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TJ Speakers Series: “What Can Food Tell Us About Peace?,” María Espejo-Duarte
Food is more than sustenance; it is part of our everyday life and, as such, has often been weaponized in contexts of war and conflict around the world. Yet it can also inform peace, serving as a mechanism for (re)building the social fabric. Food offers a lens through which we can explore possibilities for more equitable, sustainable, and peaceful futures from a creative and interconnected perspective.
Drawing from her doctoral dissertation, Peace, Agroecology & Gastronomy: A Case Study on How Colombia Can Build a Sustainable Future, this talk examines how everyday practices of growing, cooking, and sharing food reveal cultural, political, and economic dimensions relevant to peacebuilding. Through the story of ASOCOMAN — the campesino (smallholder farmer) association in Montes de María, Colombia, she explores the powerful alternatives that emerge from often-overlooked quotidian spaces with the potential to advance peace-building and transitional justice agendas. This perspective invites us to shift our gaze toward the horizontal level, where we interact as and with fellow citizens.