IGCAT has started tracking new trends and collecting information from partners across the globe that offer in-depth knowledge, practical methodologies and tools to take action against food waste in a quest to help our awarded World and European Regions of Gastronomy meet the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Food Waste Prevention and Sustainable Food Production are topics that are gaining momentum in many international forums. On 14 December 2020, the UN’s One Planet Network highlighted the challenges in an initial conversation with industry leaders on how to create a global roadmap on food waste in the tourism sector. The objective was to gather recommendations and ensure good coordination with work that sector stakeholders are already undertaking on the topic of food waste and more broadly sustainable food value chains.
Barbara Zmrzlikar, IGCAT expert from the Slovenian Tourism Board took part in the meeting. Slovenia is currently implementing food waste initiatives in their Green Plan for Slovenian tourism and will highlight this work during their celebratory year as European Region of Gastronomy in 2021.
Diane Dodd, IGCAT President also took part in the meeting and highlighted the need to raise awareness and build capacity in order to tackle the food waste issue. She noted IGCAT’s European Young Chef Award that nurtures talented young chefs to become both creative influencers and ambassadors for sustainable food production in their region.
If you need to know more about food waste prevention there are many introductory and support tools online, including for example the Full Course on Food Waste Prevention organised by LightBlue Environmental Consulting. IGCAT is also a supporter of and LightBlue is an accredited partner to The PLEDGE™ on Food Waste certification and benchmarking system.
IGCAT is pleased to orientate and support European and World Regions of Gastronomy in their quest to implement food waste strategies and supports the exchange of good practise between the awarded regions.
About the Regions of Gastronomy Platform
Candidate and awarded Regions of Gastronomy, guided by IGCAT, are working together to raise awareness about the importance of their cultural and food uniqueness; stimulate creativity and gastronomic innovation; educate for better nutrition; improve sustainable tourism standards; highlight distinctive food cultures; and strengthen community well-being.
About IGCAT
IGCAT aims to empower local communities by raising awareness of the importance to safeguard and promote distinct food, culture, arts and sustainable tourism assets. This is essential to balance against globalised food trends that are impacting on our planet, health and local economies.
IGCAT is a non-profit institute established in 2012, 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 Region of Gastronomy Award and is the official secretariat for the Regions of Gastronomy Platform. Furthermore, the Institute has developed the Young Chef Award, the Local Food Gift Challenge, the Top Visitor Experience and the Food Film Menu.
Photo credit: Joshua Hoehne on Unsplash