Food, Sovereignty, and Development: An Interdisciplinary Examination of the Geographies of Food and Development in Cuenca, Ecuador

Abstract

Offered through the Honors College at the University of New Mexico, Conexiones-Ecuador is an explicitly interdisciplinary study abroad program around the theme of “Food, Sovereignty, and Development.” In an immersive language and cultural studies experience, students live with host families, take Spanish language classes at the Universidad de Cuenca, and participate in interconnected courses on the geography of food and food writing. Directed by a cross-disciplinary team from the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies and the Department of Spanish and Portuguese, the Conexiones-Ecuador program seeks to build curious, confident, self-directed adventurers who wish to immerse themselves in a cultural experience that they will carry through their lives.