LITERATURE, DIGITAL MEDIA AND FOOD NARRATION: NARRATIVE APPROACHES AND EDUCATIONAL PRACTICES FOR SUSTAINABLE FOOD LITERACY

Abstract

In an era marked by the mediatisation of food and the convergence of digital culture and everyday practices, food literacy emerges not merely as a nutritional skill, but as a form of narrative, aesthetic and critical education. This paper explores the interplay between literature, digital media and food storytelling within the framework of the Digital Humanities and eco-literacy, with the aim of outlining educational pathways designed to promote a sustainable, inclusive and reflective form of food literacy.

Through an interdisciplinary approach, the essay analyses how literary narratives, blogs, autobiographical writing and narrative video games contribute to building forms of experiential learning based on imagination, empathy and ecological awareness. Literature and digital food storytelling emerge as tools for humanising food knowledge, stimulating a critical understanding of media languages, which are often dominated by consumerist aesthetics and cultural stereotypes.

Particular attention is paid to the educational potential of interactive and playful narratives, which, through game-based learning, foster the development of cooperative, ethical and environmental skills. These practices transform food into a relational and intercultural educational tool, capable of connecting emotion, knowledge and civic responsibility.

Finally, the paper proposes narrative food literacy as an integrated educational paradigm, in which literature, media and play converge to promote informed food citizenship. Thus, telling stories about, reading about or representing food becomes an act of care, awareness and transformation, the foundation of an education geared towards sustainability and cultural democracy.