I am a cultural anthropologist with close to twenty years international research and teaching experience on just and sustainable cities, food systems and social change. My work explores the socio-cultural contexts, ethics, politics and sustainability potential of diverse social food economies in cities. I have conducted ethnographies on food waste, urban beekeeping, non-monetised alternative food economies, and food sharing in Australia, Venezuela and Spain. This research contributes knowledge to urban natures, conservation, design, and healthy and resilient cities. Awarded my PhD on 12 May 2015, I hold 3 current book contracts, 23 academic refereed publications (including a recent book), a H-Index of 9, and 459 citations. I also have experience designing and delivering global, cross-cultural, interdisciplinary and multi-sectoral research panels, programs and networks. Positions held include: leading the governance infrastructure, networks and institutionalisation work package for the European Union Horizon 2020 Innovation Action project EdiCitNet to establish an international edible cities network (RMIT Europe, Barcelona), UrbanA Fellow for Just and Sustainable cities (EU project, 2019-2022), World Social Science Fellow on Urban Issues in the Global South (International Social Science Council, 2013), Australian Anthropology Society Fellow (2016), and Honorary Research Associate for the Centre for Urban Research (RMIT University, 2016). I am currently a Postdoctoral Fellow – Socially and Environmentally Just Transitions, Department of Design, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (Trondheim, Norway) where I am researching citizen engagement in urban natures.
Experience
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2020–presentPostdoctoral Fellow - Socially and Environmentally Just Transitions, NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
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2018–2020Research Fellow & Lead, Work Package 1, H2020 IA EdiCitNet, RMIT University
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2016–2018Postdoctoral Research Fellow, SHARECITY, Trinity College Dublin
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2016–2016Research Fellow, Lifetime Affordable and Tenable City Housing, RMIT University
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2015–2015Teaching Fellow, Politics of Food, University of Melbourne
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2015–2015Teaching Fellow, Strategies for Sustainability, RMIT University
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2015–2015Mentor, Design Summit Cambodia, Engineers Without Borders Australia
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2015–2015Teaching Fellow, Disaster Resilient City, University of Melbourne
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2013–2015Researcher, The rise of ethical consumption in Australia: From the margins to the mainstream, RMIT University
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2015–2015Teaching Fellow, Politics of Food, University of Melbourne
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2009–2011Researcher, National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University
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2011–2011Researcher, Participatory mapping to promote urban resilience, University of Western Sydney
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2007–2009Sustainable Cities Research Officer, Victorian Eco-Innovation Lab, University of Melbourne
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2004–2007Researcher, Anti-consumerism in the Contemporary West, RMIT University
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2005–2006Festival and Calendar Coordinator, Sustainable Living Foundation
Education
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2015Australian National University, PhD - Cultural anthropology
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2005RMIT University, MA - Soc. Sci (Urban Environmental Management)
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2002University of Melbourne, Honours - Cultural anthropology
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2001University of Queensland, BA - Anthropology and Spanish
Publications
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2021Food for Degrowth: Perspectives and Practices, Routledge
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2021Food, Senses and the City, Routledge
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2020Overcoming social stigma by consuming food waste at the Open Table, Agriculture and Human Values
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2020The social practices of hosting P2P social dining events: Insights for sustainable tourism,, Journal of Sustainable Tourism
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2018Connective Consumptions: Mapping Melbourne’s Food Sharing Ecosystem, Urban Policy and Research
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2017Creative construction: Crafting, negotiating and performing urban food sharing landscapes, Area
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2017Making visible: Interrogating the performance of food sharing across 100 urban areas, Geoforum
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2016The hum of the hive: Negotiating conflict between humans and honeybee towards an ecological city, Society & Animals
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2013Food waste in Australia: The freegan response, Waste Matters: New Perspective on Food and Society, The Sociological Review Monograph Series
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2012Socio-cultural reflections on heat with implications for health and climate change adaptation in Australia, Global Health Action
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2011Small, Slow and Shared: Emerging Social Innovations in Urban Australian Foodscapes, Australian Humanities Review
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2011Climate change adaptation at the intersection of food and health, Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health
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2010Food Sovereignty and Social Change in Venezuela, Chain Reaction
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2010Meals in Metropolis: Mapping the urban foodscape, Local Environment
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2007Gleaning from Gluttony: an Australian youth subculture confronts the ethics of waste, Australian Geographer
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2006Dumpster dining: Freegans consume waste food to protest consumer waste, Alternatives
Grants and Contracts
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2018EdiCitNet
- Role:
- Lead of WP1
- Funding Source:
- IA H2020
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2016SHARECITY
- Role:
- Postdoctoral Fellow
- Funding Source:
- ERC Consolidator
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2013The rise of ethical consumption in Australia: From the margins to the mainstream
- Role:
- Researcher
- Funding Source:
- ARC Discovery
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2009Urbanism, Climate Adaptation and Health
- Role:
- Researcher
- Funding Source:
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
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2009Human Health program
- Role:
- Researcher
- Funding Source:
- National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility
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2004Anti-consumerism in the Contemporary West
- Role:
- Researcher
- Funding Source:
- ARC Discovery
Professional Memberships
- UrbanA Fellow for Just and Sustainable Cities
- Fellow of the Australian Anthropology Society
- World Social Science Fellow on Urban Issues (International Social Science Council)
- Director - Apply Awards, Why the World Needs Anthropologists
Research Areas
- Environmental Sciences (05)
- Anthropology (1601)
- Social And Cultural Anthropology (160104)
- Studies In Human Society (16)
- Trondheim, Norway
- Website
- Article Feed
- ferne.edwards@ntnu.no
- ORCID
- Joined
