Cocina Colaboratorio: cooking transdisciplinary transformations of local food systems

Ecology & Society 2025 Vol 30(1) :17

Balvanera, P., M. Martinez Balvanera, M. A. Mesa-Jurado, L. Pérez-Volkow, A. Cadena Roa, R. Dominguez-Yescas, E. Guerrero Molina, E. Hernandez Martínez, D. Hernández-Muciño, G. A. Morales Valdelamar, N. Roldán-Rueda, R. Lombera, P. M. García, I. N. Flores-Abreu, F. Arreola Villa, L. Rentería, C. Heindorf, P. Ortiz Antoranz, L. Equihua Zamora, and L. O. Almeida Leñero.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-15829-300117

Sinopsis

Transdisciplinary knowledge co-production has been deemed critical to support the transformative changes needed to navigate toward more just and sustainable futures. Novel collaborations between local stakeholders, artists, designers, and scientists have the potential to further advance such transformations. In this paper, we describe the work of the transdisciplinary project Cocina Colaboratorio. We describe how the project was born and established in three territories of Mexico. We explore how participatory artistic and design practices, centered around the kitchen, play out in creating and operationalizing arenas for exchange and experimentation. We depict the components of our theory of change, including the role of these arenas, individual and collective agency, and leverage points in the transformation of local food systems. We illustrate the challenges encountered and the opportunities to overcome them, namely finding common ground through diverse communication strategies, a collaboration protocol, monitoring, and iterative learning. We assess our outputs and products, the role of funding as an enabler and obstacle, and our strengths and weaknesses. Participatory artistic and design practices have a huge potential to nurture deeper and more meaningful transdisciplinary transformative research around the globe, and we aspire to make deep transformations in each of the three territories while contributing to global sustainability.

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