In December 2015, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) named Tucson, Arizona, as City of Gastronomy in the Creative Cities Network. It is the first city in the U.S. to receive this designation, that means that they are part of a Creative Cities Network of 116 cities in some 54 countries around the world that interact through scholarly and other kind of food, artisans, chefs, farmers, bread makers and cheese maker exchanges. Gary Nabhan, W.K. Kellogg Chair in Southwest Borderland Food and Water Security at the University of Arizona, has explained that after working for years, this reward means that, not only that now they can really celebrate their traditions and heritage related with food, but also that they can continue to foster the incredible innovation and vitality they have seen in Tucson over the last few years. This designation brings them into dialogue with other innovators around the world so they can evaluate them and see whether they can be transferred to other U.S. cities as well.
UNESCO recognizes Tucson as a City of Gastronomy
1 April 2016
by Von Diaz