The Transformative Nature of Food: Adaptation, Connectivity and Identity

This book explores the process of food migration, adaptation, and connections to cultural identities through the lens of food design research. Using design practice and methodology, it creates an awareness for the health and well-being of humanity’s ecosystems through identity and adaptation.

The book examines the evolving relationship between people and food, exploring how food transforms when it migrates to new cultures, adapting to local environments, ingredients, and practices. This leads to the creation of hybrid cultural practices and identities. Food adaptation affects the three integrated aspects of personal, social, and environmental connectivity, shaping individual and national identities while influencing sustainable food choices and practices. The book analyses food transformation from these three integrated perspectives, using examples from a variety of global contexts. Key questions include how food adaptation reconciles with new identities and the impact of cultural memories on food practices, and how can food design promote sustainable, transformative food cultures? Contributors from diverse backgrounds will use design to question and foster the awareness of food’s role in human health, well-being, environmental sustainability and ecology.

The Transformative Nature of Food will be of value to academics and postgraduate students in food design, cultural studies, and environmental sustainability programmes, as well as to professionals in cultural and non-profit sectors. Government agencies focused on migration, tourism, agriculture, and local development will also find this research valuable for policy and programme development.

Dolly Daou is an internationally recognised design researcher, educator, and leader. Dr Daou co-founded and is co-chair of the Food Think Tank at the Cumulus Association and the DRS Food Design Research Studio. With over 25 years of global experience and numerous high-ranking academic publications, she has received multiple awards and serves on the Advisory Board of Cindrebay University, Dubai. https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5113-818X

Melanie Sarantou (PhD) is Professor of Social Design at Kyushu University in Japan. Dr Sarantou's lecturing and research interests span the role of transformation design in arts-based research and design practices. Having edited numerous high-ranking books, her current research explores biotextiles, food plants, and the complexities of social fabrics to understand how to create and assess transformative change. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2209-3191