The research group Foodscapes, Innovation and Network (FINe) explores a new area of research at AAU that is interested in innovations in food, meals and food networks, using a research-base that is interdisciplinary and holistic in perspective.

Research from farm to fork

FINe  is unique in its way of looking at food systems by using a holistic approach that encompasses the whole chain of food production from the agricultural practices employed to food processing, practices in kitchens, through to final consumption. Based on a multidisciplinary approach to food studies, the group provides academic and strategic knowledge and practice-oriented experience from farm to fork. Through a network perspective, the research group looks at the food system as an entire chain of values, and emphasises that food is created in networks and interactions between actors, institutions and technology.

FINE does research in foodscapes

When focusing on innovation and development of new meal and food solutions, the research group places high priority on the importance of organisation, management and responsibility. The group also works with the concept ‘Foodscapes’ (food landscapes) that supports an understanding of the encounter between food, space, people and systems as a dynamic interaction.

User's perspective is central in FINe’s research

The group’s methodological foundation is made up primarily of socio-technical, qualitative and social science methods which also draw on techno-anthropological, sociological and action research traditions within food studies. This approach emphasises that the user's perspective is an important factor in creating successful innovation processes, and why interdisciplinary cooperation is also high priority for research collaborations.

The Master in Integrated Food Studies

FINe is one of the main forces behind a new MSc in Integrated Food Studies, which, from September 2012, is offered at Aalborg University's new Copenhagen campus in Sydhavnen.