Highlighting “sustainability-forward”

October 21, 2017

Over the past decade, the Global Gastronomy Award has honored some of the world’s most celebrated and forward-thinking chefs, from Ferran Adrià (Catalonia) in 2007, to Enrique Olvera (Pujol, Mexico City) in 2017.  Each of the award winners not only excels in culinary arts but has also pioneered initiatives that reach far beyond the plate, adding to the groundwork of a resilient global gastronomy.  Read more

The Global Gastronomy Award 2017

The Global Gastronomy Award 2017 laureate, Enrique Olvera, has redefined Mexican classics, brought the rich spectrum of regional fare into the limelight and narrowed the gap between fine dining and street food.  To quote Ferran Adrià: “There is a before and after Olvera in Mexican cuisine”. 

The 2017 Global Gastronomy Awards took place on September 25th in New York City, the hometown of 2016 laureate Dan Barber.  Having staged the ceremony in Stockholm for the past ten years, the event will from now on move to the home base of the previous year’s winner, which makes Mexico City next year’s host city. 

The inaugural Pre-plate and Post-plate awards

This year, two new awards were introduced to recognize sustainability efforts at every step in the food chain: a pre-plate award that focuses on sourcing initiatives, and a post-plate award that honors efforts to reduce waste and other by-products of food consumption, especially within the hospitality sector. 

The Global Gastronomy Pre-plate Award 2017

Chinampas revival, Yolcan/ Lucio Usobiaga – Mexico. 

For leading the revival of ancient Aztec agriculture in Mexico City’s unique, man-made chinampas archipelago; for bringing its rich flavors and nourishing, organic produce to the capital’s tables; for improving the region’s food sovereignty; and for supporting the local farming community. 

For their passionate work to destigmatize “the soup kitchen” by launching well-designed community canteens that serve–with dignity and respect–delicious meals, based on surplus food, to those in need; and for engaging chefs, artists, volunteers and communities at large in this initiative. 

Initiatives that impact the future of food: “sustainability-forward”

To further highlight the power of food in driving change, including efforts to fight global warming, 12fwd.com will report on initiatives around the world that have the potential to contribute to a smarter food system: sustainable–and palatable.  At our awards ceremony in New York, we recognized twelve projects that may impact the future of food by addressing some of the key challenges and many promising opportunities in the food sector.  It includes science projects, rethinking food on a macro as well as a micro–even nano–level, agro-archaeology and hi-tech urban farming.  These initiatives will be featured more in-depth during the comings months, and new initiatives will be highlighted.