ABOUT IGCAT

IGCAT aims to empower local communities by raising awareness of the importance to protect and promote distinct regional food, culture, arts and natural assets as part of sustainable and balanced tourism and development strategies. This is essential to safeguard our planet, health, wellness and local economies.

IGCAT is a non-profit institute established in 2010, working with regional stakeholder consortiums in the fields of gastronomy, culture, arts and tourism. It counts on the expertise of a worldwide network of experts and works in partnership with specialised intergovernmental organisations.

IGCAT provides the European and World Region of Gastronomy Award and is the official secretariat for the World Region of Gastronomy and the European Region of Gastronomy Platforms. Furthermore, the Institute has developed the Young Chef Awards, the World Food Gift Challenge, the Top Foodie Websites Awards and the International Food Film Menu Awards.

Focus Areas

IGCAT’s six focus areas define the key priorities of the World Regions of Gastronomy. They guide regions in using gastronomy as a tool to address food systems, culture, sustainability, education, tourism, and well-being at a territorial level.

Feeding the Planet

There is enough food to feed the world if we protect the planet’s biodiversity. Equity and solidarity are non-negotiable. No transformation of food systems is legitimate if it fails to address hunger, inequality, and access to nutritious, culturally meaningful food. A just food system requires that all regions are able to participate and benefit, valuing diverse knowledge systems from indigenous practices to scientific research, and ensuring that food sovereignty is respected across cultures and territories. To empower local communities, ecosystems must be protected, restored, and valued. Biodiversity, from seeds to landscapes, is a strategic asset for resilience, identity, and nutrition. Food kilometres, sustainable farming practices, pollinators, and access to land and water must be central to regional food strategies.

Innovation, Creativity and Job Opportunities

A region’s artists, food producers, artisans, and their products are distinctive selling points for a region. Their knowledge, labour, dignity, and continuity are the source for gastronomy, biodiversity, food heritage, creative services and experiences. Creating cognitive links between a region and its unique products can instil pride in local culinary heritage traditions. By providing entrepreneurial support and harnessing opportunities to market products to citizens, tourists and local visitors can increase sales and support circular economies. The key is to inspire creativity in storytelling to help generate new products and services, as well as encourage young people to choose farming, fishing, or food production as a life-style choice.

Educating for our Future

Food education must be recognised as a foundational right across all generations, reconnecting people with taste, origin, seasonality, health, and cultural meaning. Regions that embed food education within cultural and educational frameworks, recognise its power to shape more sustainable and equitable food systems. From gardening to cooking, programmes can be introduced to highlight the importance of valuing local products and strengthening connections between territory, stories, and recipes. Food education is not only about nutrition, but also about climate responsibility, cultural identity, social justice, equity, biodiversity protection, and human dignity.

Regenerative Food Destinations

Gastronomy and tourism can be powerful drivers of regeneration when rooted in authenticity, community leadership, and respect for local cultures. When aligned with territorial identity, they strengthen local economies, revitalise traditions, and create meaningful connections between visitors and communities. Rather than extractive models, gastronomic tourism should be understood as a form of cultural exchange, where producers, artisans, and communities are recognised as storytellers and custodians of heritage. Value remains within the territory, while visitors experience places through depth, knowledge, and lived culture. Visitors are the best ambassadors for a region and can increase the client base for food export, ensuring that tourism income can reach rural areas where it is often greatly needed.

Urban and Rural Citizen Engagement

Rural and urban environments need to be reconnected by bringing the countryside to the city and the city to the countryside, encouraging a re-valorisation of traditional and indigenous knowledge of food customs and systems. Urban gardens, rural markets, open farms are just some of the ways of creating a value chain that links citizens and encourages consumers to become active cultural and political actors. Every choice, every bite, contributes to shaping food systems. Empowering citizens means recognising their role in influencing markets, policies, and cultural values towards healthier, more sustainable, and more equitable food futures.

Well-being and Healthier Living

Sustainable healthy lifestyles and food systems can become attainable if attention is paid to how food and goods are produced from seed and soil, to packaging and transportation with nutritional value transparent so that consumers can act with knowledge. Healthier lifestyles can and should be nurtured together with a re-valorization of traditional and indigenous knowledge of food customs and systems. Encouraging natural farming, outdoor recreation through farm visits, culinary masterclasses, sensory events, and foraging can be enriching for both visitors and local citizens. By using creativity to showcase wholesome and healthy regional and local food, we contribute to a more holistic approach to well-being.

World Regions of Gastronomy

A global platform recognising regions that use gastronomy as a driver for sustainable development, cultural exchange and community wellbeing. Through long-term programmes and international visibility, the initiative highlights how food can strengthen regional identity, support local economies and foster collaboration worldwide.

Cap Bon Candidate 2028

Jeddah-Taif Candidate 2027

Vanuatu Candidate 2027

Manabí Awarded 2026

Catalonia Awarded 2025

Aseer Awarded 2024

European Regions of Gastronomy

An initiative recognising European regions that use gastronomy to support sustainable development, cultural diversity and social cohesion. The programme promotes long-term strategies, knowledge exchange and collaboration across Europe, highlighting the role of food in strengthening regional identity and local economies.

Nordland Awarded 2028

Central Dalmatia Awarded 2027

Harghita Awarded 2027

Gozo Awarded 2026

Crete Awarded 2026

Kvarner Awarded 2026