Twists and turns: (New) technologies of food provisioning

Abstract der Sitzung

Besides unravelling multiple entanglements and profound structural problems of the world we live in, the pandemic brought about new ways of being together and organising our lives. Restrictions such as lockdowns, distance measures and hygiene regulations also significantly reshaped geographies of consumption. Although supermarkets remained open as integral parts of the critical infrastructure, e-commerce and food online retail experienced a dynamic development and new places of consumption popped up – e.g. vending machine shops: A bright colour-changing LED-light indicates 24/7 as the opening hours of the store. Once you enter, a range of commodities is displayed. The products differ from locally framed to mass-produced goods, from processed and prefabricated food to raw ingredients. However, all of the commodities are not presented in supermarket shelfs, but carefully selected, sorted and stored in the spirals of the vending machines. Once you select a number and swipe your credit card, the spiral twists. A product is released on the tray and exchanged in the very same moment, but does the twist also signal a turn?

One could argue that once pandemic measures are loosened or abolished, new places and technologies of food provisioning might disappear again. But some of them seemingly came to stay! Therefore, in this session we want to particularly look at these (new) technologies and places of food provisioning. Despite our awareness for the important role platform economies play within food provisioning, in this session we specifically do not want to look at food delivery and transport. We rather intend to revisit technologies and places of food provisioning from a more-than-human perspective through the lens of commodification processes and (hidden) labor. Above all – but not exclusively – focusing on following questions:

• How do (new) technologies of food provisioning produce new spatialities and change geographies of consumption?
• How are places of consumption assembled by (new) technologies of food provisioning?
• How is certain labor rendered (in)visible through (new) technologies of food provisioning?
• To what extent do such places renegotiate understandings of physical and emotional proximity between consumers and producers?
• How do (new) technologies of food provisioning challenge the sustainability of food systems?
• How do (new) technologies of food provisioning reconfigure the rural urban divide?