Lea Zentgraf successfully participated in the interdisciplinary summer academy Rural Futures from September 19 to 23, 2022. There she contributed a lecture on "Rural struggles, socio-ecological transformation and unheard voices - the role of women in German food movements" on September 20, thus presenting an insight into her research on feminist political struggles and innovations in German food movements.

The aim of the Summer Academy was to break prevailing discourses that rural areas are generally backward-looking and in decline, while prosperity and progress can only be found in urban areas. Thus, questions about the different developments of rural areas, such as "What are rural areas today and what could a sustainable rural future look like?" were in focus. This made the Summer Academy a great experience and an enriching exchange on the research on rural areas and their role in climate policy and socio-ecological transformation.

The Summer Academy was organized by the ZEIT-Stiftung Ebelin and Gerd Bucerius in cooperation with the Center for Rural Research at the Southern Danish University in Esbjerg, the Danish Embassy in Berlin, the European Academy Schleswig-Holstein and Europe Direct Südschleswig.