The Humboldt Residency Programme 2025
Every year, the Humboldt Residency Programme offers participants the opportunity to cooperate intensively on a common topic, to generate new ideas and communicate them to a broad audience. The topic for 2025 is “The Future of Food”.
The Humboldt Residency Programme brings together a transdisciplinary, international group of twelve participants consisting of Humboldtians and junior researchers with a diverse range of disciplinary backgrounds with writers, artists, civil society actors and social entrepreneurs.
During the six-week residency in Brandenburg/Berlin, participants meet daily in shared working spaces. They have the unique opportunity of extensive time and freedom to gain an in-depth understanding of each other’s work and thinking, build transdisciplinary bridges, explore synergies, pose bold questions, think visionary, and connect with relevant stakeholders in Berlin and internationally.
Whilst the participants themselves benefit from learning from each other, they also select and implement innovative formats to communicate their key messages to target audiences outside of academia. These could include debates with stakeholders, media appearances, bar talks, interactive workshops, blogs and social media posts or publications.
Nourishment is a basic human need and thus our shared relationship with food connects people across time and space. But rather than just a biological necessity, food is a lens through which we view and create society. This topic explores how technological innovations and ethical frameworks in food production and consumption address global health challenges and social inequalities. Participants will dissect the evolving landscape of global food practices and speculate on the future of food.
Subtopics may include (but are not limited to):
Environmental Shifts Driving Innovation: Climate change, water shortages, and soil degradation affect the future availability of foodstuffs. This urges the need for innovation in food production like alternative meats (e.g., stem cells, insects), sustainable agriculture, and digitisation in food systems. Societal acceptance, however, remains a challenge.
Food Trends Around the Globe: Veganism and vegetarianism are rising in Western countries, whilst meat consumption in other parts of the world, e.g., China, is growing. Global social inequality affects food sustainability, with disparities in areas such as cooking resources and diet diversity. However, a drive towards sustainability urges a move away from food monotony towards crop and diet diversity.
Health and Ethical Considerations: The obesity pandemic, malnutrition, and food insecurity pose major health challenges. Ethical concerns around unequal food accessibility, sustainability, and processing levels (unprocessed vs ultraprocessed foods) are also critical.
A Cultural Construct: Food plays a symbolic role in cultural identity. Gendering of food, its appearance, marketing, and expiration dates influence consumption patterns and food choices.
The Humboldt Residency Programme brings together a transdisciplinary, international group of twelve participants consisting of Humboldtians and junior researchers with a diverse range of disciplinary backgrounds with writers, artists, civil society actors and social entrepreneurs.
During the six-week residency in Brandenburg/Berlin, participants meet daily in shared working spaces. They have the unique opportunity of extensive time and freedom to gain an in-depth understanding of each other’s work and thinking, build transdisciplinary bridges, explore synergies, pose bold questions, think visionary, and connect with relevant stakeholders in Berlin and internationally.
Whilst the participants themselves benefit from learning from each other, they also select and implement innovative formats to communicate their key messages to target audiences outside of academia. These could include debates with stakeholders, media appearances, bar talks, interactive workshops, blogs and social media posts or publications.
Nourishment is a basic human need and thus our shared relationship with food connects people across time and space. But rather than just a biological necessity, food is a lens through which we view and create society. This topic explores how technological innovations and ethical frameworks in food production and consumption address global health challenges and social inequalities. Participants will dissect the evolving landscape of global food practices and speculate on the future of food.
Subtopics may include (but are not limited to):
Environmental Shifts Driving Innovation: Climate change, water shortages, and soil degradation affect the future availability of foodstuffs. This urges the need for innovation in food production like alternative meats (e.g., stem cells, insects), sustainable agriculture, and digitisation in food systems. Societal acceptance, however, remains a challenge.
Food Trends Around the Globe: Veganism and vegetarianism are rising in Western countries, whilst meat consumption in other parts of the world, e.g., China, is growing. Global social inequality affects food sustainability, with disparities in areas such as cooking resources and diet diversity. However, a drive towards sustainability urges a move away from food monotony towards crop and diet diversity.
Health and Ethical Considerations: The obesity pandemic, malnutrition, and food insecurity pose major health challenges. Ethical concerns around unequal food accessibility, sustainability, and processing levels (unprocessed vs ultraprocessed foods) are also critical.
A Cultural Construct: Food plays a symbolic role in cultural identity. Gendering of food, its appearance, marketing, and expiration dates influence consumption patterns and food choices.
