Ferne Edwards

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I am a cultural anthropologist with close to twenty years international research and teaching experience on just and sustainable cities, food systems and social change. My work explores the socio-cultural contexts, ethics, politics and sustainability potential of diverse social food economies in cities. I have conducted ethnographies on food waste, urban beekeeping, non-monetised alternative food economies, and food sharing in Australia, Venezuela and Spain. This research contributes knowledge to urban natures, conservation, design, and healthy and resilient cities. Awarded my PhD on 12 May 2015, I hold 3 current book contracts, 23 academic refereed publications (including a recent book), a H-Index of 9, and 459 citations. I also have experience designing and delivering global, cross-cultural, interdisciplinary and multi-sectoral research panels, programs and networks. Positions held include: leading the governance infrastructure, networks and institutionalisation work package for the European Union Horizon 2020 Innovation Action project EdiCitNet to establish an international edible cities network (RMIT Europe, Barcelona), UrbanA Fellow for Just and Sustainable cities (EU project, 2019-2022), World Social Science Fellow on Urban Issues in the Global South (International Social Science Council, 2013), Australian Anthropology Society Fellow (2016), and Honorary Research Associate for the Centre for Urban Research (RMIT University, 2016). I am currently a Postdoctoral Fellow – Socially and Environmentally Just Transitions, Department of Design, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (Trondheim, Norway) where I am researching citizen engagement in urban natures.

Experience

  • 2020–present
    Postdoctoral Fellow - Socially and Environmentally Just Transitions, NTNU - Norwegian University of Science and Technology
  • 2018–2020
    Research Fellow & Lead, Work Package 1, H2020 IA EdiCitNet, RMIT University
  • 2016–2018
    Postdoctoral Research Fellow, SHARECITY, Trinity College Dublin
  • 2016–2016
    Research Fellow, Lifetime Affordable and Tenable City Housing, RMIT University
  • 2015–2015
    Teaching Fellow, Politics of Food, University of Melbourne
  • 2015–2015
    Teaching Fellow, Strategies for Sustainability, RMIT University
  • 2015–2015
    Mentor, Design Summit Cambodia, Engineers Without Borders Australia
  • 2015–2015
    Teaching Fellow, Disaster Resilient City, University of Melbourne
  • 2013–2015
    Researcher, The rise of ethical consumption in Australia: From the margins to the mainstream, RMIT University
  • 2015–2015
    Teaching Fellow, Politics of Food, University of Melbourne
  • 2009–2011
    Researcher, National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University
  • 2011–2011
    Researcher, Participatory mapping to promote urban resilience, University of Western Sydney
  • 2007–2009
    Sustainable Cities Research Officer, Victorian Eco-Innovation Lab, University of Melbourne
  • 2004–2007
    Researcher, Anti-consumerism in the Contemporary West, RMIT University
  • 2005–2006
    Festival and Calendar Coordinator, Sustainable Living Foundation

Education

  • 2015 
    Australian National University, PhD - Cultural anthropology
  • 2005 
    RMIT University, MA - Soc. Sci (Urban Environmental Management)
  • 2002 
    University of Melbourne, Honours - Cultural anthropology
  • 2001 
    University of Queensland, BA - Anthropology and Spanish

Publications

  • 2021
    Food for Degrowth: Perspectives and Practices, Routledge
  • 2021
    Food, Senses and the City, Routledge
  • 2020
    Overcoming social stigma by consuming food waste at the Open Table, Agriculture and Human Values
  • 2020
    The social practices of hosting P2P social dining events: Insights for sustainable tourism,, Journal of Sustainable Tourism
  • 2018
    Connective Consumptions: Mapping Melbourne’s Food Sharing Ecosystem, Urban Policy and Research
  • 2017
    Creative construction: Crafting, negotiating and performing urban food sharing landscapes, Area
  • 2017
    Making visible: Interrogating the performance of food sharing across 100 urban areas, Geoforum
  • 2016
    The hum of the hive: Negotiating conflict between humans and honeybee towards an ecological city, Society & Animals
  • 2013
    Food waste in Australia: The freegan response, Waste Matters: New Perspective on Food and Society, The Sociological Review Monograph Series
  • 2012
    Socio-cultural reflections on heat with implications for health and climate change adaptation in Australia, Global Health Action
  • 2011
    Small, Slow and Shared: Emerging Social Innovations in Urban Australian Foodscapes, Australian Humanities Review
  • 2011
    Climate change adaptation at the intersection of food and health, Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health
  • 2010
    Food Sovereignty and Social Change in Venezuela, Chain Reaction
  • 2010
    Meals in Metropolis: Mapping the urban foodscape, Local Environment
  • 2007
    Gleaning from Gluttony: an Australian youth subculture confronts the ethics of waste, Australian Geographer
  • 2006
    Dumpster dining: Freegans consume waste food to protest consumer waste, Alternatives

Grants and Contracts

  • 2018
    EdiCitNet
    Role:
    Lead of WP1
    Funding Source:
    IA H2020
  • 2016
    SHARECITY
    Role:
    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Funding Source:
    ERC Consolidator
  • 2013
    The rise of ethical consumption in Australia: From the margins to the mainstream
    Role:
    Researcher
    Funding Source:
    ARC Discovery
  • 2009
    Urbanism, Climate Adaptation and Health
    Role:
    Researcher
    Funding Source:
    Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
  • 2009
    Human Health program
    Role:
    Researcher
    Funding Source:
    National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility
  • 2004
    Anti-consumerism in the Contemporary West
    Role:
    Researcher
    Funding Source:
    ARC Discovery

Professional Memberships

  • UrbanA Fellow for Just and Sustainable Cities
  • Fellow of the Australian Anthropology Society
  • World Social Science Fellow on Urban Issues (International Social Science Council)
  • Director - Apply Awards, Why the World Needs Anthropologists

Research Areas

  • Environmental Sciences (05)
  • Anthropology (1601)
  • Social And Cultural Anthropology (160104)
  • Studies In Human Society (16)

Contact Ferne for

  • General
  • Media request
  • Speaking request
  • Consulting / Advising
  • Research collaboration
  • Research supervision