The World Food Programme has warned that the COVID-19 pandemic could cause one of the worst food crises since World War II. It predicts a doubling of the number of people going hungry – more than half of them in sub-Saharan Africa. So far, the global food system has proven to be resilient to the COVID-19
With a focus on how to ensure survival of hospitality, tourism, events and culture related businesses in the economic and social crisis generated by the coronavirus pandemic, President of IGCAT and Executive Director of the World Regions of Gastronomy Platform, Diane Dodd, PhD offered a series of three online lectures organised by CISP, as part of the CROSSDEV project. The aim
To mark World Environment Day, the One Planet Sustainable Tourism Programme led by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) announces its new vision for global tourism– growing better, stronger, and balancing the needs of people, planet and prosperity. The One Planet Vision for the Responsible Recovery of the Tourism Sector builds on the
Following the publication of the European Commission’s guidance on how to safely resume travel and reboot Europe’s tourism in 2020 and beyond, the European Tourism Manifesto alliance published an official statement to applaud this initiative that recognises the vital role the travel and tourism sector plays in the European economy
The Asia-Pacific region is one of the world’s most ethnically and culturally diverse regions. It is also one of its most biodiverse. Yet local marine ecosystems are nearing a tipping point as a result of various environmental stresses caused by unsustainable human practices. In a newly released report, The Changing Sails: Accelerating
Vilnius gives public space to bars and cafes to allow physical distancing during lockdown Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius, has announced plans to turn the city into a vast open-air cafe by giving over much of its public space to hard-hit bar and restaurant owners so they can put their tables outdoors
“Rampant deforestation, uncontrolled expansion of agriculture, intensive farming, mining and infrastructure development, as well as the exploitation of wild species have created a ‘perfect storm’ for the spillover of diseases from wildlife to people.” Now, the real question is how do we make things right in the world, while avoiding
The Covid-19 disaster and its impact on people’s lives and Food&Beverage businesses (particularly in the fields of tourism, culture, hotels, restaurants, community life, etc.) was the subject of the World Leadership Conference (WLC) on Monday 27 April 2020 hosted by Indonesia. WLC consists of entrepreneurs and top leaders in their
In light of the significant impact that the current coronavirus crisis is having on their communities, the European Regions of Gastronomy guided by IGCAT are joining forces to support their local economies. A first brainstorming webinar was held on 2 April 2020 to share opportunities to assist local food and
IGCAT’s Annual Expert Meeting 2020 aims to explore how the combination of gastronomy, arts, culture and nature can contribute to health and well-being both for local citizens and discerning visitors. The meeting will be hosted by Kuopio, European Region of Gastronomy awarded 2020-2021 on 9-11 September, together with a public seminar on Food, Well-being
There is a strong link between economic activity and global carbon dioxide emissions, due to the dominance of fossil fuel sources of energy. This coupling suggests we might be in for an unexpected surprise due to the coronavirus pandemic: a slowdown of carbon dioxide emissions due to reduced energy consumption. The effect
The European Tourism Manifesto alliance recently published a statement urging the European Commission and national governments to adopt supportive measures to limit the COVID-19 outbreak’s impact on the European tourism sector. As a member organisation of the alliance, IGCAT supports the Manifesto’s call for mitigating measures which span from temporary
With the aim to identify and promote artisanal food and food-related gifts in the Regions of Gastronomy, IGCAT launched the 1st International Food Gift Challenge to take place in Kuopio, European Region of Gastronomy awarded 2020, on 5 June 2020. Hosted by Savonia University of Applied Sciences, the competition will
It’s shocking, but right now, 70% of monitored rivers are too polluted to swim in. Companies like Ravensdown are driving industrial dairying and making our rivers sick, all so they can make a quick buck. Use of synthetic fertiliser has increased 627% since 1990 and in that time the dairy herd
The 100-million-year-old burrows confirm that bees diversified alongside early flowering plants. A new fossil find has set paleontologists abuzz: Ancient nests confirm that bees were alive and well in Patagonia 100 million years ago, marking the oldest fossil evidence for modern bees. The nests, described recently in the journal PLOS ONE, consist
Making the case for a renovated and stronger role of the arts in contemporary education systems, D. Paul Schafer states “The arts and sciences […] are mutually complementary rather than mutually exclusive as well as cooperative rather than competitive when it comes to researching and finding solutions to a whole
