A common feature in many groups (e.g. the ecovillage and cohousing movement, community gardens, transition groups) is the practice of dining together. This ranges from sharing every meal to having shared dinners occasionally, usually on a weekly or monthly basis. Systems of shared diningare often subject to experiments and changes as the ultimate form that meets the needs of different individuals is generally hard to reach.

Therefore the practice of shared meals offers an excellent co-creation process to find a solution that group members can all consent to. Furthermore, it is a field of mutual exploration between different projects. We mostly refer to groups that live closely together,but we acknowledge that many groups organize shared meals on meetings or special occasions, somany of these concepts and dynamics also apply.