In Search of the Vocabulary for Eastern European Food Studies. Conceptual Remarks After the Workshop: Alternative Food Supply Networks in Central and Eastern Europe

      The article aims to organise the discussion about the position and role of research on alternative food networks and sustainable food systems in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. It was inspired by a debate that ensued during a meeting of researchers of alternative food systems held in October 2017 in Riga. Based on the meeting, one can conclude that it is necessary to: 1) develop a universal theoretical framework to study food practices which will take into account the specificity of this part of Europe; 2) consider the unique activities and initiatives embedded in the tradition of the region; and 3) establish functional connections among researchers involved in food studies

Bridging Food Studies

David Goodman, Melanie Dupuis, Michael Goodman, Alternative Food Networks: Knowledge, Practice and Politics, Rutledge, 2014, 308 pp

A review article of Maria Halamska’s book Continuity and Change. Rural Poland 1918–2018: Searching for Sources of the Present, SCHOLAR Publishing House, 2020

A review article of Maria Halamska’s book Continuity and Change. Rural Poland 1918–2018: Searching for Sources of the Present, SCHOLAR Publishing House, 202

Body on the Plate. On the Relation between the Carnality and Food (on the example of meat in advertising)

Do we own our bodies? Do we control them during the meal, or does the meal control us? In this paper, we aim to examine the complex nexus of social and physical practices embedded in eating habits. During the examination of selected culinary advertisements, we will attempt to explain how food stabilizes, catalyzes, separates, and mediates social relations, as well as social and individual bodies. The paper merges the perspective of cultural anthropology, sociology of the body, and food studies

Strengthening Alternative Agro-food Networks in the Eastern European Countryside

This paper will answer the question raised by the ongoing debate on the conditions of Alternative Agro-Food Networks (AAFN) strengthened in the specific context of different European countries. Modern, sustainable local food systems are built on the basis of social networks which linked different actors into a coherent, horizontal web. Producers, processors and consumers are bonded by a common vision and values which go far beyond simple market production. The issue of sustainable food production and consumption gains special importance in the post-transformation countries of Eastern Europe

Local horizons of governance. Social conditions for good governance in rural development in Poland

The last thirty years have radically changed the nature of local resource management in rural communities throughout Poland (as well as in some other Central and Eastern European countries). New metamorphosis, policy, and funding mechanisms related to Poland’s political transformation and accession to the European Union have radically changed the character of institutions and tools available in rural development. Local communities have evolved along with improved education levels, decline in agricultural employment rates, and increased migrations to cities and Western Europe. This article presents the social conditions for the good governance processes in a selected region of Poland. Based on their extended quantitative and qualitative research, the authors discuss a number of phenomena such as the low effectiveness of collective actions, dense networks of informal relations, and the lack of trust in public service institutions despite the deregulation of certain powers. The ethnographic study reveals that while their overall picture may seem quite uniform, local rural communities in Poland tend to differ depending on the economic structure, history, and cultural identity of their inhabitants. Finally, the article analyses difficulties in the implementation of the good governance mechanisms within the country’s local rural communities

Alternative Food Networks from the Institutional Perspective

This article analyses the internal diversity and dynamics of Polish Alternative Food Networks (AFNs), using the concept of institutions and their impact on collective action as a theoretical tool. Emphasis is put on four dimensions of AFNs’ internal diversity: meanings, association models, control mechanisms, and actions. The analysis is based on empirical material collected from nationwide qualitative studies conducted in six AFNs selected through purposive sampling. While adhering to a similar system of values focused on individual health, family and profit, the networks differ from one another in terms of the prevalent models of relationships, supervision, and activity. They appear to share certain motives and values in their market-oriented or own security-oriented actions and strategies, and show an inclination to use formal tools. In parallel, they reveal differences in their levels of focus on building internal relationships, which also emerge as the primary factor determining the potential and activity of the studied initiatives

Methods for preliminary determination of pemetrexed in macromolecular drug-carrier systems

Pemetrexed (PMX) is an antifolate drug utilized in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer. For studies of potential macromolecular carriers for PMX, fast and precise methods were developed to determine the bound and free drug contained in investigated conjugate preparations. The analysis of the total amount of PMX in conjugates was based on absorption spectrophotometry. The linearity was found in the range of 4.697–46.97 µmol L–1 PMX The limit of quantitation was 1.070 µmol L–1. The method for the analysis of unbound PMX was based on size-exclusion chromatography and detection at 225 nm. This method shows linear range of 2.230–223.0 µmol L–1. LOQ was 0.539 µmol L–1. The proposed methods can be used both for the characterization of the polysaccharide based conjugates of PMX and for the determination of conjugate drug release profiles