About the Conference
Knowing Food: Insights from around the Table
The theme for this year’s conference is “Knowing Food: Insights from around the Table.”
BU MET’s graduate programs in Gastronomy & Food Studies and Programs in Food & Wine have been guided by the idea that you cannot know food unless you know food—by which we mean that our material interactions with food inform our intellectual engagement with food, and vice versa. We can read about food cultures or policies, but they come to life when we get involved at the hands-on level, whether that’s in a garden planting seeds, in the kitchen cooking with people, or among the community engaging in food systems. Conversely, if we cook without knowing why certain foods are in our kitchens or collaborate for change without understanding how food systems are organized, we only get half the picture. Without the full picture, we cannot make meaningful change.
The ASFS and AFHVS invite interested scholars and practitioners to engage with the idea of knowing food—join us at the table to gain new insights that bring you closer to knowing food and its role in society.
About the Association for the Study of Food and Society (ASFS)
The Association for the Study of Food and Society (ASFS) was founded in 1985 with the goal of promoting the interdisciplinary study of food and society. It has continued that mission by holding annual meetings; the first was in 1987, and since 1992 the meetings have been held jointly with the Agriculture, Food & Human Values Society. Working with Routledge Publishing, the organization produces the Food Culture & Society journal.
About the Agriculture, Food & Human Values Society (AFHVS)
The Agriculture, Food & Human Values Society (AFHVS) is a prominent professional organization which provides an international forum to engage in the cross-disciplinary study of food, agriculture, and health, as well as an opportunity for examining the values that underlie various visions of food and agricultural systems. From a base of philosophers, sociologists, and anthropologists, AFHVS has grown to include scientists, scholars, and practitioners in areas ranging from agricultural production and social science to nutrition policy and the humanities.
About Boston University’s Metropolitan College (MET)
Boston University is internationally recognized as a top institution of higher learning and research. As one of BU’s 17 degree-granting schools and colleges, Metropolitan College has played a unique role within the University since 1965, serving as a bridge from BU to the community and the world. With its mission to broaden the reach of BU through part-time and online programs designed to help busy adults achieve their personal and professional ambitions, BU MET serves as a laboratory and incubator for new programs, pedagogy, and educational technologies. Students have access to cutting-edge facilities and the latest learning tools—as well as the opportunity to build networks with classmates and industry peers.
Metropolitan College offers a Master of Arts in Gastronomy, a Graduate Certificate in Food Studies, and a variety of hands-on opportunities through its Programs in Food & Wine, including the chef-taught Certificate Program in the Culinary Arts.
