Food Cultures and Social Justice

Oregon State University’s Food in Culture and Social Justice Program is pleased to host the 2025 joint annual meeting of the Association for the Study of Food and Society (ASFS) and the Agriculture, Food and Human Values Society (AFHVS). The 2025 conference theme is “Food Cultures and Social Justice.” Culture is how humans live in the world and we construct our many different kinds of cultures around making and eating food. AgriCULTURE is what allowed human society to grow and spread, perhaps beyond a sustainable level. For most of human existence, people consumed food that was produced in their ecosystem. This is far from the norm today. Whether we are talking about the transport of high-end luxury foods, fruits and vegetables from other climates, common staples, or food aid, the food humans eat today travels far. People also travel far when they can no longer live a satisfying life in their homeland. They bring food traditions with them as they also adapt to new tastes. They often find exploitative jobs in food and agriculture industries, helping to feed their richer hosts. In practice, food and agriculture are ensconced in systems of racism, sexism, classism, and colonialism, often resulting in embodied trauma. In this conference, we choose to highlight issues of social justice, and explore ways to mitigate its damages. Food also lies at the heart of reciprocity. Sharing food brings people together in their struggle for connection and agency. We invite you to share food with us in Corvallis and to participate in conversations aimed at understanding food and agricultural systems and creating more equitable and environmentally sound food and agricultural systems in the future.