Everyday Aquatic Food System Transformations in Myanmar

Summary

Current approaches to understanding food system transformations have generally focused on particular processes or actors. When it comes to aquatic food systems, most of the emphasis has been on the technological shift in production, that is, the intensification and expansion of aquaculture. In view of these limitations, this thesis set out to advance a sociological understanding of food system transformations by considering and interrelating associated routinized food practices in everyday Myanmar. Overall, this thesis argues that food systems are in fact dynamic, interconnected social systems, and that their transformative processes are best understood by characterizing the effective relations among consumption trade, and production practices as well as their embeddedness in everyday life. Such theorisation opens up new ways not only for understanding food systems transformations, but also for steering them towards the realization of wider normative ambitions such as food and nutrition security, social equity, and environmental sustainability.