Definitions after Social Gastronomy Month
In October, there were two defining events for the Social Gastronomy Movement: The global gathering of the Hubs and the Nordic SGM Summit, both held in Malmö, Sweden
Global gathering of Hubs
Representatives from the first 12 Hubs joined from all over the world to catch up with each other, connect and discuss recent news from their communities, share best practices, and align around key topics and future strategies and actions. Participants included:
Malmö, Sweden: Lena Friblick and Cyrille Gaubert, Botildenborg
Berlin, Germany: Esther Bernsen, Über den Tellerrand
Zürich, Switzerland: Patrick Honauer, Cuisine Sans Frontiers
London, UK: Christopher Moore, The Clink
Santiago, Chile: Rafael Rincon, Ñam Santiago
Medellín, Colombia: Paola Pollmeier, Platos Sin Fronteras
Santarem, Brazil: Eugenio Scannavino Netto, Saude e Alegria
Minneapolis, USA: Tasha Powell and Michelle Horowitz, Appetite for Change
Miami, USA: Carlos Ortiz, Recipe for Change
New York, USA: Harold Villarosa and Ivan Halpern, Insurgo
Phnom Penh, Cambodia: JiHye Kim, Friends-International
And from the Backbone/core team: Saman Salih, David Hertz, Nicola Gryczka, Charlotte Schaus, Kiu Coates, and Nikolai Schwarz
As a result of this two-day event centered on workshops and discussions, the SGM has refined its next steps and near-term strategy now that the two-year pilot phase of the Movement has closed. (For more information on what exactly came out of these strategic planning sessions, see below!)
But these two days were more than just discussion and workshopping the future of the SGM. Attendees also participated in various other team-building and learning experiences, starting with a dinner at Botildenborg, the Nordic Hub for the SGM, which also hosted the event. Botildenborg is based in Malmö and has been working with food and farming for close to 10 years, developing a range of methods and activities in the food system aimed at contributing to ecological, economic, and social sustainability. We also participated in a cooking event one evening in Copenhagen held by Charlotte Østervang, where 50 attendees prepared a meal together using entirely food surplus and donations at the Apostle church, as well as a tour of the Malmö city hall with the mayor herself, Carina Nilsson, followed by a reception.
Throughout the event, attendees were encouraged to get around Malmö by bike, reinforcing the Movement and Botildenborg’s eco-friendly goals.
Nordic SGM Summit
Following the Hubs global gathering, Botildenborg hosted a two-day Nordic SGM Summit for Scandinavian Social Gastronomy Projects. The first task of the Summit was to introduce everyone and their projects to each other, and so every project and leader was asked to prepare a short pitch presentation, highlighting key facts and missions of their organizations.
One of the main goals of the event was to encourage collaboration of projects within the Scandinavian region, exemplified by the ceremonial planting of a tree in the Botildenborg garden on the first day of the Summit. The Nordic Hub also organized workshops aimed at facilitating these partnerships and providing information and details about best practices for working together. On the last day, participants took part in two project visits, in which they went by bike to visit two different organizations in Malmö working with food and farming for sustainable society.
The Summit also gave the SGM Backbone team a chance to present about the Social Gastronomy Movement—what it is, what the mission and values of the Movement are, how the Backbone is involved, and more—to those who may not have been aware beforehand. This presentation was an opportunity to present some of our ideas for the near-term future of the SGM, which you can read more about below.
NEXT STEPS: THE FUTURE OF THE SGM
As mentioned above, our Hubs gathering produced some intensive strategic conversations that led us to refine some strategic decisions regarding the near future of the SGM, particularly now that we’ve reached the end of our first two-year pilot phase. This includes defining the mission and vision of the SGM, as well as crystalizing the values that tie our group together and the roles various key players will have more broadly.
Mission
The Social Gastronomy Movement seeks to engage people all along the food system—from sowing and growing crops to preparing meals to managing food waste—to collaborate for social change
Vision
Connected and strengthened Social Gastronomy communities around the world working toward an equitable future, inclusive society, and a healthy planet.
Values
Service, Collaboration, Gratitude, and Equity
Key Players
Social Gastronomy Project: A person or initiative working with food as a tool for social change anywhere along the food cycle — from sowing and growing crops to preparing meals and managing food waste
Catalyst: People or Organizations (with a dedicated person) committed to cultivating local Social Gastronomy communities that co-create impact through connection, collaboration and partnership
Hubs: A collective of Catalysts committed to building a local Social Gastronomy community that co-creates impact through connection, collaboration and partnership
Supporter: An individual, company, government official or organization that wants to participate in the Movement by contributing expertise, resources, or connections
Backbone: The team that works to support the initial developmental stage of SGM by facilitating the co-creation of the global network infrastructure needed to promote alignment and collaboration.
These decisions and definitions, while important in focusing our attention and strategy in the coming months, are by no means permanent or irreversible. We know that defining ourselves as a movement requires flexibility and openness to change, as collaborations and partnerships spark new ideas, unpredictable journeys, and innovation.
KEEP ON COLLABORATING FOR SOCIAL CHANGE WHEREVER YOU ARE!
