Nature and Human Through Food: Towards a Collaborative Design Ecosystem

Nature is a strong and solid, but fragile and delicate ecosystem too. The relationship between nature and human beings is a system in constant tenses, in which the effects of the actions of both reverberate directly or indirectly on the other. In this complexity, the agri-food system assumes a key role. European directives (Farm to Fork 2020) in the field of economic, environmental, and social sustainability outline the need for a paradigm shift within the agri-food chain, focusing on relationship with Nature. FAO converges in this direction by defining the five ways in which cities can contribute to the strengthening of relationship with nature (ASVIS 2020). The food product, interpreter of anthropological connections and collective and private social acts, is a strategic, transdisciplinary and multifocal space for designing. The contribution aims to investigate the design relationships between the food supply chain and the natural ecosystem to suggest reflections and strategies capable of promoting synergies between human and natural (Böhme 2012) towards collaborative scenarios. The research moves in transdisciplinary areas considering anthropological, socio-economic, political, and environmental conditions in respect of care for the individual and the community. Through in-depth scientific studies and analysis of specific contexts, using an ecological and design-driven approach, the research aims to systematize virtuous practices and by exploring territorial inclusive policies promote interpretive readings that can help trigger processes of change toward a more collaborative system between Nature and Humans. Design becomes a tool for exploration, constructive (Ingold 2019) or restorative (Antonelli and Tannir 2019; Oxman 2020) uses food as a lens through which to observe and open up reflections on contemporaneity by addressing current challenges along with future well-being.