Patricia Homs Ramirez De La Piscina – Feminist political ecology and alternative food futures

I am a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Barcelona and a member of the Food Action and Research Observatory (FARO). My work focuses on food system transformation, with a particular emphasis on agroecological transitions, the social and solidarity economy, and feminist perspectives. Over the past years, I have been engaged in both research and practice, collaborating closely with grassroots initiatives, cooperatives, and civil society organisations working towards more just and sustainable food systems.

My current research explores the governance and scaling of agroecological food initiatives and networks, with a focus on the tensions and possibilities that emerge when alternative food initiatives grow and interact with other actors. I am particularly interested in how different forms of knowledge—academic, experiential, and situated—are mobilised in processes of transformation, and how power operates within participatory and transdisciplinary spaces. This includes my ongoing work within the European project Fossnet.

My engagement with political ecology lies in a shared concern with power, inequality, and the socio-ecological dimensions of food systems. I approach food not only as a material necessity but as a site where social relations, economic structures, and ecological processes intersect. In this sense, my work seeks to contribute to critical debates on how counter-hegemonic food practices can challenge dominant agri-food systems while also navigating internal tensions related to scale, participation, and institutionalisation.

Beyond academia, I am actively involved in agroecological and cooperative initiatives and networks in Catalonia, which informs my research through a situated and reflexive perspective. I see strong alignment with POLLEN’s mission to foster critical, engaged, and transdisciplinary approaches to socio-environmental challenges, and I welcome the opportunity to contribute to and learn from this vibrant community.