Sonia Massari | ISIA ROMA (original) (raw)

Papers by Sonia Massari

Experiencing Food, Designing Sustainable and Social Practices, 2020

Relationship between human beings and food, food experience and eating behaviors, and food supply... more Relationship between human beings and food, food experience and eating behaviors, and food supply chain and post-consumption activities, respond to a complex system of situational factors and choices that individuals make, often based on patterns that are intangible or not easily predictable. Public concern about food access and food security issues is increasing, everywhere in the world. Food in its complexity must be studied and managed in a systemic and trans-disciplinary manner. Thus, understanding the role of design in the agri-food sector becomes fundamental. We need to design for more sustainable diets if we want to save the planet. But there is a positive side to this story and that is there are several professions based on creativity that can make a difference. The professions of sustainability, where humanity is synonymous with a solution, and where food goes hand in hand with innovative systems. Among these, the food designer seems to be a promising career for future prof...

BioLaw Journal, 2020

Educating young people to active citizenship is becoming a priority to make better informed choic... more Educating young people to active citizenship is becoming a priority to make better informed choices and promote sustainable behaviours. Food system information provides a good example, because the way we eat is linked to our health and the one of Planet. In Italian schools, the number of available food education modules is growing. However, most of them stress purely nutritional aspects and focus on the food system is relatively sparse. This paper presents an innovative way of teaching and develop global citizenship competences through food with a project called “We, Food, Our Planet”.

Design Thinking for Food Well-Being, 2021

Food waste represents one of the main issues undermining the sustainability of our food systems, ... more Food waste represents one of the main issues undermining the sustainability of our food systems, which is why its minimization has been comprised among the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN’s 2030 Agenda. Some researchers have begun to link the concepts of food waste and food security with well-being, suggesting that if individuals reduce their food waste, they can improve their well-being and that of the community and contribute to the achievement of different SDGs. Yet, few researches have so far looked at a concrete link between food waste initiatives, consumer engagement, and well-being, and few if any studies have analyzed design thinking and food waste, a gap which the present chapter seeks to fill. The number of companies that have decided to face a radical change in their business model is growing. Today more than ever, due to the economic crisis that will follow the current pandemic due to COVID-19, as well as social and environmental concerns, it is urgent ...

Handbook on Teaching and Learning for Sustainable Development, 2021

Teaching sustainability in higher education is far from being an easy task. The idea of sustainab... more Teaching sustainability in higher education is far from being an easy task. The idea of sustainability itself risks remaining an abstract and out-of-reach concept unless it is taught to develop practical solutions. Lecturers approaching sustainability in higher education, often do not have the overall knowledge and resources to effectively present the topic to their students. This chapter presents the principles needed to develop a new pedagogy for sustainability accounting for the role of empathy. The teaching approach is developed starting from the use of the Food Sustainability Index (FSI) as an educational tool – named FSI Edu – for teaching food sustainability in higher education settings. FSI assesses food sustainability adopting a systematic approach and showing the complexity of food sustainability issues. After a theoretical introduction, the chapter describes two experiments based on the FSI Edu at the Bachelor and Master Degree level. These experiments built the starting ...

Transdisciplinary Case Studies on Design for Food and Sustainability, 2021

The dialogue between the actors of the food and agriculture system is in crisis, generating many ... more The dialogue between the actors of the food and agriculture system is in crisis, generating many problems of acceptance of innovation. This problem has clear elements of “wickedness” (Rittel & Webber, 1974). This chapter describes the work done by the Observatory on Dialogue in Agri-food System, an informal group founded in 2018 by a number of associations and individuals from a wide range of backgrounds, to define the problem and to devise solutions. The Observatory organized a series of professionally facilitated workshops and in-depth meetings that took place in 2018 and 2019. This activity involved a very diverse group of stakeholders and adopted a design thinking approach, which allowed to establish a reciprocal respect climate and elicit empathy (Massari, Allievi, & Recanati, 2020), to define the boundaries of the problem and to ideate possible solutions. At the end of the journey the group prototyped the ideas and summarized them in a manifesto, containing a shared mission an...

Transdisciplinary Case Studies on Design for Food and Sustainability 1st Edition, 2021

This is not a book about food design. Instead, it focuses on the transdisciplinarity of design an... more This is not a book about food design. Instead, it focuses on the transdisciplinarity of design and its application in the agri-food sector. This book presents design as a combination of methods for teaching, learning, experimenting, and implementing to fulfill the requirements of the transformation and innovation we see in the fields of food systems and sustainability. By exploring a collection of different cases, this book explains the concept of design in a way that is accessible even to scholars and practitioners who are not designers, as an approach that forces to set aside technology and helps to process and problem-solve in a transdisciplinary and creative way. This selection of cases will be helpful for educators and students of any subject seeking to broaden their perspective and improve their professional careers. It will also be useful for professors and instructors who require inspirational tools and concepts to introduce complex subjects, such as transdisciplinarity and ...

Discourse and Communication for Sustainable Education

The article examines the complexities associated with effectively and comprehensively tackling th... more The article examines the complexities associated with effectively and comprehensively tackling the climate change crisis. Focusing on the need for education, the authors discuss a model of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) that supports the development of competencies, coalition building and the capacity to support and maintain positive action. Drawing upon principles highlighted by the United Nations, the paper outlines the breadth and depth of knowledge required to support transformative ESD. Firstly enhancing comprehensive knowledge that develops cognitive, affective and axiological dimensions and proficiency. This enhances critical engagement with information and enables individuals to act responsibly and align with others in coalition building. The second element refers to collaborative partnership that is crucial for changes to be effective. This has been one of the most challenging barriers preventing positive action on the catastrophe pf climate change. Finally, th...

Transdisciplinary Case Studies on Design for Food and Sustainability 1st Edition, 2021

The pandemic that has impacted on our Planet in 2020 has shown that new business models, collabor... more The pandemic that has impacted on our Planet in 2020 has shown that new business models, collaboration techniques, and exponentially growing design technologies are needed to open up to alternative, unconventional models of collaboration throughout all stages of the food supply chain. The case studies presented in this book aimed at explaining the fact that designing is more than just creating food products and services; it can be applied to sustainable food systems, procedures, protocols, professional interaction, educational models, and user experiences. Applying design methods to the agri-food sector means improving the quality of the lives of people and the planet by involving both analytical approaches and the creative imagination. Design methods can re-define current values usefully, develop new ways of working and thinking, reset the way we lead, manage, create, and innovate food sustainability. In this concluding chapter the role of design is underlined as well as the curren...

Socio-Economic Planning Sciences

Transdisciplinary Case Studies on Design for Food and Sustainability

Transdisciplinary Case Studies on Design for Food and Sustainability

International Journal of Food Design

In the past 20 years, two new disciplines have been created and have evolved, first as two separa... more In the past 20 years, two new disciplines have been created and have evolved, first as two separate subjects, and now more and more interconnected: food studies and food design studies. The motive behind the recent success and popularity of education in the agri-food sector lies in the fact that everywhere in the world, the boundaries around the world of food and nutrition have widened. More attention is dedicated to communication, proximity, connections, social and cultural values, and the construction of new food systems. There is a growing need to find new ways to defeat food paradoxes (malnutrition, non-sustainable production systems and the battle against food waste, to name a few). In the past 10 years, the design method has been consolidating into the field of food. Participatory design and co-creation in food experience design became popular along with the discipline of food design. However, the interest in emerging and innovative forms of teaching models in academic and non-academic scenarios in agri-food education is increasing and becoming a challenging issue in food studies pedagogy. The learning objectives of food system education are continuously redefined with the aim of providing food experts with the necessary skills to change food systems and support more sustainable and healthier food value chains. In this article four case studies are presented in which a design approach was applied into different food system education programmes. The author of this article has personally been involved in each of the four scenarios, as a teacher and as a designer. Complex questions concerning the intersection of food system educational contexts, collaboration skills, critical knowledge production and creative approaches are considered in this article. The author presents the dimensions of critical/creative thinking in the scenarios and concludes with a discussion of the challenges and resources for food studies and design educators. The lessons learned in this article provide a starting point for discussing creativity in food system learning and education. On the basis of the analysis carried out in this article, design appears to be an interesting research method to apply to food system education, capable of creating innovative interactions between disciplines and new critical and creative mindsets for food experts. Increasing creativity and critical thinking as learning objectives in food system education will generate more sustainable food cultures and communities.

Experiencing Food, Designing Sustainable and Social Practices, 2020

Relationship between human beings and food, food experience and eating behaviors, and food supply... more Relationship between human beings and food, food experience and eating behaviors, and food supply chain and post-consumption activities, respond to a complex system of situational factors and choices that individuals make, often based on patterns that are intangible or not easily predictable. Public concern about food access and food security issues is increasing, everywhere in the world. Food in its complexity must be studied and managed in a systemic and trans-disciplinary manner. Thus, understanding the role of design in the agri-food sector becomes fundamental. We need to design for more sustainable diets if we want to save the planet. But there is a positive side to this story and that is there are several professions based on creativity that can make a difference. The professions of sustainability, where humanity is synonymous with a solution, and where food goes hand in hand with innovative systems. Among these, the food designer seems to be a promising career for future prof...

BioLaw Journal, 2020

Educating young people to active citizenship is becoming a priority to make better informed choic... more Educating young people to active citizenship is becoming a priority to make better informed choices and promote sustainable behaviours. Food system information provides a good example, because the way we eat is linked to our health and the one of Planet. In Italian schools, the number of available food education modules is growing. However, most of them stress purely nutritional aspects and focus on the food system is relatively sparse. This paper presents an innovative way of teaching and develop global citizenship competences through food with a project called “We, Food, Our Planet”.

Design Thinking for Food Well-Being, 2021

Food waste represents one of the main issues undermining the sustainability of our food systems, ... more Food waste represents one of the main issues undermining the sustainability of our food systems, which is why its minimization has been comprised among the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN’s 2030 Agenda. Some researchers have begun to link the concepts of food waste and food security with well-being, suggesting that if individuals reduce their food waste, they can improve their well-being and that of the community and contribute to the achievement of different SDGs. Yet, few researches have so far looked at a concrete link between food waste initiatives, consumer engagement, and well-being, and few if any studies have analyzed design thinking and food waste, a gap which the present chapter seeks to fill. The number of companies that have decided to face a radical change in their business model is growing. Today more than ever, due to the economic crisis that will follow the current pandemic due to COVID-19, as well as social and environmental concerns, it is urgent ...

Handbook on Teaching and Learning for Sustainable Development, 2021

Teaching sustainability in higher education is far from being an easy task. The idea of sustainab... more Teaching sustainability in higher education is far from being an easy task. The idea of sustainability itself risks remaining an abstract and out-of-reach concept unless it is taught to develop practical solutions. Lecturers approaching sustainability in higher education, often do not have the overall knowledge and resources to effectively present the topic to their students. This chapter presents the principles needed to develop a new pedagogy for sustainability accounting for the role of empathy. The teaching approach is developed starting from the use of the Food Sustainability Index (FSI) as an educational tool – named FSI Edu – for teaching food sustainability in higher education settings. FSI assesses food sustainability adopting a systematic approach and showing the complexity of food sustainability issues. After a theoretical introduction, the chapter describes two experiments based on the FSI Edu at the Bachelor and Master Degree level. These experiments built the starting ...

Transdisciplinary Case Studies on Design for Food and Sustainability, 2021

The dialogue between the actors of the food and agriculture system is in crisis, generating many ... more The dialogue between the actors of the food and agriculture system is in crisis, generating many problems of acceptance of innovation. This problem has clear elements of “wickedness” (Rittel & Webber, 1974). This chapter describes the work done by the Observatory on Dialogue in Agri-food System, an informal group founded in 2018 by a number of associations and individuals from a wide range of backgrounds, to define the problem and to devise solutions. The Observatory organized a series of professionally facilitated workshops and in-depth meetings that took place in 2018 and 2019. This activity involved a very diverse group of stakeholders and adopted a design thinking approach, which allowed to establish a reciprocal respect climate and elicit empathy (Massari, Allievi, & Recanati, 2020), to define the boundaries of the problem and to ideate possible solutions. At the end of the journey the group prototyped the ideas and summarized them in a manifesto, containing a shared mission an...

Transdisciplinary Case Studies on Design for Food and Sustainability 1st Edition, 2021

This is not a book about food design. Instead, it focuses on the transdisciplinarity of design an... more This is not a book about food design. Instead, it focuses on the transdisciplinarity of design and its application in the agri-food sector. This book presents design as a combination of methods for teaching, learning, experimenting, and implementing to fulfill the requirements of the transformation and innovation we see in the fields of food systems and sustainability. By exploring a collection of different cases, this book explains the concept of design in a way that is accessible even to scholars and practitioners who are not designers, as an approach that forces to set aside technology and helps to process and problem-solve in a transdisciplinary and creative way. This selection of cases will be helpful for educators and students of any subject seeking to broaden their perspective and improve their professional careers. It will also be useful for professors and instructors who require inspirational tools and concepts to introduce complex subjects, such as transdisciplinarity and ...

Discourse and Communication for Sustainable Education

The article examines the complexities associated with effectively and comprehensively tackling th... more The article examines the complexities associated with effectively and comprehensively tackling the climate change crisis. Focusing on the need for education, the authors discuss a model of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) that supports the development of competencies, coalition building and the capacity to support and maintain positive action. Drawing upon principles highlighted by the United Nations, the paper outlines the breadth and depth of knowledge required to support transformative ESD. Firstly enhancing comprehensive knowledge that develops cognitive, affective and axiological dimensions and proficiency. This enhances critical engagement with information and enables individuals to act responsibly and align with others in coalition building. The second element refers to collaborative partnership that is crucial for changes to be effective. This has been one of the most challenging barriers preventing positive action on the catastrophe pf climate change. Finally, th...

Transdisciplinary Case Studies on Design for Food and Sustainability 1st Edition, 2021

The pandemic that has impacted on our Planet in 2020 has shown that new business models, collabor... more The pandemic that has impacted on our Planet in 2020 has shown that new business models, collaboration techniques, and exponentially growing design technologies are needed to open up to alternative, unconventional models of collaboration throughout all stages of the food supply chain. The case studies presented in this book aimed at explaining the fact that designing is more than just creating food products and services; it can be applied to sustainable food systems, procedures, protocols, professional interaction, educational models, and user experiences. Applying design methods to the agri-food sector means improving the quality of the lives of people and the planet by involving both analytical approaches and the creative imagination. Design methods can re-define current values usefully, develop new ways of working and thinking, reset the way we lead, manage, create, and innovate food sustainability. In this concluding chapter the role of design is underlined as well as the curren...

Socio-Economic Planning Sciences

Transdisciplinary Case Studies on Design for Food and Sustainability

Transdisciplinary Case Studies on Design for Food and Sustainability

International Journal of Food Design

In the past 20 years, two new disciplines have been created and have evolved, first as two separa... more In the past 20 years, two new disciplines have been created and have evolved, first as two separate subjects, and now more and more interconnected: food studies and food design studies. The motive behind the recent success and popularity of education in the agri-food sector lies in the fact that everywhere in the world, the boundaries around the world of food and nutrition have widened. More attention is dedicated to communication, proximity, connections, social and cultural values, and the construction of new food systems. There is a growing need to find new ways to defeat food paradoxes (malnutrition, non-sustainable production systems and the battle against food waste, to name a few). In the past 10 years, the design method has been consolidating into the field of food. Participatory design and co-creation in food experience design became popular along with the discipline of food design. However, the interest in emerging and innovative forms of teaching models in academic and non-academic scenarios in agri-food education is increasing and becoming a challenging issue in food studies pedagogy. The learning objectives of food system education are continuously redefined with the aim of providing food experts with the necessary skills to change food systems and support more sustainable and healthier food value chains. In this article four case studies are presented in which a design approach was applied into different food system education programmes. The author of this article has personally been involved in each of the four scenarios, as a teacher and as a designer. Complex questions concerning the intersection of food system educational contexts, collaboration skills, critical knowledge production and creative approaches are considered in this article. The author presents the dimensions of critical/creative thinking in the scenarios and concludes with a discussion of the challenges and resources for food studies and design educators. The lessons learned in this article provide a starting point for discussing creativity in food system learning and education. On the basis of the analysis carried out in this article, design appears to be an interesting research method to apply to food system education, capable of creating innovative interactions between disciplines and new critical and creative mindsets for food experts. Increasing creativity and critical thinking as learning objectives in food system education will generate more sustainable food cultures and communities.