The third Annual IGCAT Expert’s meeting was held on Tuesday 31 May in Sant Pol de Mar, Catalonia, bringing together expert voices from 8 countries from around the globe to share their views on local food and cultural diversity. The meeting included a round table event on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), where different opinions on the impact of free trade agreements on local food and cultural diversity were voiced – including the experiences of Canada and Colombia after signing similar deals with the US.
The experts agreed that IGCAT should play a role in empowering local communities by sharing knowledge and creating interdisciplinary training models that could be integrated into service-learning approaches for regions and cities.
The IGCAT General Assembly then took place and elected formally Dr Diane Dodd as President for IGCAT.
The meeting was held at EUHTStPOl , one of the foremost hospitality schools in Europe and experts were treated to a cooking demonstration followed by a wine tasting by resident chef and sommelier lecturers. The experts also had the opportunity to take a guided tour of modernist buildings in Sant Pol de Mar, followed by a welcome reception by Montserrat Garrida, Mayoress of Sant Pol de Mar, who has been pioneering in establishing Sant Pol de Mar as a gastronomic and cultural small town of significance.
IGCAT (International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism) is an international network of experts from gastronomy, culture, art and tourism and other sectors who have an interest in the exciting areas to be developed when there is a convergence between these sectors. Together with its global network of experts, the IGCAT secretariat conducts research, develops projects and organise events related to this confluence and is particularly focused on how it may be used in regional and local development.
For more information contact: info@igcat.org