Marcus Butler
16 October 2015: 'What's for dinner?' may be the most common question asked about food, but a group of experts gathering at the University of Canberra have delved deeper into the questions surrounding the food we eat: the ethics, food networks and the future of food.
The Foodscapes symposium, which coincided with World Food Day, featured experts from the University and around the world discussing food waste, digital food networks, urban agriculture, GMOs and 3D-printed food.
Event organiser and University of Canberra assistant professor of humanities Bethany Turner said people's interest in food has grown in recent decades, as they focus on the health, social and environmental issues associated with their food.
"Food culture, from its production to how we deal with waste, is something we all need to be critically aware of," Dr Turner said.
"We know that more and more people are embracing growing their own food, be that in community gardens, school gardens, on balconies and rooftops and many Australians are choosing to purchase from local growers through community-supported-agriculture schemes and farmers' markets.
"But in Australia about one third of all food goes to waste, so it is an important area for our society to address as we look to being more sustainable and feeding more people worldwide."
Dr Turner said World Food Day should remind people that food-related issues are central to the way in which we live our lives.
"Food is something we all engage with every day and our relationship with it has a significant impact on our lives. Foodscapes will examine how our relationship to food shifts and changes due to various factors," she said.
