The fourth edition of the biennial Food & Communication symposium, entitled "Food for All: Media, Communication and Food Democracy", will be held at the University of Lille (Infocom Roubaix) from September 10-12, 2025.This event brings together, every two years, international researchers, practitioners and activists around issues of communication, mediation and food. Following the editions in Edinburgh (2018), Ljubljana (2021) and Örebro (2023), this fourth edition examines the relationships between media systems, communication processes and the construction of food democracy.

 

Présentation

La quatrième édition du colloque biennal Food & Communication, intitulée « Food for All : Media, Communication and Food Democracy », qui se tiendra à l’Université de Lille (Infocom Roubaix) du 10 au 12 septembre 2025. Cet événement réunit, tous les deux ans, chercheurs, praticiens et activistes internationaux autour des enjeux de communication, médiation et alimentation. Après les éditions d’Édimbourg (2018), Ljubljana (2021) et Örebro (2023), cette quatrième édition examine les relations entre dispositifs médiatiques, processus communicationnels et construction de la démocratie alimentaire.

Le programme explore les dimensions médiatiques et info-communicationnelles de la démocratie alimentaire : représentations médiatiques et identités alimentaires, médiation des savoirs nutritionnels, communication des innovations alimentaires, pratiques numériques et réseaux sociaux, gouvernance des systèmes alimentaires et reconnaissance de la diversité des traditions culinaires.

Trois conférences plénières seront données par Charlotte Biltekoff (Université de Californie, Davis), Susan Kovacs (ENSSIB Lyon) et Marketa Supkova (Territoires de Démocratie Alimentaire).

Session 1 - Wednesday 10 septembre2025 - 13 :30-15 :00

Panel 1 - Room 22 : Memory, Heritage, and Food Democracy

Chair : Laurence Favier

• Heritage and dissemination of food during the Enlightenment : the case of the Encyclopedists, Stéphanie Couderc-Morandeau, Université de Nantes
• Capturing Culinary Heritage : Using Technology to Document and Democratize Evolving Food Cultures, Karena Wong, Robert Danhi, Chef Danhi & Co, Los Angeles
• Digital Technologies to Gather, Preserve, and Share Food Stories : Culinary Memories and Practices as Narratives of Food Democracy from the Grown-Up, Meredith Abarca, University of Texas at El Paso

Panel 2 - Room 27 : Communication Strategies Against Food Waste

Chair : Ana Tominc

• Too Ugly, too Old : Price Discounts as a Retail Action for Reducing Food Waste, Nicklas Neuman, Uppsala Universitet, Jonas Bååth, Rosa Hellman, Sara Spendrup, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
• Too Good to Let Go. Anti-waste platforms : from Too Good to Go to Memo Food Clip, Anna Bisogno, Universitas Mercatorum, Rome
• Digital Narratives of Food Waste : A Systematic Review on Social Media’s Impact on Sustainable Consumption, Fitria Avicenna, Stinne Gunder Strøm Krogager, Aalborg University

Panel 3 - Room 32 : Social Media, Youth

 Chair : Jonatan Leer

• Processing, Memory, and Intentions : Exploring the Role of Instagram Recipe Videos’ Taste and Convenience Cues in Shaping Food Practices Among Young Adults, Paulien Decorte, Karolien Poels, Tim Smits, Sara Pabian, Paul Bolls, Konrad Rudnicki, Charlotte De Backer
• Social Media, Food, and Youth : Norms, Resistance, and Public Health Challenges , Léa Lopes, Clémentine Hugol-Gential, Ariane Picard, Université Bourgogne Europe
• Mediatized Excess : Competitive Eating and Food Challenges Online, Ryan Fountain, Freie Universität Berlin

Panel 4 - Room 36 : Media Representations and Food Governance

Chair : Eulàlia Puig Abril

• ’Frankenstein Meat’ in the ’Witch’s Chemistry Kitchen’ : Media Framing of Green Genetic Engineering in Austria, Georg Vogt, St.Poelten University of Applied Sciences
• Steakholders of Masculinity. An Exploration of the Cultural Scripts of Meat-eating Manhood through Media, Elina Vrijsen, University of Antwerp
• Gastro-constitutionalism, Mathilde Cohen, University of Connecticut

Session 2 - Wednesday 10 septembre2025 - 15 :30-18 :00

Panel 5 - Room 22 : Education as Food Democracy in Action

Chair : Susan Kovacs

• Educating for Democracy Through Food, Afreixo Lígia, Francisco Providência,Universidade de Aveiro
• Children as Receivers and Messengers for Health Education : Social Dynamics Behind the Circulation of "Food Messages" in School Settings, Nicolas Mendez Barreto, Université Paris Saclay
• Perceived Helpfulness of Online Nutrition Information for Primary School Students : Influence of Media Use, Gender, and Grade Level, Urška Kolar, Mitja Vrdelja, Hristo Hristov, Vida Fajdiga Turk, Nataša Delfar, National Institute of Public Health, Slovenia
• Libraries and Food Democracy : New Practices on Food Knowledge Mediation, Laurence Favier, Simona De Iulio, Université de Lille
• Making Food Democracy. An Educational Framework for Sustainable Consumption Practices in Higher Education, Eleonora Noia, Silvia Mazzucotelli Salice, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan

Panel 6 - Room 27 : Memory, Heritage, and Food Democracy

Chair : Jeanne Peixian Qiao

• “A Bite of China” : From Documentary to Hashtag, Shan Gao, Université de Lille
• The Democratising Dead : Calendrical Complexity, Commemorative Holidays, and Culinary Continuity across Time, Anthony F. Buccini, Independant Scholar
• Reanimating Appalachia : Women Chefs Advancing the Region Through Food, Wendy Atkins-Sayre, University of Memphis, Ashli Stokes, University of North Carolina
• Official Heritage vs. Edible Memories : Contesting Authenticity in Singapore’s Hawker Culture, Amy DePierre, University of Colorado, Denver
• Feasting & Fasting : How Ramadan’s Food Rituals Influence Social and Psychological Health, Charlotte De Backer, Andrea Codina-Fernandez, Sarah Ahannach, Sarah Van den Bosch, Isabel Erreygers, Inas Rahou, Samira El Messaoudi, Yukta Pai, Marit Van der Poel, Sarah Lebeer

Panel 7 - Room 32 : Communicating New Foods

Chair : Patrice de la Broise

• Ecomodernism, Cultured Meat and the Search for the "Middle Landscape", Andreja Vezovnik,University of Ljubljana
• Shaping Food Democracy : Political Discourse on the Regulation of Cellular Meat in France, Melis Aras, Université de Nantes, Sandrine Barrey, Université de Toulouse
• Politics of the Plate : How Dutch Politicians Communicate about Emerging Food Technologies, Rao Madhura, Wiersma Noor, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
• Public Discourses of Alternative Protein Foods : A 2014-2024 Review of Facebook Public Pages’ Posts, Weiyu Zhang, National University of Singapore, Bingyan Wang, Tsinghua University
• Resisting Corporate Power Through Networked Advocacy : Communication Mechanisms in Global Food Policy Diffusion, Susana Ramírez, University of California, Merces

Session 3 - Thursday11 septembre2025 - 10 :30-12 :00

Panel 8 - Room 22 : Corporate Organizations and Social Responsibility

 Chair : Clementine Hugol-Gential

• Challenging Food Narratives : A Discourse Analysis of Agro-Food Representations in a Belgian Alternative Media, Sabri Derinöz, Université Catholique de Louvain
• A Cheese for a More Inclusive Society : Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis of CSR in Swedish Food Retail, Helen Andersson, Örebro University
• The Company, Territory of Food Democracy ? Elements of Surveys on Eating Practices at Work in the Prism of the Concept of "Food Democracy", Thomas Heller, Elodie Sevin, Fabiola Leone, Université de Lille

Panel 9 - Room 27 : Farmers and Producers Narratives

• Chair : Simona De Iulio
• The Farming Futures Cycle Tour : Co-creating Visions of Future Farming , Veronica White, University of Exeter
• I Farmer : Narratives about Self, Land and the Future of Farming, Ana Tominc, Queen Margaret University Edinburgh, Benjamin MCCormick, Aberdeen University, David McBey, Marko Stace, Queen Margaret University Edinburgh
• Mobilizing Communication : Preserving Cooperative Production and Taste Diversity in Comté Cheese (1990-2015), Christy Shields Argeles, The American University of Paris

Panel 10 - Room 32 : Media and Food Culture

Chair : Diana Willis

• Democratizing Porridge : Personal Narratives in Social Media Branding of Grød, Stinne Gunder Strøm Krogager, Aalborg University Jonatan Leer, Örebro University
• New Kid on the Block ? ! Excessive Cooking Shows in the Cooking Show Ecology, Rita Tamara Vallentin, Sofia Rüdiger, Freie Universität Berlin
• I See Fruit, but They Eat Ultra-Processed Snacks : Content Analysis of Food Incidents in America’s Top Popular Shows 2013-2024, Eulàlia Puig Abri, University of Illinois

Session 4 - Thursday11 septembre2025 - 13 :30-15 :00

Panel 11 - Room 22 : Building Food Literacy in Context

Chair : Stinne Gunder Strøm Krogager

• Food Democracy in Practice : Institutional and Informal Communication on Vegetarian Policies in French University Canteens, Cristina Romanelli, Université de Lille
• Chefs Cooking Up Capital, Beth Forrest, Deirdre Murphy,Culinary Institute of America
• Developing Food Policy Literacy – the Case of the Food Systems Flower Diagram, Rebecca Wells, City St George’s, University of London, Kelly Parsons, University of Cambridge

Panel 12 - Room 27 : Food Culture Communication : From Restaurants to Households

 Chair : Salma El Bourkadi

• Pots, Pans, and Knife Cuts on Hands : Restaurant Kitchens as Media, Anson Hunt, Carleton University
• Hipster Hospitality : The Paradox of Accessibility and Exclusivity in Contemporary Food Culture, Kajsa Hult, Örebro University
• Communication as a Key Factor in Household Adaptation and Resilience to Crises, Emna Ouertani, University of Carthage, Maram Ben Hmida, Higher School of Agriculture, Mograne

Panel 13 - Room 32 : Digital Dissemination of Nutrition Knowledge

 Chair : Emily Contois

• The Styles of “Healthy Food” in Stock Images, Iben B. Jessen, Aalborg University
• Digital Plates and False Prophets : Social Media’s Double-Edged Impact on Food Democracy, Joachim Allgaier, Fulda University of Applied Sciences
• Food Morals in Online Discourses – Social Network Analysis and Netnography Analysis of German Food Communities on Instagram, Eva-Maria Endres, Anhalt University

Panel 14 - Room 36 : Food Systems and Social Equity

Chair : Ana Tominc

• Emancipatory Imaginaries : the Platform Transformation of Denver’s Urban Food System, Hillary Quarles, University of Denver
• Improving Access to Nutritious Food for Migrants from Disadvantaged Backgrounds : A Rapid Evidence Assessment, Alexandra Constantinescu, Naz Ali, Buckinghamshire New University
• “A fistful of rice” : Food health communications and British Bangladeshi Women in Tower Hamlets, London, Elaine Swan,University of Sussex, Hussain Shazna Miah Sajna, Miles Zoe, Women’s Environmental Network (WEN)

Session 5 - Panel 15 - Room 22 : Communication for Food Justice

Chair : Salma El Bourkadi

• Understanding Power in Food Policy : a Pilot Study, Naomi Fallon, Christopher Yap, Christina Vogel, City St George’s, University of London, Lorna Anguilano, Brunel University London
• BIPOC Nutritionists and Competing Visions of Health : the Divide between Justice and Conspiracy in Contemporary Food Discourse, Julieta Flores Jurado, National Autonomous University of Mexico
• The “Pot People” Revolutions : Agroecology, Communication and Radical Food Democracy in Post-COVID Brazil, Fernanda Favaro, Malmö University
• Bib Gourmand and Food Democracy in Chiang Mai : Culinary Authority, Media Validation, and the Negotiation of Street Food Hierarchies, Piyarat Panlee, Kasetsart University

Panel 16 - Room 27 : Body Politics : Health and Food

Chair : Andreja Vezovnik

• (Re-)Framing Ballet Nutrition : Pragmalinguistic and Paratextual Strategies in Instagram’s Dietary Discourse, Constanze Betz, Tina Bartelmeß, University of Bayreuth
• How “Eat Like an Athlete” Messaging Compromises Food Democracy, Emily Contois, University of Tulsa
• Silencing Cravings : Exploring Food Noise, Media Influence, and the Business of Body Management, Kathleen LeBesco, Marymount Manhattan College, Charlotte De Backer, University of Antwerp, Isabelle Cuykx, Thomas More University of Applied Sciences Antwerp, Paulien Decorte, Maastricht University, Lauranna Teunissen, Universiteit van Amsterdam
• Who Cares about My Gut Microbiota ? The Profile of those Shaping Social Representations of Digestive Health on Instagram, Manon Niquette, Université de Laval

Panel 17 - Room 32 : Mediating Local Food Traditions

Chair : Simona De Iulio

• Eating the Real : Food Documentaries and Local Public Spheres as Spaces for Political Engagement, Luca Antonazzi, Università di Scienze Gastronomiche, Pollenzo
• The Transcultural and Transgenerational Transmission of Culinary Knowledge in Contemporary Kyoto’s Ryōtei Kitchens, Greg De St. Maurice, Keio University
• The David and Goliath of Iberian Cuisines : A Comparative Analysis of Portuguese and Spanish Gastronomy in The New York Times, Ricardo Felner, University Institute of Lisbon
• Historical Perspectives on Media Participation in the Diffusion of Typical Foods from Belém do Pará, Taynah De Moraes, University of Coimbra

Session 6 - Friday12 septembre2025 - 9 :00-11 :00

Panel 18 - Room 22 : Food Packaging and Food Values

Chair : Helen Andrersson

How Nutritional Knowledge is Circulated through Chinese Food Packaging : A Social Semiotic Study of “Healthy" Snacks, Göran Eriksson, Shanghai International Studies University

Communicating Inclusivity and Sustainability : Packaging Strategies in Food Democracy Initiatives, Simona De Iulio, Université de Lille

Simply (Go Shopping and) Cook ? Unboxing Commercially Available Meal Kits and Women’s Mental Load, Jessica Horne, University of Sussex

Dish Dash : Unpacking the Role of Convenience in Recipe Decision-Making, Paulien Decorte, Caroline Goukens, Maastricht University, Charlotte De Backer, University of Antwerp

Panel 19 - Room 27 : Communicating Food Insecurity and Solutions

Chair : Cristina Romanelli

• How Food Representations are Influenced by Precarity and how they Influence our Food Choices, Romane Vandroux, Rodalyn Apple Ariola, Anthony Piermattéo, Université Catholique de Lille
• Shaping Food Democracy through Media Discourse : Framing of Food Poverty in Germany, Tina Bartelmeß, University of Bayreuth
• Taking it to the Streets : How Free Food Fridge Movements are Reframing Food Insecurity, Diana Willis, State University of New York
• Let them Speak ! A Qualitative Study of the Thoughts and Feelings of Pantry Guests in Northern New Jersey, Charles Feldman, Tito Alvarado, Shahla Wunderlich, Montclair State University

Panel 20 - Room 32 : Emerging Voices in Food Media

Chair : Andreja Vezovnik

• Digital Distinction : The Evolution of Foodie Discourse Across Media Platforms, Josee Johnston, University of Toronto
• The Culinary Book in the Age of Social Media : between New Digital Recommendations and Editorial Redefinition, Amélie Altmayer, Clémentine Hugol-Gential, Université Bourgogne Europe
• Strategic Positioning of a Culinary Niche : European Tea Culture in Media, and Book Awards, at Universities and Festivals, Hartwig Bohne, SRH Hochschulen Berlin
• Sip and Share : Exploring New Voices in Wine Prescription through Digital Social Network, Jeanne Peixian Qiao, Université de Lille

Committees

Programme Committee

• Dr Ana Tominc, Queen Margaret University Edinburgh, UK (Chair)
• Professor Andreja Vezovnik, Ljubljana University, Slovenia
• Dr Helen Andersson, Örebro University, Sweden
• Dr Radhika Mittal, Amsterdam University, The Netherlands
• Professor Jonathan Leer, Örebro University, Sweden
• Professor Simona De Iulio, Lille University, France

Local Organizing Committee

• Dr Thomas Bihay, Lille University
• Professor Emeritus Jean-Jacques Boutaud, University of Burgundy
• Professor Simona De Iulio, Lille University
• Professor Patrice de la Broise, Lille University
• Dr Salma El Bourkadi, Lille University
• Dr Fabiola Leone, Catholic University of Paris
• Professor Caroline Marti, Sorbonne University
• Jeanne Pixian Qiao, PhD Student, Lille University
• Cristina Romanelli, PhD Student, Lille University
• Professor Cécile Tardy, Lille Universit