The purpose of this conference is to examine practices, processes, structures, and institutions that influence what we eat and why we eat it in a global context. How do international and national food policies affect the welfare and nutritional status of households? How does cooking and eating play a central role in the creation of citizens, collective identity and power? What kind of challenges do state and non - state actors play in shaping food policies and creating alternative food systems? What are the challenges of the rapidly changing foodscape for the near future regarding sustainability and food sovereignty?

These questions will be addressed by both active agents in the field of food (Emirati policy makers, cooks and chefs, F&B professionals, writers and specialists) and international scholars from multidisciplinary fields and theoretical schools that have conducted research in the field of Food Studies, Health, Agriculture and Environment, Management, Social Sciences and Humanities, among others. Undergraduate and graduate students are welcome to present posters as sole authors, and papers in co-authorship with their supervisors.

Debates will inquire about the meaning of food and food consumption; the role of political organizations and socio-economic institutions; and the global market dynamics, international health standards, and cultural discourses on food production. By seeking to engage scholars, students and policy makers with current debates on food studies our ultimate goal is to contribute in the production of knowledge to understand and transform the structures that bolster the dominant food system.