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FAQ

What is this project about?

The project, Low Carbon Climate Cookbook, explores developing an AI-driven, web-based low carbon cookbook that helps people tackle the climate crisis through their relationship to food systems and cooking. Combining machine learning tools with authentic Asian Chinese cuisine made together with East & Southeast Asian diaspora communities, the cookbook will enable local food consumers to source or replace ingredients to minimise carbon impact while maintaining important cultural authenticity. This will be built on people’s unique understanding of what ‘authenticity’ constitutes and the project will explore how a machine can contribute to creating ‘authentic’ recipes. Through this, the project aims to interrogate authenticity in food and AI and explores how it affects decisions we make with food to tackle the climate crisis.This is done using AI to help explore new ways of understanding our food systems, not by replacing people with machines, but by working collaboratively with people to develop new ways of preparing and eating meals that would improve our environment while still evoking joy in eating them.

The project is part of an ongoing series of environmental initiatives led by Ling that explore people’s collective agency and responsibility in tackling complex issues surrounding our cities. In her practice, she have worked with communities and groups of people to devise participatory projects to tackle complex urban issues in different cities such as public safety, air quality and climate change.

Who are we looking for?

We are looking for participants above the age of 16 with a general interest in understanding AI technology, cooking, Chinese food culture and climate change. As this first version of the Cookbook will focus on Asian Chinese cuisine, we particularly welcome people of East and Southeast Asian background and/or those who identify themselves as part of the Chinese diaspora, or anyone who loves making Asian Chinese cuisine at home. The project will involve testing of an online web platform, therefore participants should be comfortable using online browsers and interacting with websites, and must be contactable via email or whatsapp.

What do you get out of participating?

You will be part of the first group of participants to help develop this innovative cookbook platform together with scientists and food writers, that will be used to internationally showcase East & Southeast Asians’ way of tackling the climate crisis through our love for food. Your participation will be credited in the project (if you are happy to be named). Participants who are part of any of the first 2 activities will also be given priority to join the in-person Low Carbon Tasting Session (Activity 3) that we are hosting in the later part of the project. We will be hosting at least one in London, and one in Berlin.

Why are we doing this project?

Food is what we all have in common. It brings people and communities together and breaks down barriers. The project combines food, data science and community participation to explore different ways that we can all help respond to the climate crisis. In the climate movement in the UK and Europe, the perspective and approach can be seen to be predominantly white and often not inclusive of everyone, especially us East and Southeast Asians. This project seeks to shatter the stereotypes and myths associated with our food culture and demonstrate our collective commitment to tackling the climate crisis through our love for food.

Who funds this project?

The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement 101069990.

It is supported by S+T+ARTS, an initiative that fosters alliances of science, technology, and the arts, that effectively implement a European approach to technological innovation centred on human needs and values. The project was selected under one of their exploration tracks – Hungry EcoCities, which aim at exploring one of the most pressing challenges of our times: the need for a more healthy, sustainable, responsible, and affordable agri-food system for all.

The project is also supported by renowned mentors – Studio Other Spaces (founded by artist Olafur Eliasson and architect Sebastian Behmann) and AI experts and researchers at KU Leuven Institutes.

Is there any personal data that will be collected?

No personal data will be collected and stored (except the email address that will be used internally in our team to contact you). We are only interested in gathering data surrounding your personal opinion on Chinese food. All data used will comply with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Is the AI system going to misuse my data?

No, a key part of the project uses AI to help explore new ways of understanding our food system, not by replacing them with machines, but by working collaboratively with people to develop new ways of preparing and eating meals that would improve our environment, while evoking joy in eating them. Contrary to some commercial AI food platforms, we do not scrape the net to reappropriate recipes developed by food writers and chefs, instead we will make sure to credit any recipe that is used in the project.

The project is also not intended to be a competitor to any food writers or chefs, instead it is an environmental research piece that aims to explore the impact of Asian Chinese food culture on the environment. This is the first early prototype that we are developing, and the aim is to develop interesting ways to tackle the climate crisis through food and cooking and encourage more people to play an active part in doing this. In the future, we would like to collaborate with more food writers and chefs to help develop more low carbon recipes that people can cook at home.