Sipekne’katik peoples. We urge the federal government to work in full support of the inherent rights and treaty rights of Mi’kmaq people to hunt, fish, and gather, as protected [...]
Racialized police violence and systemic racism
CAFS statement on racialized police violence and systemic racism The full statement is also available as a PDF file in English and French. We will post updates and next steps to this page. On behalf of the Canadian Association for Food Studies (CAFS), we write this letter to acknowledge the historic and contemporary systemic oppressions that are part of a living reality for Black, Indigenous and People of Colour across the globe. The consequences of such inequities are visible in the recent deaths of George Floyd, Tony McDade, Regis Korchinski-Paquet, David McAtee, Chantel Moore, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, among others, [...]
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