This conference within the framework of the french comity of the International Commission for Anthropology of Food, is organized the 15-16 of december 2008 in Paris.

The organization of such a conference is aimed the evaluation of knowledge on the relationship between biodiversity and sustainable food. It wants to be at the interface of the current concerns for a healthy and balanced diet based on a natural, economical and social environment.

Two issues will be concerned :

• Agricultural biodiversity
• The spontaneous biodiversity in food

The scientific committee, chaired by Igor by Garine, president of International ICAF, Emeritus Director of research at the CNRS, is composed of the national chairmen of ICAF as well as, for the Museum, of Serge Bahuchet, Professor and Chairman of the Department Men Natures Societies.

We wish to bring together international specialists in the anthropology of the food, in order to tackle the questions of the food as “revealing” of the relations between human societies and biodiversity and of the associated representations:

• Spontaneous biodiversity as a source of nutrients, a supplementary benefit of the agriculture
• Agricultural biodiversity and the nutritional role of varietal diversity
• Levy practices, rules for access and distribution of the products
• food processing in conjunction with the changes in access to resources
• transmission of knowledge and practices related to food between generations and between social groups.
• relationship between biodiversity and agricultural productivity
• spatial organization of the food supply (eg. local products)
• seasonality and supply, picking and hunger products
• effects of fashion, of trend
• pressure on resources and the sustainable use of the products.
• new agricultural technologies in relation to the biodiversity and food.

> Download the the complete call for papers

Where the Symposium:

Musée de l’Homme – 17, place du Trocadero – Paris, 75016

Preliminary schedule

• Call for papers, April 20, 2008 - Deadline: May 30
• Selection by the committee on June 15
• The handing in the summaries, Oct. 15
• Symposium, 15-16 December

Contact : Françoise Aubaile -Sallenave (aubaile@mnhn.fr )

tel., 33 (0) 1 40 79 36 77

fax, 33 (0) 1 40 79 38 91