Sustainable Food Systems through Culinary Heritage and Cultural Landscapes

This research hub offers a location-based, practice-led research experience positioned at the intersection of food systems, cultural identity, biodiversity, and sustainability. Taking place in Croatia’s Dalmatian region, including the island of Lastovo, Mount Biokovo, and Makarska, this programme will immerse culinary arts students in hands-on fieldwork with chefs, food producers, and archaeologists. It also invites students to explore how food traditions reflect ecological adaptation, sustainable practices, and cultural heritage.

The programme integrates cooking workshops, cultural site visits, and stakeholder engagement to support student-led inquiry into both traditional and contemporary sustainable food systems. Drawing inspiration from the Cetina culture and Mediterranean agroecological practices, students will apply critical thinking and reflective research methods to explore sustainability through a culinary lens.

The experience culminates in a creative research challenge: students will reimagine a food tradition, dish, or a culinary practice – local or personal – through the lens of sustainability, drawing on insights gained throughout the programme. Deliverables may include reflective portfolios and creative outputs such as recipe redesigns, visual storytelling, or food narratives. The project is also designed to enhance applied research, problem-solving, and creative communication skills.

This Student Research Hub includes a mandatory physical mobility component in Croatia’s Dalmatian region. Participation is limited to a maximum of 10 students to ensure an immersive, high-quality learning experience.

Please contact the organisers to receive further information or clarify any aspect of the programme: Michelle Maher – michelle.maher@setu.ie

General learning outcomes

By the end of the Student Research Hub, students will be able to:

• Analyse the relationship between food systems, place, and cultural heritage in the context of sustainability;
• Demonstrate reflective thinking based on experiential learning in real-world, intercultural environments;
• Apply sustainability principles and systems thinking to reinterpret a food tradition or culinary practice;
• Communicate research-informed insights and creative solutions through written, visual, and oral outputs;
• Apply critical evaluation skills to sustainability practices.