The International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism (IGCAT) is proud to announce that its 1st World Gastronomy Summit, hosted by the Government of Catalonia, has been officially included as a side-event in the Extended Programme “Towards MONDIACULT 2025”, contributing to the objectives of the upcoming UNESCO World Conference on Cultural Policies and Sustainable Development.
Taking place in the week leading up to the Conference, IGCAT’s 1st World Gastronomy Summit (Catalonia, 27 September 2025) will provide a global platform to advance discussions on gastronomy’s role in cultural policy. The Summit will conclude with the formal presentation of the Declaration on Food at the Heart of Cultural Policy and Community Well-being, endorsed by organisations such as Slow Food, Crop Trust, World Shiology Forum, Food Capitals by Délice Network, and many other cultural leaders, policymakers, chefs, producers, and IGCAT experts worldwide.
Hosted by the Government of Spain in Barcelona from 29 September to 1 October 2025, MONDIACULT will convene Ministers of Culture and global stakeholders to define renewed priorities for cultural policies as catalysts for sustainable development.
IGCAT’s Declaration is deeply inspired by UNESCO’s pioneering work in safeguarding intangible cultural heritage, including the recognition of foodways such as the Mediterranean diet. By aligning with MONDIACULT 2025, the initiative reaffirms gastronomy’s role in protecting cultural diversity, strengthening community well-being, and advancing sustainability.
“The inclusion of IGCAT’s Declaration in the official MONDIACULT 2025 extended programme underscores the growing recognition that food is not only sustenance but also culture, identity, and heritage”, stated by Dr. Diane Dodd, President of IGCAT.
IGCAT warmly invites organisations, cultural leaders, and policymakers across the globe to sign and amplify the Declaration, ensuring gastronomy is firmly placed at the heart of cultural policy for a sustainable future.
The deadline to add signatures of support to the Declaration is 27 September 2025, coinciding with its announcement at the Summit in Catalonia, World Region of Gastronomy 2025.
Sign the Declaration here: https://www.
