PhD student Chantal Clement believes that the inadequacy of our food system speaks to many of the issues facing today’s world, from economic and social inequality, to climate change.
“Our current food system has neither the consumer nor the environment’s best interest at heart,” says Clement. “How can we claim to live in an era of high tech and democracy, yet globally, billions of people are either experiencing undernourishment and starvation on one hand or over-consumption and obesity on the other.”
For her thesis, Clement is researching local sustainable food systems in Canada and the European Union (EU). As a finalist for Carleton’s Three Minute Thesis competition, she explained how this could impact all of our lives.
Clement has satisfied her passion for sustainable food through internships with the delegation of the EU to the USA in Trade and Agriculture and the U.S. Organic Consumers Association.
While her research interests have been informed by her decision to become a vegan, Clement also pursues a healthy lifestyle as she dances in her spare time and writes about food and health on her blog, Eat Dance Live. “Right brain and left brain activities very much contribute to one another. I think that being physically active and artistically creative allows me to focus better when I dedicate my time to my academic work.”
Clement says she appreciates the diversity of research being done by other grad students in the Political Science Department. She also feels fortunate to have a very supportive supervisor, Peter Andrée. “A good supervisor means finding someone who is a good fit with your research and method of working, who is interested in your work, and whose own work you think you could contribute to.”
In the future, she hopes to find opportunities to apply her research both in the academic and non-academic worlds, by teaching others about the politics of food as well as influencing groups and individuals to follow sustainable food practices.
Monday, April 22, 2013 in Grad Student Research
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