The
Aims of ICAF
The aims of the Commission are :
|
• |
To assist world
anthropologists in their basic and applied research
on food. |
|
• |
To encourage indigenous expertise
on food problems in developing countries. |
|
• |
To promote the collaboration
of anthropologists with institutions and individual
experts from related fields of study. |
• |
To stimulate education and
training in the anthropology of food. |
Anthropologists, with their traditional
interest in the place of food in social life, are giving
renewed attention to food in international development.
The Commission was set up to coordinate their work on
food studies, world hunger, and malnutrition.
Biological and social anthropologists are interested
in the way food supplies may be affected by changes
in energy systems, market structure, public policies,
family composition, and women's roles, as well as by
technological change.
The mandate of the commission calls for basic and applied
research on food production, storage, exchange, feeding,
and food symbolism in the light of major structural
changes. This includes nutritional studies of vulnerable
segments of the population : mothers and young children,
the industrial poor, and the rural poor.
One special focus is the changing ethic regarding food
in international development. Consequently, it involves
experts, and development specialists. Above all, it
is a central concern of ICAF to make anthropologists'
work on food available to policy and planning agencies,
both governmental and international, and to exchange
information with them on a continuing basis.
Organisation
The Commission is international.
The President is Helen Macbeth and the General Secretary is Frederic Duhart . The international Treasurer is Paul Collinson The organisational structure is developing. The general plan is one of regional sections, within which there are national committees or representatives.
Some national committees or representatives do not
find themselves logically within one of the existing
regional sections. In such cases the national committee
is described as “in contact with”, rather
than “within”, a regional section of its
choice. The situation with regard to national committees
and regional sections is always developing. The current
position can be checked within this WebSite and we
welcome updated information.
An annual report is written by
the Commissioner to the Secretary-General of IUAES.
For this report each national committee or representative
should provide annual information to the Chair of
its regional section. The Chair of that regional section,
on request from the Commissioner, then gives a regional
report to the Commissioner.
ICAF(Europe) has worked with this system longest and its structure of national committees is most advanced and still developing. This has meant a productive series of conferences each organised by a different national committee or representative. From these conferences several books (see ICAF Publications) have been published, and the series is continuing.
ICAF Europe organisational structure:
- Chair:
- Deputy Chairs:
- Secretary:
- Treasurer:
ICAF for
Australasia and the Pacific was convened in
May 1980 at the annual meeting of the Australian and
New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science
(ANZAAS). Some Links have been maintained in regard to
the anthropology of food, but a structure like that
of ICAF(Europe) is now envisaged.
ICAF (Latin
America) has some very active members among
whom a more formal structure will now be considered.
We await further information.
The situation in North
America needs to be clarified as there exist
other very active associations with whom individuals
have useful contact.
Some other
larger or smaller regional sections have been discussed
and further groupings are encouraged and anticipated.
To discuss such possibilities or initiate a new grouping
contact should be made to the General Secretary, Annie
Hubert. To initiate a new national committee send
an email either to the appropriate regional Chair
or to the General Secretary.
However, all these structures are
structures that must be based on paid-up membership.
National committees are responsible for collecting
membership fees. To become a member of ICAF, please
contact your national committee or representative
or the Chair of the regional section or the General
Secretary, Frederic Duhart. Membership years shall begin
on lst July. ICAF will pay for group membership of
IUAES.
|
