Future of Food: Journal on Food

Sowing landscapes

Salvatore Pinna
Department of Civil Engineering, Environmental and Architecture, University of Cagliari, Italy.

Multifunctional and Peri-Urban Agriculture (MFA and PUA) have spread all around the world as new, alternative means of food production. Due to their non-productive services, they are considered fundamental for food sovereignty and rural development, and also as tools to conserve the rural-urban fringe and limit sprawl. MFA and PUA are very often embedded in Alternative Food Networks (AFNs), which represent a change in food production and consumption practices. Drawing upon the definition of landscape according to the European Landscape Convention, this paper aims to show how a municipal rural park in the region of Madrid, established to boost local and seasonal produce, plays a significant role in agricultural landscape enhancement. In-depth interviews and website analysis have been used to highlight how spatial, ecological and social outputs of MFA, conceived and promoted by farmers, interact with the park management framework. Results are discussed in light of the Spanish environmental and landscape laws, focusing particularly on the connection between food, territory and traditional landscape. This relationship could open a new spatial planning mindset, taking into account cultural and social aspects of food production and consumption, boosting sustainable tourism and reinforcing the relationship between rural and urban spaces.

Keywords : AFNs ,landscape protection ,spatial planning ,food quality ,Spain .

Myanmar High School Students’ Perceptions of College and International Readiness in Western Society

Mark Speckien
Louisiana Tech University
Mark Speckien
Louisiana Tech University
International students are more likely to experience mental health issues and increased stress. Mental health is often surrounded by negative societal stigmas that act as barriers to seeking support and tend to lead to greater mental health concerns. International students tend to seek socioemotional support from other international student peers rather than seeking out counseling services. However, this study shows that LGBTQIA+ international students were less likely to seek socioemotional support from other international student peers due to fear of their sexual orientation being discovered and their families finding out about their identity. This study examines how LGBTQIA+ international students talk about their experiences on and off campus in relations to their socioemotional well-being. Specifically, this study sought to better understand the complexities of LGBTQIA+ students’ identities, and the challenges they faced in terms of their socioemotional well-being. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.
Keywords : international students, socioemotional well-being, mental health, identity development, intersectionality, LGBTQIA