IGCAT’s Local Food Gift Challenge – Training the Trainers workshop took place in Kuopio, European Region of Gastronomy awarded 2020 on 12 November 2019. Hosted by Savonia University of Applied Sciences, the event gathered representatives from different regional stakeholders including the university’s Future Food Research and Development Unit, ProAgria Pohjois-Savo, as well as local food entrepreneurs.
Led by IGCAT’s International Projects Manager, Fabrizia Toccoli, the workshop aimed at sharing knowledge in the area of sustainable artisanal food and food-related gifts and offering recommendations to hold local workshops with regional producers in order to re-think their products and develop new ones to respond to the needs of contemporary international visitors.
Special attention was paid to the attributes that tourists seek for when buying food and food-related products in the visited destinations, including high-quality, creativity, a strong connection with the region’s gastronomic traditions and landscapes, engaging storytelling, portability and sustainability.
The event concluded with an evaluation exercise where the trainers were invited to assess examples of food and food-related gifts from Kuopio region according to a set of criteria developed by IGCAT. The same exercise will be carried out by producers from the region during the local workshops, who will be asked to evaluate each other’s products and identify opportunities to enhance their attractiveness for visitors.
The Local Food Gift Challenge has been developed by IGCAT to innovate local artisanal products; stimulate collaborations between local producers, entrepreneurs, designers and craftspeople; and imbed regional narratives in local food gifts.
The project is hoped to allow local producers in the European Regions of Gastronomy to capitalise on the ever-increasing demand from tourists for high-quality local products, paired with their search for authenticity and uniqueness, and enhanced attention for sustainability.
About the European Region of Gastronomy
Candidate and awarded Regions of Gastronomy from Europe, 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 European Region of Gastronomy Platform. Furthermore, the Institute has developed the European Young Chef Award the Local Food Gift Challenge, the Top Visitor Experience and the Food Film Menu.
14 November 2019
