Dr. İlkay Unay-Gailhard carried out a short-term scientific mission (STSM) on Food Security in the EU islands, on behalf of the RethinkBlue Cost Action
The implementation of the Rethink Blue STSM project consists of several key steps:
- a research stay at the University of Malta;
- face-to-face interviews with experts farmers, and fishermen in Malta;
- meetings with colleagues at the University of Malta; and
- writing highlights from the interviews to contribute to a non-academic journal article.
The face-to-face interviews followed a specific methodology and had defined objectives:
- The semi-structured qualitative interviews with experts has an objective to understand how the structural characteristics of farms and fisheries have evolved over the past 10-15 years. This includes identifying typical types or activities within the farming and fishing sectors and examining generational renewal policies;
- The qualitative narrative interviews farmers, and fishermen applied a biographical narrative approach. The purpose here is to clarify and validate their life stories in relation to their career behaviour, particularly regarding their choice to pursue farming or fishing as a “career option”.
Dr. İlkay Unay-Gailhard works at the Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO).
