14th IGCAT Board Meeting took place on 12 July 2017 to approve the organisation’s new Strategy Plan for 2017-2020. The plan aims to consolidate the work areas of IGCAT for the three years ahead and strengthen the global network of IGCAT partner institutions, regional members and independent experts.
By encouraging a deeper relationship with international institutions that share the aims and philosophy if IGCAT and with a greater engagement of its regional partners it is hoped that the institute will make significant shifts in the convergence of culture, arts, gastronomy and sustainable tourism practises for the support of regional development, as well as encourage best practises to the benefit of environment, nutrition, education and agriculture.
Furthermore, the Plan reiterates IGCAT’s commitment as secretariat of the Regions of Gastronomy Platform and has identified areas where IGCAT can play a role in encouraging joint initiatives (such as European Young Chef Award, Innovative Food Gift Award, Master for Gastronomy and Tourism) – all in an effort to raise awareness about the importance of local food products, traditions and creative expressions.
The Strategic Plan defines IGCAT’s key partners and collaborators, making special reference to the European Travel Commission, UNWTO – Themis Foundations, UNESCO, Creative Tourism Network and many others.
Finally, the document includes the proposal for the adoption of a sustainability statement for the Regions of Gastronomy encouraging them to commit “to raising awareness, educating and stimulating debate on the importance of supporting more environmentally, socially, culturally and economically sustainable consumption, tourism practices and food production.” To this end indicators have been identified to not only monitor but also benchmark the future benefits for regions.
About the European Region of Gastronomy
The European Region of Gastronomy Platform and Award aim to contribute to better quality of life in European regions, by highlighting distinctive food cultures, educating for better health and sustainability and stimulating gastronomic innovation. Candidate regions are invited to join a knowledge-exchange platform of European regions in order to further cross-border collaborations and develop shared initiatives.
About IGCAT
IGCAT (International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism) is a non-profit organisation established in 2012 working in the fields of gastronomy, culture, arts and tourism. Through its worldwide network of experts, IGCAT aims to empower local communities by guiding, facilitating, and supporting local leaders in cities, regions and cultural projects to understand the potential of their distinct food, culture, arts and sustainable tourism assets.
IGCAT is furthermore the official secretariat for the Region of Gastronomy Platform and provides the European Region of Gastronomy Award, the European Young Chef Award and the Innovative Food Souvenir Award.