AquaNaturesCultures

Still waters run deep. The expression usually refers to the idea that calm people are filled with significant depth and complexity. Still waters, however, give this saying a literal meaning. Beneath their surface lies a world that is often perceived as unexciting. But those who take a closer look will realize how important still waters are for life on earth. This includes their value as habitats, as sources of food, and diverse economic opportunities. The research project explores still waters at this nexus and develops, by systematically conceptualizing these as AquaNaturesCultures, an anthropological understanding of agricultural economies that operate with and in still waters in the Anthropocene. In so doing, the project pays attention to bodies of water which have vastly been neglected in anthropology. It combines the anthropology of the rural, anthropology of waters, NaturesCultures and multi-species approaches. Four ethnographic sub-projects in rural Bavaria (Germany) – the country’s front-runner in still water economies – examine long-standing still water economies (pond farming and lake fishing) and newer industries (aquaponics and algae farming). Members of the group will analyze knowledge transmission and production, multi-species collaborations and conflicts, and the future of agriculture. The project’s insights on resilient agriculture, species conservation, and sustainable food production hold significant value for anthropology, related disciplines, and practitioners. The project offers important insights into the critical question: What is the future of agriculture, and, not least, life on earth?