The Faculty of Food and Agriculture (FFA) UWI St. Augustine Campus, in collaboration with Banwari Experience Limited presents

Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Tourism Conference

From Soil to Society: Advancing Food and Nutrition Security, Cultural Gastronomy, and Sustainable Tourism to achieve the SDGs

March 31 – April 1, 2026

The University of the West Indies

St Augustine Campus

Trinidad And Tobago

Call For Papers

About the Conference

The Faculty of Food and Agriculture (FFA) UWI St. Augustine Campus, in collaboration with Banwari Experience Limited, is hosting its 1st Annual Food and Nutrition Security and Sustainable Tourism Conference from 31st March to 1st April, 2026 at the The University of the West Indies, St Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago under the theme “From Soil to Society: Advancing Food and Nutrition Security, Cultural Gastronomy, and Sustainable Tourism to achieve the SDGs”

The theme underscores the vital role of culture in promoting planetary health and food and nutrition security. Cultural heritage shapes sustainable food practices, traditional diets, and community-based agriculture that preserve biodiversity and soil health. By valuing indigenous knowledge and local gastronomy, societies can foster resilient food systems that are both nutritious and environmentally responsible. Sustainable tourism further amplifies these cultural assets, encouraging conservation and responsible consumption. Integrating culture into development strategies not only protects ecosystems but also strengthens community identity and well-being. Ultimately, cultural preservation is essential for advancing the Sustainable Development Goals and ensuring a healthier planet…

These are important questions for small economies but big ocean states of the Caribbean grappling with geopolitical upheaval, growing global economic and military tensions as well as consequences of a global financial and economic crisis. Many small developing economies, in the Caribbean and elsewhere, are also facing serious threats from climate change, the accompanying rising sea levels and the increase in number and ferocity of storm surges. Responding to climate change, growing food and nutrition security while working towards improved planetary health puts the focus on the role of culture in crafting integrated responses.

It is to interrogate the role of culture in bridging these gaps and enhancing food and nutrition security that this conference is being hosted.

Call for Papers

The UWI Faculty of Food and Agriculture invites papers, posters and panels from scholars, policy makers, foodies, cultural advocates, artists, Indigenous Peoples, graduate students, professionals and all persons interested in the burning issues associated with the theme “From Soil to Society: Advancing Food and Nutrition Security, Cultural Gastronomy, and Sustainable Tourism to achieve the SDGs” and related sub-themes.

Conference Sub-Themes

1

Cultivating Continuity: Indigenous and Local Agri-Food Knowledge for the Future

This sub-theme looks forward to decoloniality by honoring traditional, local and indigenous foods, practices and knowledge systems

2

The Culture of Taste and Moving Away from Home:
Food, Travel, and Identity

This sub-theme looks at how migration and return migration has impacted local food culture, development and taste

3

The Sustainable Feast:

Linking Agroecology, Local Food, and Cultural Heritage

This sub-theme directly connects farming practices to sustainable food and cultural outcomes

4

Safe Soil and Soil Care:
The starting place of all Seed, Knowledge and Culture

This sub-theme looks at the importance but undervalued role that soil nutrients, care and conservation plays in the food system

5

Innovation, food, NCDs and entrepreneurship:
Making Good Food Healthy

This sub-theme looks at innovations in the food industry that fosters and builds enduring agri-tourism linkages to deliver sustainable and healthy food

6

Agriculture, Natural Resource Use and Planetary Health in Small States from Ridge to Reef

This sub-theme looks at how the natural environment is being impacted by agriculture and includes coastlines, fisheries, rivers, air

7

Climate Change Realities and Developing Resilient Community Farming Sytems

This sub-theme covers how resilience is being fostered in the farming system and in local communities

8

Calling All Local and Regional Development Banks, Insurance Companies and The Multilateral Agencies:
We won’t have a leg to stand on?

This sub-theme covers loss of lives, and health due to NCDs and how it is being addressed by the financial industry to bolster national and regional economies

9

Taste of Place:
Terroir, Tradition, and the Tourism Experience

This sub-theme involves the intellectual exploration that emphasizes the idea of cultural meeting and exchanges around food

10

Overtourism
and
Growing Tensions

This sub-theme looks at how post-Covid expanding tourism rather than local needs has seen increasing food tensions (increasing high end supermarkets, fast food establishments, retail food culture

11

Cultural Industries, Bioresources and Intellectual Property in Small States:
Copyright, Piracy and Technology

This sub-theme addresses the legal and IP issues related to food and cultural resources

12

Regional policies and growing schisms: what national security and food sovereignty have to do with it?

This sub-theme looks at regional and local policies that serve to address the increasing food imports and efforts to increase food exports and the national security imperative

13

Sustainable Gastronomy Tourism:
Business Models for Community Resilience and Visitor Experience.

This sub-theme looks at the successful business and community models at regional and local levels to promote local healthy sustainable food and tourism

Other topics related to the conference theme are welcome.

Abstract Submission Guidelines

Abstracts should be no more than 200 words and may be submitted by individual researchers or research groups.

We welcome scholars, professionals, and students to submit abstracts from original research papers, case studies, and policy analyses related to food and nutrition security.

Please submit you abstracts via the Abstract Submission Form.

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Abstract Submission Form

Important Dates:

Abstract Submission Deadline: January 20, 2026
Notification of Acceptance: February 2, 2026
Full Paper Submission: March 16, 2026
Conference Dates: March 31 – April 1, 2026