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AN ETHNOGRAPHY OF WASTE
UNDERSTANDING THE PERCEPTIONS AND MANIFESTATIONS OF FOOD WASTE IN MALTA
PROJECT OF THE
OFF THE BEATEN T RACK
FIELD SCHOOL
Temple University (USA)
Expeditions, Research in Applied Anthropology vzw (Belgium)
Nearly 40% of all food produced becomes food
wastage. With an ever-expanding world
population, stakeholders in food systems must
not only look for more efficient and
sustainable ways of producing food, but also
formulate processes to minimize both food
loss and waste within all stages spanning from
plant to plate. Much of food wastage occurs
before reaching consumers, and thus is
defined as “food loss”. Infrastructural,
economic, and/or technical limitations such as
lacking harvesting labor, changing tastes, and/
or not meeting strict market quality and
aesthetic standards contribute to preconsumer food wastage.
wastage? Further questions will be developed
as research progresses.
Within this project, we will focus largely on
food loss on the farm and explore factors that
have lead to decreased profit for independent
small-scale famers. We will also look at how
farmers are banding together in co-ops and
other models of collaboration to get their
products to the market.
Goals
What traditions, customs, and/or ideologies
influence food wastage or preservation? Are
there particular items that are more commonly
left to rot on the farm? What systems do
people have in place to prevent and recover
food wastage? Is the issue of food waste/loss
in Gozo comparable to larger moreindustrialized countries? Do manifestations of
sharing or bartering exist to prevent food
Together, we will explore the ways in which
Gozitans perceive and deal with food loss and
waste. Not only will project participants gain a
deeper understanding of food wastage in
Gozo, but also learn techniques for how to best
engage with informants. Aside from
participant/observation and interviewing, we
will explore different innovative research
methods. Participants can be sure to find
themselves on farms, in the kitchen, and
traversing the edible landscape of Gozo, on
foraging escapades.
• Expand understanding of the perception of
food wastage and its manifestations in the
agro-food industry, such as in agriculture,
grocery stores, restaurants, and the
household.
• Gain and develop skills in ethnography by
learning how to best collect, record, and
organize field notes as well as analyze them
to later craft a unique position and research
thesis.
• Explore and practice various fieldwork
methodologies such as conducting
interviews, participant observation, and
visual approaches to ethnography.
• Develop your research skills and ability to
formulate questions through collaboration,
reflexivity, and discussion with fellow
2016
researchers and experienced
anthropologists.
• Learn how to adhere to the anthropological
code of ethics, understand informed
consent and how to avoid problems in
representation.
Leading professors & researchers
Sam Janssen (Expeditions)
Alexa Zerkow (Temple University)
Advisors
Dr. Heather Levi (Temple University)
Practical Information
This project is part of the Off The Beaten Track
field school. Registrations can be done on our
website.
Information about the project
Alexa Zerkow
Temple University
[email protected]
Practical information about the project
Sam Janssen (program director)
Expeditions
[email protected]
Session dates
June 10, 2016 - June 29, 2016 July 4, 2016 - July 23, 2016
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