How innovation can keep traditions alive
Résumé
The Tradinnovations Erasmus+ project (2023-2026) is an advanced and interdisciplinary
teaching and learning approach to support innovation within the local food heritage of each country and adapted to the specific needs of vulnerable populations (malnutrition in the elderly and Alzheimer's population and others suffering from dysphagia, visual impairment, mental disabilities, challenges of obesity in young people, nutritional needs of pregnant women and young children, ...). The consortium consists of 6 academic partners from 6 European countries. There are 8 associate partners from 4 different countries. All partners share similar challenges related to education and new food design (culinary and food industries), energy and food transitions, as well as cultural and societal nutritional needs. The educational challenges are therefore to adapt teaching and learning systems to innovate in a sustainable way, based on food heritage, culture and territory. The Tradinnovations project is designed to be multidisciplinary, with the aim of creating a triangular interaction between
students, teachers and socio-economic partners. It brings together a wide range of expertise and disciplines, combining food sciences and human sciences to develop a teaching methodology enriched by all the dimensions that make up the act of "feeding oneself". The starting point of the Tradinnovations project is the scientific study of culinary precisions as a framework for education, not only in food science, but also in other disciplines such as the social sciences and humanities, allowing for multidisciplinary approaches and cross- fertilisation between a wide range of sciences. The presentation will describe student projects developed in France, Ireland and Lebanon in close collaboration with experts and associations who deal with dysphagia, visual impairment and mentally disabilities in people. The methodology for assessing the impact of the projects will be discussed. Examples of applications of molecular gastronomy knowledge through 3D printing technology will highlight how vulnerable populations can benefit from the outputs of specifically designed project-based teaching and learning. In addition to the students' projects, the results of the
current activities of Tradinnovations will be presented, mainly a survey on the perception of tradition and innovation in the different countries, as well as the project-based learning methodology and educational pathways.