Food for All: Media, Communication and Food Democracy

The 4th Conference on Food & Communication aims to critically explore the diverse roles of media and communication in shaping and advancing food democracy in all its dimensions. Food democracy encompasses not only equitable access to nutritious, sustainable, and enjoyable food for all—regardless of socio-economic status, age, or situations of vulnerability—but also stresses transparency in food systems, access to knowledge, public deliberation, and the protection of individual rights and freedoms.

Media and communication can play a pivotal role in advancing these facets of food democracy. They can be instrumental in fostering public debate, ensuring transparency about food production and supply chains, providing access to educational resources, and amplifying advocacy for the protection of consumer rights. Furthermore, media can render visible and give recognition to minority and marginalized food practices, thereby challenging dominant narratives and promoting diversity in food systems. The concept of food democracy, originally developed as a counterpressure to the concentration of corporate power within the agri-food system, challenges “food control” by promoting participatory approaches and defending personal liberties in the food landscape.

Despite its frequent use, a comprehensive understanding of food democracy is still evolving, encompassing different elements from public engagement to the protection of individual rights. This conference invite scholars, practitioners, and activists to address this gap by examining the intersections between media, communication, and these multiple dimensions of food democracy.

We aim to analyze how different communication strategies are shaping food systems, influencing policy, and contributing to the broader democratic control over food.

Key Topics for Submission:

1. Media, Journalism, and Food Democracy: Explore how journalism and media (spanning from traditional media to digital platforms) contribute to constructing the discourse around food democracy.
2. Audiovisual Media, Image, and Cinema in Food Narratives: Analyze how audiovisual media, imagery, and cinema contribute to the representation of food democracy.
3. Public and Political Communication on Food Policy: Investigate how public and political communication shapes food policies and their role in promoting food democracy.
4. Organizational Communication, Corporate Messaging, and Food Advertising: Explore how organizations (food corporations, NGOs, institutions) and advertising influence the discourse around food democracy.
5. Organization and Circulation of Food Knowledge: Examine how media formats—cookbooks, documentaries, food shows, educational platforms, and social media—contribute to public understanding of food, nutrition, and sustainability.
6. Communication Strategies of Affordable and Free Food Initiatives: Investigate how affordable and free food initiatives, such as food banks, community supermarkets, and non-commercial food programs, utilize communication strategies to reach their target audiences.
7. Memory, Heritage, and Food Democracy: Explore the role of memory and food heritage in building food democracy. Contributions are encouraged to reflect on how food memory is used to promote cultural continuity and challenge hegemonic narratives of the food industry.

Broad Scope of Contributions

By focusing on the intersections of communication and food, the conference welcomes a diverse range of scientific contributions across all geographic areas, historical periods, and methodological approaches, including but not limited to:

• Food and health
• Food and sustainability
• Food and ethics
• Food and science
• Food branding and marketing
• Food and media
• Food advice and cookbooks
• Governmental and corporate discourse on food
• Food and professional communication (chefs, restaurants)
• Food and politics
• Food and religion
• Food and heritage

Submission Guidelines

We invite submissions from a broad spectrum of disciplines, including communication studies, media studies, food studies, sociology, anthropology, political science, and public policy. Interdisciplinary approaches are strongly encouraged.

Early bird abstract submissions are due by January 15th, 2025. Authors will be notified of acceptance by mid-February 2025.

Standard abstract submissions will be due by March 15th, 2025. Authors will be notified of acceptance by early May 2025.

All presenters must be registered for the conference by June 15th, 2025, to be included in the program.

Please submit an abstract of no more than 300 words via the conference website: https://foodforall.sciencesconf.org.

Cost of the Conference

260 € (Gala Dinner excluded)

Programme Committee

Dr Ana Tominc, Queen Margaret University Edinburgh, UK (Chair)

Dr Andreja Vezovnik, Ljubljana University, Slovenia

Dr Helen Andersson, Örebro University, Sweden

Dr Radhika Mittal, Amsterdam University, The Netherlands

Professor Jonathan Leer, Örebro University, Sweden

Professor Simona De Iulio, Lille University, France

Local Organizing Committee

Dr Thomas Bihay, Lille University

Professor Emeritus Jean-Jacques Boutaud, University of Burgundy

Professor Simona De Iulio, Lille University

Professor Patrice de la Broise, Lille University

Dr Salma El Bourkadi, Lille University

Dr Fabiola Leone, Catholic University of Paris

Professor Caroline Marti, Sorbonne University

Jeanne Pixian Qiao, PhD Student, Lille University

Cristina Romanelli, PhD Student, Lille University

Professor Cécile Tardy, Lille University