The Association for the Study of Food and Society (ASFS) and the Agriculture, Food & Human Values Society (AFHVS) invite scholars and practitioners to participate in their annual meeting June 18-21st, 2025 in Corvallis, Oregon, USA.
The theme of this 40th ASFS anniversary meeting 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 societies 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. 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 cultivate paths toward liberation. Food lies at the heart of reciprocity. Sharing food brings people together in their struggle for connection and meaning. We invite you to share food with us in Corvallis and to participate in conversations aimed at equitable and environmentally sound food and agricultural systems.
In recognition of this conference centering food, culture, and social justice and coinciding with Juneteenth, we will include an Indigenous-led welcome ceremony, events honoring Black food cultures, and a roundtable on food and farmworker labor movements. We particularly encourage submissions that complement these themes and engage with larger histories of exploitation, enslavement, liberation, and resistance through the power of food, farmworkers, and labor movements. We also invite submissions across the broader transdisciplinary study of food and agriculture, including proposals from and with scholars, practitioners, community partners, activists, policymakers, and others.
Timeline
Early bird abstract submissions are due by November 15, 2024. Authors will be notified of acceptance by mid-December 2024. Standard abstract submission deadline is extended to January 31st. Authors will be notified of acceptance by early March 2025. All presenters must be registered for the conference by April 15, 2025, to be included in the program.
Abstract Submission
A system login will be required to complete your abstract submission. Please save your login information as the same credentials will be needed for conference registration in 2025. Abstracts should be a maximum of 250 words.
Please list all co-authors at the beginning of your abstract (this will not count against the word limit).
Submission Options
15-minute Paper Presentation: Please indicate if this will be part of an organized paper session. If not, organizers will group independent papers thematically into a session.
90-minute Paper Panel: Organize a group of papers into a 90 minute panel in a format of your choosing. (eg. four 15-minute papers with 30 minutes of audience discussion; four 15-minute papers followed by a discussant and audience discussion; an organizer introduction, three 20-minute papers, audience discussion, etc).
90-minute Roundtable: Host a conversation on a topic with a group of stakeholders and/or experts as panelists.
Poster: Share a poster that describes a research project or program. There will be an opportunity to share more with attendees both in-person during a dedicated poster session time as well as through pre-recorded talks online.
Creative Sessions: In addition to papers, panels, posters, and roundtables, we welcome films, kitchen demonstrations or hands-on workshops, and other creative sessions (e.g., story-sharing, tasting).
5-minute Lightning Talks (Virtual Only)
Virtual Presentations: Virtual presentations will be asynchronous with the in-person conference to encourage participation across time zones. Accepted papers, posters, and 5-minute lightning talks that are pre-recorded and submitted by June 11th will be made available to in-person and virtual attendees before, during, and after the in-person conference.
Nota Bene: Each presenter will be limited to no more than two sessions, to include no more than one first-authored paper presentation.
Keywords for Abstract Submissions
Food Cultures
Social Justice in Food Systems
Food Sovereignty
Food Activism
Indigenous Foodways
Prehistoric and Historic Food and Agriculture Practices
Chefs and Restaurants
The Cultural and Social Construction of Taste
Culinary Breeding
The Future of Food/Sustainability
African Diaspora
Food and Farm Workers
Food Insecurity
Food and Health
Food Waste
Food and Climate Change
Water
Food and War
Food and Belonging
Agroecology and Regenerative Farming
Multispecies Entanglements
Transnational Cuisine
Food and Public Policy
Land/Soil/Terroir
Chemicals and Toxicity
Ecosystem Resilience