The Swedish Research Council issued a call for Centres of Excellence last year, and Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan (KTH Royal Institute of Technology) was awarded one of a total of 15 grants. With the help of this funding, KTH has been able to establish the interdisciplinary Centre for Anthropocene History. While the concept of the Anthropocene remains controversial for many different reasons, there is no doubt that a great deal of research is needed to understand the atmospheric, material, intellectual and cultural history of planetary-scale socio-ecological breakdown. Food and the global food-system have played decisive roles in this history, just as they will play conclusive roles in the attempt to resolve the present socio-ecological crisis. Thus, it is not surprising that food (history) is one of the concerns of the centre.
This noted, the interview below with centre’s co-director Dr. Sabine Höhler concerns the fundamental premise of the centre, its aim and mission, and the concept of the Anthropocene itself. It was recorded on 28 of October during a visit to the centre.