Gastronomy finds itself at a critical turning point. Food production and consumption account for approximately 30% of global CO₂ emissions, while inequality in access to food is increasing and the consequences for human health, animal welfare, and ecosystems are becoming ever more evident. Climate change, pressure on biodiversity, water resources, and global supply chains challenge how we produce, distribute, and understand food.

Against this backdrop, sustainability has risen to the top of the food agenda. Gastronomy in Transition takes its point of departure in this field of tension and invites participants to explore how gastronomy can contribute to more sustainable, democratic, and future‑proof food systems.

Responsibility and pleasure: not an either/or

The conference addresses some of the fundamental dilemmas shaping our relationship with food today. Key questions include:

• How can responsibility and pleasure be reconciled in times of crisis and uncertainty?
• What new ideas and actions are needed to enable a collective and just transformation of the food system?
• Which connections between people, knowledge, and practices must be strengthened to support a green direction for gastronomy?

These questions frame three days of reflection, dialogue, and experimentation, where participants not only share knowledge but also develop new perspectives together.

A participatory and experimental conference format

Gastronomy in Transition is designed as an active and co‑creative forum. The conference emphasizes participation, shared learning, and open exploration, where workshops, guided conversations, and experimental formats play a role equal to that of more traditional presentations.

The conference draws inspiration from the roots of gastronomy, including the Greek origin of the term as the “law of the stomach” and Brillat‑Savarin’s reflections on the relationship between taste, pleasure, and human existence. This taste‑centred approach is connected to ideas from eco‑gastronomy, the Slow Food movement, and food systems thinking, where good, clean and fair food goes hand in hand with agroecology and green transitions.

The Seven Tables: Gastronomy as a shared practice

The conference’s distinctive format is organised around “The Seven Tables”: seven thematic working spaces, each representing different approaches to research, teaching, and practice within gastronomy. The tables are facilitated by members of the organising committee and provide settings for workshops, hands‑on activities, and knowledge exchange.

By moving between the tables and across different physical settings, including a joint excursion to Det Grønne Museum, participants are invited to cross disciplinary and practical boundaries, create new connections, and develop shared understandings. Discussions from the seven tables are continuously gathered and woven into a common narrative, pointing toward new directions for the future of gastronomy.

An international forum for future food systems

Gastronomy in Transition establishes a dynamic international forum where researchers, educators, food producers, farmers, chefs, retail actors, and food writers come together around a shared ambition: to rethink our relationship with food with care for both people and planet.

Rooted at Aarhus University and strong research environments within agroecology, food, and sustainability, the conference contributes to shaping new agendas for how gastronomy can play an active role in the green transition.

Practical information

The conference will take place in Aarhus on 29-30 September and 1 October 2026. The programme, speakers, and practical information will be updated continuously on the conference website.

Read more about the conference and find information about registration here:
https://conferences.au.dk/gastro