IGCAT update

 

IGCAT Newsletter Third Quarter 2025 IGCAT VOICE

As Vice-President of IGCAT, I feel privileged to have witnessed and supported our organisation’s and our community’s evolution for over a decade. This year we celebrate ten years of the European Regions of Gastronomy, the World Regions of Gastronomy established as a global movement, and more than a decade since the Mediterranean Diet was recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage. From the very beginning, IGCAT was right to insist that culture is a key element when talking about food and gastronomy.

Gastronomic identity is not only about what is produced or consumed, but also about heritage, creativity, tradition, and the stories and values that bind communities together. This conviction has guided our work and is now increasingly recognised worldwide as essential to building resilient, inclusive, and meaningful food futures. The latest milestone was the 1st World Gastronomy Summit, held in Catalonia, World Region of Gastronomy 2025. On 27 September 2025, we officially presented the Declaration on Food at the Heart of Cultural Policy and Community Well-being. Crafted through the collaboration of cultural leaders, policymakers, chefs, producers, scholars, and civil society, the Declaration urges governments, institutions, and communities worldwide to recognise food as a core dimension of cultural identity and heritage. The Declaration affirms food as cultural heritage, deeply rooted in memory, territory, tradition, creativity, and community, and underscores its capacity to bridge sectors, connect communities, and serve as a catalyst for integrated and regenerative policy. It calls on policymakers to embed food into cultural, agricultural, tourism, and educational strategies, fostering more sustainable, equitable, and resilient futures. Today, clearly, the stars are aligned. We recommit ourselves to bridging food, place, and culture, inspiring regions not only to produce or serve, but to tell stories, innovate responsibly, and nurture the living heritage in every plate. I am honoured to walk this path with you, and thrilled for the rich feast of possibilities we can create together in the years ahead. Dr. Edith Szivas IGCAT Vice-President

News from IGCAT and the World Regions of Gastronomy

Recognising Food as Culture, Heritage, and Identity at the 1st World Gastronomy Summit 28 September 2025 - Food at the Heart of Culture and The Cultural Value of Food were the key themes explored at the 1st World Gastronomy Summit, held at the Palau de Pedralbes in Barcelona. The event was organised… Read more

1st World Gastronomy Summit celebrated on the eve of MONDIACULT 2025 29 September 2025 - The International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism is proud to highlight that its 1st World Gastronomy Summit, hosted by Catalonia as World Region of Gastronomy 2025, served as a major platform for advancing gastronomy’s role in cultural policy. The Summit culminated in the adoption of the Declaration on Food at the… Read more

30th Platform Meeting of the World Regions of Gastronomy successfully hosted in Catalonia 26 September 2025 - The 30th Platform Meeting of the World Regions of Gastronomy took place in Catalonia, 24–26 September 2025, gathering representatives from awarded and candidate regions, international expe… Read more

IGCAT Celebrates New Ambassadors at the 1st World Gastronomy Summit 30 September 2025 - Following the conclusion of the 1st World Gastronomy Summit in Barcelona, IGCAT is proud to announce its newest Ambassadors, recognising exceptional leadership and dedication to safeguarding and… Read more

Open Call for World and European Regions of Gastronomy 2029 Join IGCAT’s growing Platform and work with us to protect and promote your cultural and food diversity! Deadline for joining the Platform: 30 Jan. 2026 Deadline for applications: 31 May 2026 For more information: Open Call for World Regions of Gastronomy 2029

Support the Declaration on Food at the Heart of Cultural Policy and Community Well-being 5 September 2025 – Join IGCAT, Slow Food, Crop Trust, the Food Capitals by Délice Network, and many other global organisations, as well as IGCAT experts, cultural leaders, policymakers, chefs, and producers uniting behind the World Gastronomy Summit... Read more

IGCAT Endorses the UNESCO Food Atlas as an Urgent Tool to Safeguard Foodways 24 July 2025 - IGCAT participated in a high-level international meeting co-organised by UNESCO and the Culinary Arts Commission of the Ministry of Culture of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, focused on the development of a Food Atlas. This initiative aims to serve as an… Read more

Current news from around the globe

TRØNDELAG: SO MUCH MORE THAN SUSHI-GRADE SALMON By Falstaff 2 September 2025 - From award-winning cheeses to beer fit for the Bocuse d’Or, Norway's Trøndelag region has built an impressive culinary résumé despite its modest size. This year, Trondheim's local food festival Trøndersk Matfest… Read more

Premiere In Romania: Taste Of Transylvania Brings 6 Top Michelin Restaurants and Chefs To The Public By Romania Journal 27 August 2025 - Romania’s largest gastronomic festival is raising the bar in 2025 with the presence of internationally acclaimed chefs. From September 4–7, the hill of Boros … Read more

From Classic Cars to Gastronomy to a Month-Long Health and Wellness Festival, Lošinj Hotels & Villas By Breaking Travel News 22 August 2025 - For 140 years, Lošinj has attracted a wealth of visitors from modern-day UK travellers all the way back to Austro-Hungarian aristocracy, and the Croatian Island… Read more

Gastronomy as a Cultural Bridge: Ibero-America Dialogues from the Table By The Diplomat 18 July 2025 - Last Wednesday, the Embassy of Ecuador and Influencia Hispana, with the support of the embassies of Peru and Panama, organized the discussion Ibero-American Identity: Dialogues that Unite Us. The event… Read more

Gastronomy: Cap Bon propels Tunisia to the top of African regions By EA Pro Nantes 18 July 2025 - A historic first for Africa: the Cap-Bon region in Tunisia joins the prestigious Platform of World Regions of Gastronomy. This recognition marks a turning point in the promotion of African culinary herita… Read more

IGCAT carries out research, collects knowledge and develops projects to support creative solutions in regional and local development. This newsletter is just a small selection of news from the past three months. IGCAT compiles trends and facts from around the world. www.igcat.org info@igcat.org

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