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Chefs lead the charge for African gastronomy federation at UN tourism forum
BY BAYANDA NKATHA
The United Nations (UN Tourism) Regional Forum on Gastronomy Tourism for Africa concluded on a high note in Victoria Falls, with calls for the establishment of a continental federation to promote local cuisines.
From Friday to Sunday, the resort city of Victoria Falls hosted a diverse range of tourism stakeholders, including UN Tourism officials, government ministers, tourism players, traditional leaders, and government departments.
President Mnangagwa was the guest of honor at Friday’s official opening, which was attended by three First Ladies: Auxilia Mnangagwa and her counterparts from Angola and Serbia.
At the forum, delegates – mostly chefs, restaurant owners, and hospitality industry operators – emphasized the need for collaboration in Africa to promote gastronomy.
Carl Joshua Ncube, a chef who once resided in Victoria Falls, called for the free movement of cuisines across borders.
“We have to remove borders if we are to address the challenges that we are experiencing in terms of gastronomy in Africa,” he urged.
“We can’t be saying this is Ethiopian food, this is Zimbabwean food. Food in Africa is not just something you put on our tables, it is part of our religions, our culture.”
Chef Mounir El Arem from Tunisia stressed that collaboration will make gastronomy more durable.
“To promote African gastronomy, we need to make an international appeal for a federation of cuisine Africa,”
“Countries need to have a federation of African cuisine, and my message to chefs is that let’s wear that white shirt everywhere.”
Chef Elijah Amoo Addo from Ghana highlighted the need to change the perception of chefs as uneducated.
“Chefs are doctors in the kitchen, as we have diverse knowledge on the nutritional value of the foods we have.”
He also emphasized the challenges posed by tight borders.
“One challenge that we face as Africa in the gastronomy has to do with tight borders. It is easy for me to travel to Europe to explore the economy and culture there than to travel across the borders within Africa, mostly due to visa issues. These challenges hinder the promotion of gastronomy on our continent, and there is a very important need for us to work together to break these borders in order to choose and use our ingredients within and across borders.”
Tourism Minister Barbara Rwodzi closed the event, stating that it marked the beginning of bigger things in African gastronomy.
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