Declaration on Food at the Heart of Cultural Policy and Community Well-being
The World Gastronomy Summit Declaration was approved by IGCAT members on 18 June at their Annual Advisory Forum and will be signed in Barcelona, Catalonia, on the occasion of the 1st World Gastronomy Summit, organised by IGCAT and hosted by the Autonomous Government of Catalonia World Region of Gastronomy 2025, on 27 September 2025.
This declaration represents a unifying call to action to recognise food not only as a vital component of our cultural identity, but also as a bridge between regions, sectors and communities.
World Gastronomy Summit Declaration on Food at the Heart of Cultural Policy and Community Well-being
We, the undersigned, gathered in Barcelona at the inaugural World Gastronomy Summit, in the presence of cultural leaders, policymakers, chefs, producers, scholars, and representatives of civil society, declare our shared commitment to recognising, preserving, and celebrating food as a fundamental pillar of cultural heritage and identity.
We affirm that food is far more than nourishment. It is a living expression of culture—rooted in memory, territory, tradition, creativity, and community. Culinary practices connect generations, narrate the histories of our peoples, reflect our natural environments, and shape our shared sense of belonging.
On the eve of MONDIACULT 2025, we call upon governments, international organisations, regional bodies, and civil society to join us in:
- Recognising food as cultural heritage, and integrating it fully into cultural, agricultural, tourism, and education policies;
- Supporting local and regional initiatives that promote sustainable food systems grounded in evolving cultural traditions, promoting cuisine and its ingredients;
- Empowering youth and communities to preserve and innovate upon their gastronomic heritage with pride, investing in producers and protecting regions’ ways of life;
- Encouraging research and storytelling that document and celebrate food traditions across the globe;
- Fostering inclusive dialogue that bridges cultures and generations through the shared language of food.
This Declaration is inspired by UNESCO’s leadership in recognising foodways as part of the world’s Intangible Cultural Heritage, and marking 15 years since UNESCO recognised the Mediterranean diet as intangible cultural heritage, we reaffirm the critical role of gastronomy in safeguarding cultural diversity and fostering intercultural dialogue. From traditional farming and artisanal preparation to festive rituals and everyday meals, UNESCO’s work on foodways highlights the richness and vulnerability of our shared food heritage.
Let this Declaration stand as a milestone in a growing global movement that calls for gastronomy to be placed at the heart of cultural policy and community well-being.
Together, we commit to nourishing both people and planet through the protection and celebration of one of humanity’s most profound cultural expressions — the food that defines us.
Join the declaration
DECLARACIÓ EN CATALÀ
Declaració de la Cimera Mundial de Gastronomia sobre l’Alimentació al Cor de la Política Cultural i del Benestar Comunitari
Nosaltres, els sotasignats, declarem el nostre compromís compartit de reconèixer, preservar i celebrar l’alimentació com a pilar fonamental del patrimoni cultural i de la identitat.
Afirmem que el menjar és molt més que alimentació. És una expressió viva de la cultura—arrelada en la memòria, el territori, la tradició, la creativitat i la comunitat. Les pràctiques culinàries connecten generacions, narren les històries dels nostres pobles, reflecteixen els nostres entorns naturals i configuren el nostre sentit compartit de pertinença.
A les vigílies de MONDIACULT 2025, fem una crida als governs, les organitzacions internacionals, els organismes regionals i la societat civil perquè s’uneixin a nosaltres en:
- Reconèixer el menjar com a patrimoni cultural, i integrar-lo plenament en les polítiques culturals, agrícoles, turístiques i educatives;
- Donar suport a les iniciatives locals i regionals que promouen sistemes alimentaris sostenibles fonamentats en tradicions culturals en evolució, promocionant la cuina i els seus ingredients;
- Capacitar la joventut i les comunitats per preservar i innovar el seu patrimoni gastronòmic amb orgull, invertint en els productors i protegint les formes de vida dels territoris;
- Fomentar la recerca i la narració que documentin i celebrin les tradicions alimentàries arreu del món;
- Impulsar un diàleg inclusiu que uneixi cultures i generacions a través del llenguatge compartit del menjar.
Aquesta Declaració s’inspira en el lideratge de la UNESCO en reconèixer els camins alimentaris com a part del Patrimoni Cultural Immaterial del món. En marcar-se 15 anys des que la UNESCO va reconèixer la dieta mediterrània com a patrimoni cultural immaterial, reafirmem el paper crític de la gastronomia en la salvaguarda de la diversitat cultural i la promoció del diàleg intercultural. Des de l’agricultura tradicional i l’elaboració artesanal fins als rituals festius i els àpats quotidians, la tasca de la UNESCO sobre els camins alimentaris posa en relleu la riquesa i la vulnerabilitat del nostre patrimoni alimentari compartit.
Que aquesta Declaració sigui un punt de referència en un moviment global creixent que reclama que la gastronomia es situï al cor de la política cultural i del benestar comunitari.
Junts, ens comprometem a nodrir tant les persones com el planeta mitjançant la protecció i celebració d’una de les expressions culturals més profundes de la humanitat—el menjar que ens defineix.
Uneix-te a la declaració
INSTITUTIONS SUPPORTING THE DECLARATION
GLOBAL VOICES SUPPORTING THE DECLARATION
Signed by:
- Francisco de Calheiros, Director, International Festival of Gardens of Ponte de Lima, Minho, Portugal
- George Hatzimarkos, Governor, Region of South Aegean, Greece
- Ana Roš, Chef & Owner, Hiša Franko, Slovenia
- Blanca Cros i Moll, Head of European Programmes & International Relations, Catalan Tourist Board, Catalonia
- Prof. Roberta Garibaldi, Professor, University of Bergamo, East Lombardy, Italy
- Carles Vilarrubí, President, Acadèmia Catalana de Gastronomia i Nutrició, Catalonia
- Tana Collados, Food and Gastronomy Journalist, Catalan National Public Media Corporation, Catalonia
- Pep Palau, Content Director, Gastronomic Forum Barcelona, Catalonia
- Prof. Vincenzo Russo, Profesor of Consumer Behavior & Neuromarketing, IULM University, Sicily, Italy
- Patrick Torrent, Executive Director, Catalan Tourism Board (ACT), Catalonia
- Pakorn Limyothin, Researcher, Songkla Gastronomy Network, Thailand
- Nadeem Mansour, Founder & CEO, Thuraya Delights Inc., Canada / Jordan
- Jorge Bernárdez López, Director, Famtàstic · Evenings of Gastronomic Arts, Spain
- Per Theodor Tørrissen, Project Leader, Northern Norway Competence Center for Food, Nordland, Norway
- Ivana Vladović, Director, Split-Dalmatia Tourist Board, Central Dalmatia, Croatia
- Károly Szabó, Executive Director, Harghita Community Development Association, Romania
- Sven Rock, Agroecological Producer, Lligams Orgànics, Catalonia
- Pedrona Seguí Serra, Director General of Business, Self-Employment & Trade, Government of the Balearic Islands, Balearic Islands, Spain
- Maria Antonia Taltavull Fernandez, Counselor of Economy & General Services, Island Council of Menorca, Menorca, Spain
- Leonardo Orlando Arteaga, Prefect, Manabí Provincial Government, Ecuador
- Cristina Massot Berna, General Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food (DARP), Catalonia
- Felipe Centeno Guillem, Communications Director, Manabí Provincial Government, Ecuador
- Andrés Ortiz Chancay, Director of Cooperation & Finance, Manabí Provincial Government, Ecuador
- Omar Valdez, Board Member, IGCAT, Andorra
- Robert Oliver, Executive Director & Founder, Pacific Island Food Revolution, Oceania
- Gabriel de Mariscal, General Director, Llet Nostra Alimentaria, S.L., Catalonia
- Oscar Ekponimo, Founder & CEO, Chowberry, Nigeria
- Carmen Ispas, Executive Director, National Union of Romanian Employers South-East Region, Dobrogea, Romania
- Georgia Patsouraki, Regional Implementation & Stakeholder Coordination Manager, PLOIGOS, Crete, Greece
- Katrine Remmen Wiken, Project Manager, Northern Norway Competence Center for Food, Nordland, Norway
- Orazio Bellettini, Executive Director, FUEGOS Foundation, Manabí, Ecuador
- Lluis Serra, Managing Director & CEO, Sant Pol School of Hospitality and Culinary Management, Catalonia
- Sara Roversi, President, Future Food Institute, Italy / Global
- Toni Massanés, Director, Alícia Foundation, Catalonia
- Susanne Elizabeth Schnüttgen, Head of Unit, Capacity Building and Heritage Policy, Living Heritage Entity, Culture Sector, UNESCO, France / Global
- Adenike Adefila, Head Chef, The Burgundy Restaurant, Nigeria
- Anu-Anette Varho, Project Specialist, Taste Saimaa, Saimaa, Finland
- Robert Palmer, Director, Robert Palmer Consultants, Scotland
- Levan Kharatishvili, Executive Director, Creative Spark, Georgia
- Ekaterina Bredikhina, Director, Green Rock Foundation, Armenia
- Svein Magnar Øien Eggesvik, Chair of the County Government, Nordland County Council, Norway
- Seba Zarea, General Manager of Strategy & Operations, Culinary Arts Commission Ministry of Culture, Aseer, Saudi Arabia
- Sunanthee Tak Kanchanawat, Integrated Gastronomy Design Advisor, Thailand Gastronomy Network, Thailand
- Rita Mifsud Attard, Executive Secretary, Gozo Regional Council, Gozo, Malta
- Dr. Simona Neumann, CEO, Visit Timis, Banat, Romania
- Dr. Adriana Arista Zerga, Researcher, Consultant & Assistant Professor, University of Nottingham, United Kingdom / Peru
- Guro Larsen Brown, Project Manager, Northern Norway Competence Center for Food, Norway, Nordland
- Mourad Belhassen, Minister Plenipotentiary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Migration & Tunisians Abroad, Cap Bon, Tunisia
- Randie Anderson, Corporate Wellness Chef Consultant, Culinary Concepts & Solutions, Jamaica
- Alma Harašić Bremec, Head, ŠKEMER Culinary Academy, Central Dalmatia, Croatia
- Abdullah Al Masrouri, Head of Tourism Establishments Classification Department, Ministry of Heritage & Tourism, Oman
- Maisa Häkkinen, Director of Tourism, Visit Mikkel, Saimaa, Finland
- Sandra Bergsnev, CEO, Smaker fra Øyriket, Trondheim-Trondelag, Norway
- Pryscila Villacís Duenñas, Director of Studies, Projects and Auditing, Manabí Provincial Government, Manabí, Ecuador
- Patrick Sam, Managing Partner, Creative Culture Investments, Namibia
- Caroline Couret, Director, Creative Tourism Network, Catalonia, Global
- Pitoon Thongchim, Director, Hatyai University & Songkhla Gastronomy Network, Thailand
- Nataša Bušić, Senior Expert Advisor, Croatian Chamber of Economy, Split County Chamber, Central Dalmatia, Croatia
- Lamia Temimi, Co-Founder & CEO, Sawa Taste of Tunisia, Cap Bon, Tunisia
- Henrik Brian Zeegers, Food writer, Adult Schools of Menorca, Spain
- Ruqaya Al-Habsi, Head of Quality & Sustainability Department, Ministry Of Heritage & Tourism, Oman
- Ida Bondø Lee-Wright, Head of Communications & Marketing, Oi! Food & Beverages, Trondheim-Trondelag, Norway
- Dr. Edith Szivas, Vice President, IGCAT, Switzerland / Global
- Jerry Spooner, Executive Director, Regenerative Vanua, Vanuatu
- Dr. Ana Maria Barata, Coordinator, Portuguese Genebank INIAV-BPGV, Minho, Portugal
- Dr. Emanuela Panke, President, Iter Vitis, Cultural Route of the Council of Europe, Europe
- Dr. Samuel Azzopardi, President, Gozo Regional Council, Malta
- Mayada Badr, CEO, Culinary Arts Commission, Ministry of Culture, Aseer, Saudi Arabia
- Ludovico Roccatello , Director, Knowledge Hub, Slow Food, Italy / Global
- Isaac Armando Sosa Loor, Director of Development Planning, Manabí Provincial Government, Ecuador
- Dr. Teodora Moraru, Vice President, National Union of Romanian Employers - South-East Region, Dobrogea, Romania
- Dèlia Perpiñà Giné, Managing Director, PRODECA, Catalonia
- Dr. Wittawat Didyasarin Sattayarak, President, Hatyai University & Songkla Gastronomy Network Office, Thailand
- Ricardo Migueláñez Pastor, General Director, Agrifood Comunicación, Madrid, Spain
- Prof. Smiljana Pivčević, Professor, Faculty of Economics, Business and Tourism, University of Split, Central Dalmatia, Croatia
- Felix Rivas, Vice Presidente, Chamber of Industries and Production of Manabí, Ecuador
- Daniel Brasé Arnau, General Manager, Federacio Intercomarcal D'Hosteleria, Restauracio I Turisme - FIHRT, Catalonia
- Vasileia Papailia, Political Planning and Communications Director, South Aegean Awarded 2019, South Aegean, Greece
- Francisco Guitard, CEO & Coordinator First Coast Candidate 2030, NAUTA Institute by Hispanic Legacy, Florida, USA
- Beatriz Nubiola de Palacio, Tourism Coordinator, Catalan Tourism Board (ACT), Catalonia
- Dr. Helena Martín Gómez, Director of Research in Cooking & Gastronomy, CETT Barcelona School of Tourism, Hospitality and Gastronomy, Catalonia
- Dr. Paola Sarcina, Cultural Project Manager, ALES SpA, Italy
- Pau Gascó, Head Chef, Fragments Cafè, Catalonia
- Rosa Mayordomo, General Secretary, Acadèmia Catalana de Gastronomia i Nutrició, Catalonia
- Dr. Heini Utunen, Regional Mayor, South Savo Regional Council, Saimaa, Finland
- Dr. Stefan Schmitz, Executive Director, Global Crop Diversity Trust, Germany / Global
- Eirini Makedona Pagkopoulou, Project Director "Crete European Region of Gastronomy 2026", PLOIGOS, Crete, Greece
- Dr. Mohammed Hamoud, Senior Consultant, Culinary Arts Commission, Ministry of Culture, Aseer, Saudi Arabia
- Ana Paula Sançana, Engineer, Lousamel Beekeepers Cooperative, Coimbra, Portugal
- Imelda Muñoz Poggi, Turism, Culture and Heritage Director, Manabí Provincial Government, Manabí, Ecuador
- Eva Canaleta Safont, Academic Director, Sant Pol School of Hospitality and Culinary Management, Catalonia
- Damià Serrano, Director of Experience Marketing & Research, Catalan Tourism Board (ACT), Catalonia
- Dr. Jutamas Jan Wisansing, Founder / President, Thailand Gastronomy Network, Thailand
- Votausi MacKenzie-Reur, Managing Director & Chair Lady, Lapita Café & Regenerative Vanua, Vanuatu
- Majed Almuhanna, Head of Research and Preservation, Culinary Arts Commission, Ministry of Culture, Aseer, Saudi Arabia
- Sırma Güven, Founder, The Kitchen Project, Turkey / Spain
- Jaume Gomila Saura, Vice President, IGCAT, Menorca / Global, Spain
- Davinia Galea, Founder and Managing Director, ARC Research and Consultancy, Gozo, Malta
- Martina Puigvert Puigdevall, Chef, Les Cols Restaurant, Catalonia
- Mustafa Ufuk Keşoğlu, Owner, Bureau Gastronomica, Anatolia, Türkiye
- Mai Damgaard Rasmussen, CEO, FoodFilmFestival.dk, Denmark
- Teresa Ferreira, Director, Turismo de Portugal, Lisbon, Portugal
- Gemma Moliner, Communications and Gastronomy Manager Prodeca, Government of Catalonia, Catalonia, Spain
- Raimondo Mandis, Staff dell'Assessore, Regione Autonoma della Sardegna - Assessorato del Turismo, Artigianato e Commercio, Sardegna, Italy
- Juliana Romero, Head Chef, Hycha, South America, Peru
- Alexandru Chiselev, Researcher, ICEM, Dobruja, Romania
- Alex Chiselev, Member, Grup Vocal Fondator Zadunaiska Sic
- Raimondo Mandis, President, Slow Food Cagliari APS, Sardinia, Italy
- Anna Maria Pellegrino, Gastronomist & Blogger, Anna Maria Pellegrino, Veneto, Italy
- Roberto Carcangiu, Titolare, Rcfood, Emilia Romagna, Italy
- Elena Stepanov, Executive Director, National Inbound and Domestic Tourism Association of Moldova, Moldova
- Patrick Heuchenne, CEO, Evoinos, Pafos, Cyprus
- Aristide Vitiello, Presidente, Associazione "TERRA SANA MOLISE", Italy
- Marisa Andrisani, Consulente Enogastronomico, Meridia, Italy
- Roberta Garibaldi, President, AITE- Italian Association of Enogastronomic Tourism, Italy
- Daniel Constantin Moraru, President, Uniunea Națională a Patronatului Român Regiunea Sud-Est, Romania
- Ms. Martha Rebello, Sr. Compliance Officer/Academic Coordinator, V.M. Salgaocar Institute of International Hospitality Education, Goa, India
- Prof. Irfan. S. Mirza, Director/Principal, V.M. Salgaocar Institute of International Hospitality Education, Asia, India
- Vasia Papailia, Political Planning & Communications Director, Region of South Aegean - European Region of Gastronomy 2019, South Aegean Region, Greece
- Amalia Tzikou, Internal Auditor - Food Safety, Health & Enviromental Inspector, South Aegean Region, South Aegean, Greece
- José Luís Matos de Oliveira Marques, Director, Hospitality And Tourism School of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Jessica Ferey, Executive Director, The Food Capitals by Délice Network, Global, France
- Dominik S.Černjak, President, Turistična Zveza Slovenije, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Laura Ruana pavon, Deputy Director General for Agrifood Enterprises, Quality, and Gastronomy, Generalitat de Catalunya, Catalonia, Spain
- Michel de Bièvre, CEO, Gilda by Belgious, Catalonia, Spain
- Derek Dunwoody, General Manager, Bia Innovator Campus, Galway, Ireland
- Patricio Tamariz, Executive Director, Comite Promotor Manabí Region Mundial de Gastronomía 2026, Manabí, Ecuador
- Ngoun Robert, CEO, Beutara / Association les Ebènes'Art, Afrique / Europe, Cameroun / France
- Liu Guangwei, Director-General, World Shiology Forum, China
- Felio José Bauzá Martorell, Presidente, AECIT Asociación Española de Expertos Científicos en Turismo, Spain
- Ben Wills, CEO, Bubble Creates, Catalonia, Spain
- Peter Astrup, Manager, PLUSS Leadership, Central Denmark, Denmark
- Gabriela Sión Saltos, Directora, Universidad Laica Eloy Alfaro de Manabí / Carrera de Gastronomía, Manabí, Ecuador
- Wendy Barrie, Founder & Director, Scottish Food Guide, Scotland, Scotland
- Tina Novak Samec, Direktorica, Zavod za turizem, kulturo, mladino in šport Brda, Brda, Slovenija
- Gabor Andras Varga, President, World Gastronomy Network Inc., Worldwide, USA, Germany, Hungary
- Patricija Gržinič, Director, Portorož Tourist Board, Piran Municipality, Slovenia
- Eva Štravs Podlogar, Director, Development Agency for Upper Gorenjska, Upper Gorenjska, Slovenia
- Prof. Dr. Aleš Gačnik, Associate professor, University of Primorska / Faculty of Tourism Studies Turistica, Slovenia
- Mojca Polak, Director, VGST, Maribor, Slovenia
- Barbara Zmrzlikar, Head of Research & Development Department, Slovenian Tourist Board, Slovenia
- Dr Diane Dodd, President, IGCAT, Spain
- Matilde Silva Campos Ferreira, International Projects Manager, IGCAT, Portugal
- Xavier Fernandes, Communications Manager, IGCAT, Spain