Figures of liveable culinary sympoiesis: Reflections of response-able multispecies livelihoods in tourism

Abstract

This study explores the role of alternative economic practices and sustainable tourism within food systems, focusing on the WWOOF (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms). As a significant element of tourism, food is not only an unavoidable aspect of travel, but also an essential part of the overall travel experience and destination differentiation. However, conventional food production and consumption has major negative impacts on climate change, biodiversity, healthy diets and the livelihoods of farmers and the urban poor. Thus, there is an urgent need for developing sustainable food systems. Sustainability has recently come to the fore in food tourism research, but it is still scarce.

This study aims to explore the livelihoods of human and nonhuman participants in the context of WWOOF community, an alternative food network linking travellers and farmers. I examine the empirical context as an economic activity with the focus on how these economies are shaped through multispecies interactions. Drawing on Gibson-Graham’s theoretical framework of diverse economies, I interpret the economy as open and unscripted. I thus focus on situated ways of doing economy in everyday practices, where tourism overlaps and merges with food production and consumption, which inevitably involves not only humans but also more-than-human beings with their own capacities and causal powers. Therefore, my theoretical framework is also grounded in Haraway’s theorisation of companion species, which highlights the presence of nonhumans and their participation in world-shaping. The concept of multispecies livelihoods then refers to the situated practices of securing the necessities of life by sharing lived experiences with human and nonhuman others.

The epistemological basis for this research is narrative, which also serves as the methodological foundation. I analyse the data using theory-guided content analysis, focusing on the diverse economic practices and multispecies interactions within the WWOOF community. This approach highlights the potential for alternative economic systems to contribute to more sustainable and equitable food practices. The findings suggest that WWOOF exchanges value social, experiential and empowering qualities over monetary gain. Moreover, multispecies encounters in this context seem to deepen participants’ understanding the interdependency of all life forms and enhancing emotional attachment with nonhumans, therefore encouraging practices that prioritise ecosystem health. Finally, the study highlights that while slow mobility, characterised by long stays, is highly valued, there is also a strong appreciation of travelling long distances, even though nearby WWOOF sites could offer rich travel experiences. These insights encourage tourism developers to see tourists as active participants in co-creating community wellbeing, and to promote tourism, where alongside pleasing atmospheres, one encounters discomfort with other people and nonhumans, opening a space for intricate changes.