Food and the City

6 EC

Semester 1, period 2, 3

5132FOTC6Y

Owner Bachelor Future Planet Studies
Coordinator dr. Jannes Willems
Part of Exchange Programme Faculty of Science, specialisation BSc Future Planet Studies / Sustainability, year 1Minor Sustainable Food Systems, year 1Bachelor Future Planet Studies, major Future Society, year 2
Links Visible Learning Trajectories

Course manual 2025/2026

Objectives

  • Explain the interrelationships between cities and food systems, and the shift towards a re-localized food system
  • Using theoretical insights pertaining to the urban food system and food practices to qualitatively investigate and analyse actual issues in a local context
  • Explain the spatial arrangements, institutional designs and value systems of different food systems, and their impact on cities
  • Explain the role of urban planning in the transition towards a re-localized food system
  • Students can independently set-up and conduct an interview with professionals, residents or other relevant research participants, and apply qualitative analysis tools to interpret the data
  • Critically reflect on the shift towards a re-localized food system, and the contribution of urban planning

Teaching methods

  • Lecture
  • Seminar
  • Working independently on e.g. a project or thesis

Learning activities

Activity

Hours

  

Lectures

16

  

Exam

3

  

Working groups

12

  

Individual research project

67

  

Self study

70

  

Total

168

(6 EC x 28 uur)

Attendance

  • Some course components require compulsory attendance. If compulsory attendance applies, this will be indicated in the Course Catalogue which can be consulted via the UvA-website. The rationale for and implementation of this compulsory attendance may vary per course and, if applicable, is included in the Course Manual.

    • Additional requirements for this course:

    Attending all scheduled education activities is strongly advised. By doing so, you actively contribute to a lively learning community and significantly improve your chances of successfully completing the course. The designated mandatory activities play a crucial role in achieving the course objectives and are essential for your overall progress. By registering for this course, you are complying with the rules regarding attendance and agreeing to actively prepare for and participate in the mandatory activities.

    • The first lecture is a mandatory lecture, because it provides the outline of the course and discusses the individual assignment;
    • Students are allowed to miss only 1 out of 6 seminars. The seminars prepare you for the individual assignment and the exam. The quality of the seminars largely depends on the attendance, preparation, and active participation of every student;
    • Absence of a seminar needs to be communicated to the seminar lecturer (Jordy Willems)

    Assessment

    Item and weight Details

    Final grade

    60%

    Tentamen digitaal

    		Must be ≥ 5.5, Mandatory

    40%

    Individuele onderzoeksopdracht

    		Mandatory
    • The exam will cover the course material discussed in block 2 and 3;
    • The individual research project consists of several milestones in block 2 and 3;

    Assessment diagram

    Learning objective: Exam Individual assignment Reflections

    #1. Explain the interrelationships between cities and food systems, and the shift towards a re-localized food system

    		 X    

    #2. Using theoretical insights pertaining to the urban food system and food practices to qualitatively investigate and analyse actual issues in a local context

    		 X X  

    #3. Explain the spatial arrangements, institutional designs and value systems of different food systems, and their impact on cities

    		 X X X

    #4. Explain the role of urban planning in the transition towards a re-localized food system

    		 X X X

    #5. Students can independently set-up and conduct an interview with experts or relevant stakeholders, and apply qualitative analysis tools to interpret the data

    		   X  

    #6. Critically reflect on the shift towards a re-localized food system, and the contribution of urban planning

    		     X

    Students that were enrolled in the course in previous years

    Students who were enrolled previously have to re-do the exam,  but not necessarily the assignment. Please consult the course coordinator in the first week of the course.

    Inspection of assessed work

    Inspection of assessed work will take place during the seminars.

    Assignments

    In the individual research project in block 2 and 3, students will carry out a qualitative research project pertaining the food system of Amsterdam.

    Fraud and plagiarism

    The 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' applies to this course. This will be monitored carefully. Upon suspicion of fraud or plagiarism the Examinations Board of the programme will be informed. For the 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' see: www.student.uva.nl

    Course structure

    Date
    		 Activity Lecturer(s)
    		 Content Reading material
    27-10 Lecture 1 JaW Introduction to food and the city

    Pothukuchi, K., & Kaufman, J. L. (1999). Placing the food system on the urban agenda: The role of municipal institutions in food systems planning. Agriculture and Human Values, 16(2), 213-224.

    Wiskerke, J. S. (2009). On places lost and places regained: Reflections on the alternative food geography and sustainable regional development. International Planning Studies, 14(4), 369-387.
    31-10 WG1 JoW Foodscapes of Amsterdam + Research focus

     
    03-11 Lecture 2 JaW Urban food security and food democracy

    Bornemann, B., & Weiland, S. (2022) Urban Food Democracy. Chapter 7 in: Moragues-Faus, A., Clark, J.K., Battersby, J., & Davies, A. (Eds.) Routledge Handbook of Urban Governance. Routledge, London

    Sonnino, R. (2016). The new geography of food security: exploring the potential of urban food strategies. The Geographical Journal, 182(2), 190-200.
    05-11 Deadline research proposal
    07-11 WG2 JaW Key concepts + Operationalisation

     
    10-11 Lecture 3 BvV Urban vegans vs rural grillmasters?

    De Groeve, B., Bleys, B., & Hudders, L. (2022). Ideological resistance to veg* n advocacy: An identity-based motivational account. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 996250.

    Lapiņa, L., & Leer, J. (2016). Carnivorous heterotopias: Gender, nostalgia and hipsterness in the Copenhagen meat scene. Norma, 11(2), 89-109.
    17-11 Lecture 4 JaW Everyday food practices in the Global North

    Alkon, A. H., & Cadji, J. (2020). Sowing seeds of displacement: Gentrification and food justice in Oakland, CA. International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, 44(1), 108-123.

    Halawa, M., & Parasecoli, F. (2019). Eating and drinking in Global Brooklyn. Food, Culture & Society, 22(4), 387-406.
    18-11 WG3 JoW Data collection: interviewing

     
    24-11 Lecture 5 JaW

    Everyday food practices in the Global South

    Parnell, S., & Robinson, J. (2012). (Re) theorizing cities from the Global South: Looking beyond neoliberalism. Urban Geography, 33(4), 593-617.

    Battersby, J., & Watson, V. (2018). Improving urban food security in African cities. Critically assessing the role of informal retailers. Chapter 9 in: Cabannes & Marocchino (2018). Integrating Food into Urban Planning. FAO.
    28-11 Lecture 6 LS Urban food policymaking & planning

    Cabannes & Marocchino (2018) Food and urban planning: The missing link. Chapter 1 in: Cabannes & Marocchino (Eds.) Integrating Food into Urban Planning. UCL Press, London

    Doernberg, A., Horn, P., Zasada, I., & Piorr, A. (2019). Urban food policies in German city regions: An overview of key players and policy instruments. Food Policy, 89, 101782.
    02-12 WG4 JoW Comparing food practices

     
    20-12 Deadline interviewing
    Christmas break
    06-01 Lecture 7 JaW Civic food initiatives

    Renting, H., Schermer, M., & Rossi, A. (2012). Building food democracy: Exploring civic food networks and newly emerging forms of food citizenship. The International Journal of Sociology of Agriculture and Food, 19(3), 289-307.

    Cameron, J., & Wright, S. (2014). Researching diverse food initiatives: from backyard and community gardens to international markets. Local Environment, 19(1), 1-9.
    09-01 WG5 JoW Data analysis  
    13-01 Lecture 8 JaW Food system transitions

    Hebinck, A., Selomane, O., Veen, E., de Vrieze, A., Hasnain, S., Sellberg, M., ... & Wood, A. (2021). Exploring the transformative potential of urban food. npj urban sustainability, 1(1), 38.

    Born, B., & Purcell, M. (2006). Avoiding the local trap: Scale and food systems in planning research. Journal of Planning Education and Research, 26(2), 195-207.
    16-01 WG6 JoW Reflections

     
    23-01 Deadline individual research project
    30-01 Exam at USC Sporthal 1 (13.00-15.00)
    01-04 Re-take exam

    Additional information

    It is important that everyone feels safe at the UvA and Future Planet Studies. We are committed to provide social safety and we offer various forms of support for people experiencing inappropriate or unsafe situations. Consult the UvA website or Future Planet Studies Canvas page for more information and contact info.

    Last year's student feedback

    In order to provide students some insight how we use the feedback of student feedback to enhance the quality of education, we decided to include the table below in all course guides.

    Course Name (#EC) N  
    Strengths
    • International case studies
    • Applicability to Amsterdam
    		 Notes for improvement
    • Overlapping themes
    • Too many assignments
    Response lecturer:
    • We have invited more guest lecturers for the upcoming year to prevent overlapping themes
    • We have simplified the assignments into one single individual research project

    Contact information

    Coordinator

    • dr. Jannes Willems

    Staff

    • Jordy Willems, MSc.