Talking about the Chef’s Manifesto with Chefs and stakeholders in New Delhi, Nov. 3, 2019
New Delhi, Nov. 3, 2019: In his second Chef’s Manifesto event this weekend in the Indian capital, Paul Newnham, Coordinator – SDG2 Advocay Hub, met with Chefs, chef associations, culinary students, farmers, media, among others to discuss how to achieve a sustainable food future for all.
Hosted by the Indian Federation of Culinary Associations (IFCA)’s President Chef Manjit Gill along with the Chefs Guild of India (CGI) at the Roseate House – Aerocity, supported by knowledge partner – Cuisine Digest magazine for Chefs, this event drew a sizeable audience including Chefs who had travelled to New Delhi from all over India to participate in this dialogue on Global, National and Local action on SDG2.
Chef Manjit Gill, President-IFCA, opened the event enumerating a Chef’s characteristics as per the old Indian manuscripts: “a well versed in science, well-travelled, with a knowledge of the climate, metals, and so on, and who understands the physiology of the diner.”
He encouraged Chefs to go beyond managing their kitchens well, by stepping out of their kitchens to attend conferences, seminars and events related to food to expand their knowledge, in order to make the world more sustainable.
Paul Newnham, Coordinator-SDG2 Advocacy Hub, stressed on “the need for Chefs to get involved in this discussion on SDG2 as the way we produce and eat food will determine if we achieve these global goals – a debate where Chefs and farmers play a very critical part.”
According to Paul, “Chefs can either be a part of the solution or a part of the problem!”
Apart from Paul Newnham and Chef Manjit Gill, the Chef’s Manifesto event drew prominent faces from the Indian food space – Chef Sabyasachi Gorai, President-Young Chefs Association of India, Chef Sudhir Sibal, Editor-Cuisine Digest magazine for Chefs, Chef Parvinder Bali of OCLD, Chef Tapan of CGI, Chef Varinder Rana of CAFR, Chef Tushar of WICA, and Sourish Bhattacharya of BW-Hotelier.
The event included a panel discussion with food industry, academics, agriculture and Chef representatives who engaged in a fruitful discussion on how to achieve a sustainable food future for all. Chef Manjit Gill demonstrated the use of seasonal vegetables from root to tip.
The Chef’s Manifesto engages chefs as advocates for a better food system for all; one that is less wasteful, more nutritious, and above all, respects the earth.
About the SDG2 Advocacy Hub
The SDG2 Advocacy Hub is a consortium of NGOs, advocacy groups, civil society, private sector and UN agencies that collaborate on campaigns that help achieve SDG2 – to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture by 2030.
To facilitate this movement for change, the SDG2 Advocacy Hub worked with chefs all over the world to create a Chefs’ Manifesto – a thematic framework which outlines how chefs can contribute to the SDGs through simple, practical actions.
Images and text: Urvashi Sibal (Cuisine Digest magazine for Chefs)
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