Inspirational Women, Social Gastronomy, & Food Solidarity
On the eighth day of March each year, we come together to celebrate International Women’s Day. On this global comemorance, the world joins in recognition of the progress we have made toward women’s rights, as well as the work that is still to be done.
Photo credit: Amal Center, Marrakesh, Morocco
For as long as we can remember, mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, and daughters have been building and bridging communities, families, and even armies around the dinner table. Women have been tending to the fields that feed us, and spearheading efforts towards food security. From sowing crops to preparing meals, these interactions have shaped the course of the world, though they are absent from history books.
Today, we can rewrite that narrative.
Women are and have always been pioneers of Social Gastronomy. Maybe without even realizing it. They deserve that recognition.
At the core, Social Gastronomy is the act of using the power of food to generate social change. The work addresses social inequity, malnutrition and engages individuals around a shared purpose- transforming realities to build a more inclusive, just, and healthy society.
The Social Gastronomy Movement (SGM) is an interconnected global network of organizations, chefs, activists, academics, and enterprenuers who work accross the food cycle. It was born from the simple idea that "breaking bread and connecting through food has always been a way for communities to gather and support each other."
Out of over 100 organizations in the network, over 60% are represented by women.
Women around the world engage with the entire food system, from seed to stomach- farm to table.
Amid a global pandemic, they rise to the front lines, ensuring communities have the sustenance they need to not only stay alive but to be resilient. We applaud all of the women in our network who do this work everyday.
Food Solidarity
The SGM Food Solidarity Fund was an initiative designed to support and celebrate those Social Gastronomy Organizations (SGOs) at the forefront of this pandemic by engaging the entire food cycle to combat the crisis of food insecurity. With seed funding support from the World's 50 Best Restaurants, SGM awarded ten grants of US $10,000 each to 10 selected organizations.
On July 30, 2020, an independent and inclusive jury met to select the ten organizations from ten countries that would receive this critical financial assistance and tailored support from SGM mentors. The panel included strong female voices such as Patricia Lobacarro, former president of BrazilFoundation, and Lady Marieme Jamme, founder of iamtheCODE and UN SDG Goalkeeper.
Seven out of the ten recipients the jury selected were women leaders in Social Gastronomy. Read on to learn more about these change-makers and their work.
Sarah Abdel-Rahim, Cofounder and CEO of Tables Without Borders (TWB)
In 2019 Sarah and her partner Sam Sgroi began TWB as a dinner series highlighting emerging refugee chefs in Washington DC, USA. As a response to this global crisis, TWB has evolved into a culinary internship and a COVID-19 recovery program.
The culinary internship improves the resettlement process for asylum-seekers, refugees, and asylees in the city. The training provides a path to overcoming traditional economic integration barriers, setting individuals up for long-term success. TWB, like many organizations, has been forced to rethink operations since the onset of the pandemic. Meal donation is now a priority for the internship program, where TWB interns match with local host restaurants to reach more of those in need and engage in an exchange of knowledge.
Cherrie Atilano, Founding Farmer, CEO, and President of AGREA Agricultural Systems International
Food Systems Hero Cherrie Atilano works with local farmers and organizations in Manila, Philippines and has been since she was 11 years old.
AGREA, her agro-social enterprise aims to eradicate poverty for farming and fishing families in the area. Cherrie is also a member of the Scaling Up Nutrition Lead Group and a GAIN Board Member.
During the pandemic, AGREA has been working with local farmers to serve nutrient-dense meals and prevent food waste and loss of income.
In November 2020, Cherrie and AGREA were recognized as the COVID-19 Action champion in the UN Women 2020 Asia-Pacific WEPs Awards. It was names the company that has made significant contributions to promote gender equality and women’s empowerment in the context of COVID-19.
"Resilience is good, but our individual actions will make the difference. Actions such as growing our own food in our homes, investing in agriculture and fisheries, supporting smallholder farmers by buying their products, and providing agri-inputs to our farmers and fisherfolk will surely enable all of us to have food on our tables, and rise up as a nation," said Cherrie when asked about her vision of resilience.
Nora Fitzgerald, Founder of Amal Center
Nora Fitzgerald is based in Marrakech, Morocco. She founded Amal Center, a restaurant with a six-month culinary training program, which has empowered over 300 women from disadvantaged backgrounds. This vocational training focuses on providing women with the tools they need to succeed in the local restaurant and hospitality industry.
When the country went into lockdown in March of last year, their training centers were temporarily closed. To best serve those in need in the community, they delivered over 2000 food baskets for families and 2000 sandwiches to frontline healthcare workers.
Bibi la Luz Gonzalez, Founder and Director of Eat Better Wa'ik
Bibi la Luz Gonzalez and her organization, Eat Better Wa’ik work towards food security by reducing food loss, distributing educational materials, and conducting nutrition workshops in communities throughout Guatemala.
Global Shaper Bibi has been recognized as a Pandemic Hero and most recetly, by the World Economic Forum as one of six inspirational young female leaders. With a background in political economics and experience working with the World Food Programme, Bibi began Eat Better Wa'ik to share food-based knowledge and combat inequality. The organization works with families to provide educational resources and is partnering with local restaurants to provide donated meals.
Currently, Wa'ik integrates art and workshopping to position food and human rights education as something easily digestible and reative. With Bibi, her mother, and local partners, Wa'ik served over 5,000 meals during the pandemic.
Paola Pollmeier, Founder of Platos Sin Fronteras
Paola Pollmeier is the founder of Platos sin Fronteras, an organization in Medellin, Colombia, focused on transferring nutrition knowledge, serving meals, and acting as a bridge between food system stakeholders and the communities they serve.
Paola is a connector and a co-creator who started PSF to transfer food knowledge and provide food to Medellin's vulnerable communities. PSF empowers and encourages women to teach workshops which are called "Social Gastronomy Experiences." The women are the food change agents in their neighborhoods.
Sophie Oteyza, head of Alimenta la Solidaridad Internacional
Sophie Oteyza is the Head of Alimenta la Solidaridad Internatonal a network of community kitchens in Venezuela that serve meals to children, youth, and mothers at risk of hunger.
One in three Venezuelans currently live in a state of moderate or severe food insecurity, and Sophia and her team combat the crisis holistically. Alimentá la Solidaridad has an impact beyond serving meals; they also provide a physical, emotional, and social safe space for community members.
Sophie will be curating an upcoming UN Food Systems Summit Dialogue with SGM focused on migration and nutrition in Venezuela and Colombia.
"I am one of the committed mothers of the first community-kitchen founded by Alimenta la Solidaridad four years ago. I live with my husband and my four children, who also have lunch in the community kitchen. The situation in the country forced me to leave university, where I was studying, but here I feel that I can do something for myself, my family, and my neighbors. My children love coming [here]; they have fun with their friends, receive homework, and eat." said Katherine Lopez, a participant from the organization.
These women leaders are working tirelessly in their local communities as Covid-19 amplifies the crisis of food security. As jury member and president of Ashoka Brasil, Candace Lessa pointed out, "everyone has been saying that women are most affected by COVID-19, but women are also in the front line of the solutions."