Who Feeds Bengaluru (WFB) is an exploratory research project to understand the different forces that shape the way Bengaluru city eats.
Although it’s taken a pandemic for us to closely examine our ways with food, food in Bengaluru has been evolving since the city was born. Through this public participation project, with collective dialogue and activity fuelled by strong doses of curiosity, we aim to get a clearer idea of where systems and culture meet to feed the city of Bengaluru.
Why Bengaluru?
Bengaluru city is dynamic and diverse; it is old and still new. The city is renowned as a hub of technological innovation in India, as well as a garden city with numerous green zones. Bengaluru is also one of the largest cities in the country with an estimated population of over 11 million. Over the last few centuries, Bengaluru has seen influxes of migrants caused by external historic events – religious persecution, colonial rule, employment and recently the “Silicon-Valley-ization” of the city. This diversity vibrantly reflects in the food culture and habits across the city, and we believe this is worth exploring more closely!
Why Food?
Food is the invisible thread that is connecting all of us together. And now, in the time of a global pandemic, more so than ever. Chefs have quite literally opened up their kitchen to us, farmers have begun directly supplying to our homes and communities, some of us have begun growing our own food, and most of us have stepped into the kitchens with newfound determination! Be it the ritual of gathering around the table with your family, or virtually catching up with friends over a meal, it’s all reinstating the power of food in our lives. Now is the perfect time to think about our relationships with food, learn about the important roles we all play in the food value chain, and about those who work hard to put food on our tables. How can we make smart food choices that help the planet and ourselves?"
Why People?
People are at the centre of this project. Those who grow food, those who eat food, and everyone else in between! Through the course of this exploratory research project, we'll record dialogue and interviews with various members of our food system, listening for insights into the way the city of Bengaluru eats.