As people throughout the Western world are increasingly seeking to reconnect with their food, there’s a lot to be learned from the many peoples who have long maintained these dynamic relationships with their sustenance and with the earth. Ethnobiologists research these very relationships through a scientific lens and it’s a field of study bringing together many disciplines like anthropology, ecology and conservation to name just a few. Deconstructing Dinner believes ethnobiology is a subject deserving close attention for anyone interested in food security, food sovereignty and local food system conservation and development. In May 2010, Jon Steinman travelled to Vancouver Island to attend two ethnobiology conferences this multi-part series features recordings and interviews from those events.
Exploring Ethnobiology is a new series Deconstructing Dinner has been airing since June. Through a scientific lens, ethnobiology examines the relationships between humans and their surrounding plants, animals and ecosystems. With more and more people becoming interested in developing closer relationships with our surroundings (our food, the earth), there’s much we can all learn from…