The UN Tourism has opened applications for the Best Tourism Villages 2026 initiative, recognizing outstanding rural destinations worldwide, which the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism (IGCAT) is pleased to share. Since its launch in 2021, the programme has received over 1,000 applications from 100 countries, building a global network of 319
The International Institute of Gastronomy, Arts, Culture and Tourism (IGCAT) believes that sustainable food systems start from the ground up. That’s why we are proud to spotlight Slow Food in Africa, an incredible initiative that has grown a network of over 3,700 active gardens since 2011. These gardens are more
Organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Food of Slovenia, the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism (IGCAT) proudly supports and promotes the Golden Bee Award 2026, the highest national accolade recognizing outstanding achievements in the protection of bees and other pollinators. This award celebrates innovation, research, and initiatives
At European Tourism Day, a clear message emerged: the future of European travel depends on better balance, smarter investment, and a decisive shift toward regenerative models. A new EU Task Force report on “unbalanced tourism” reveals how visitor flows are heavily concentrated in specific destinations and seasons, creating pressure in
Galicia’s “living seed library,” managed by the Misión Biológica de Galicia (MBG), is helping restore agricultural biodiversity by conserving and reintroducing more than 3,000 local varieties of cereals and legumes. Preserved under controlled conditions near Pontevedra, these seeds act as a safeguard against climate change, pests, and plant disease while remaining actively
The Plastic Free Foundation has released its 2025 Impact Report, highlighting the global achievements of Plastic Free July. In 2025, an estimated 174 million people across 190 countries participated—about 16% of global consumers. Participants significantly reduced waste, cutting an average of 13 kg of household waste per person and taking 15% more actions to avoid plastic compared to non-participants.
A new global initiative, Tourism Food for Good, has been launched by UN Tourism, the TUI Care Foundation, and the University of Cambridge’s Centre for Resilience and Sustainable Development (CRSD) to reshape how food is produced, sourced, and consumed across the tourism value chain. Building on UN Tourism’s Global Roadmap for Food Waste Reduction, the initiative
The Svalbard Global Seed Vault welcomed over 21,000 new seed samples from 20 genebanks worldwide, including first-time deposits from the Philippines and Peru. This 68th deposit brings the total collection to 1.38 million samples, reinforcing global efforts to safeguard crop diversity against climate change and crises. Major contributors included the Philippine Rice Research Institute, sending 4,000 rice varieties;
UNESCO has released the 2025 Framework for Cultural Statistics, Part II, introducing a comprehensive classification guide aimed at enhancing the measurement and analysis of cultural phenomena globally. This updated framework provides standardized definitions and indicators across various cultural domains, including cultural heritage, creative industries, and cultural participation. By harmonizing cultural statistics,
The session brought together global experts to review a restructured draft report, which now features a more concise, problem-driven layout of 10 chapters. Discussions focused on three thematic sections that map the core challenges in the global food system and a revised methodological framework underpinning the report’s analysis. The International Institute
Speaking at the Global Tourism Economy Forum in Macao, Gloria Guevara, Chief Special Advisor at the Ministry of Tourism of Saudi Arabia, called for a transformative shift in the global tourism sector. She emphasized the need to redefine tourism’s role beyond leisure, positioning it as a powerful force for socio-economic
This documentary highlights growing calls from African farmers to reclaim food sovereignty and, questions whether philanthropy is helping or hindering sustainable development across the continent. Philanthropic initiatives by global foundations such as the Gates Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, and AGRA, intended to combat hunger in Africa are investigated, as possibly having
Human activities, such as pollution and climate change, are altering ecosystems worldwide, yet the anticipated trend of biotic homogenization is not as straightforward as expected. A large-scale study across 97,000 sites reveals that while biodiversity declines and community composition shifts, the impacts are far from uniform. This research highlights that
A recent study, synthesizing over 2,000 global studies, confirms that human activities are driving biodiversity loss across the planet. Researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology and the University of Zurich conducted the study, covering nearly 100,000 sites across terrestrial, freshwater, and marine habitats. The findings
Integrating food literacy into school curriculums has the potential to significantly reduce undernourishment among students. By educating children about nutrition, healthy eating habits, and the origins of their food, schools can empower students to make informed dietary choices, leading to improved health outcomes and a projected 14% decrease in undernourishment.
Slow Food Farms celebrate the essential role of women in agriculture, highlighting their contributions to biodiversity, traditional food practices, and sustainable farming. Despite making up a significant portion of the global agricultural workforce, women still face challenges such as limited land ownership and financial access. Slow Food supports them through
