Panel discussion to explore women’s food resilience in mountain communities

From: Center for International Research, Education, and Development

Women and Girls in International Development is hosting Kathleen Schroeder, a professor of geography at Appalachian State University, to share her research on the food resiliency of women in mountain communities. This two-part event, featuring a presentation and panel discussion, will be held from 12:30 –1:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 10.

For the first half of the event, Schroeder will present “Food and Resilience in Mountain Communities: Gendered Perspectives From the Andes and Appalachia.” Her talk will examine the role that food provisioning and “kitchenspace” play in fostering women’s leadership and community resilience.

For the second half of the event, Schroeder will be joined by Virginia Tech faculty members Kim Niewolny and Danille Christensen for a panel discussion.

Niewolny, the founding director of the Center for Food Systems and Community Transformation, said Schroeder’s talk and the panel discussion further the conversations Virginia Tech professors are already engaging with in her center.

“Schroeder’s scholarship deepens our understanding of how women’s food provisioning practices play a vital role in mountain communities,” Niewolny said. “This conversation bridges the Andes and Appalachia, enriching the ongoing work at our Center for Food Systems and Community Transformation by highlighting critical spaces of possibility for community resiliency.”

Christensen, associate professor in the Department of Religion and Culture, is looking forward to exploring what resilience can mean to scholars and other communities in Appalachia and beyond.  

“As a folklorist who studies skills, knowledges, and creativity in everyday life — including the history of home canning — I resonate with Schroeder’s attention to the social impacts of domestic spaces and practices,” Christensen said.

Both Niewolny and Christensen appreciate Schroeder’s comparative approach to conversations around rurality and food resilience. Christensen describes Schroeder and her Appalachian State colleagues as thought leaders on this topic for drawing attention to the less-discussed parallels between South American mountainous areas and Appalachia.

The event is part of the Women and Girls in International Development Discussion Series and is co-sponsored by the Department of Geography, the Food Studies Program, and the Center for Food Systems and Community Transformation.

The event is open to the public and will be offered in person at the Goodall Room in Newman Library and via Zoom. Both online and in-person participants are encouraged to register to receive a Zoom link.

The series is organized by the Center for International Research, Education, and Development, part of Outreach and International Affairs.