Press Release: Social Gastronomy Movement Summit 2021
Transforming food systems through dialogue, education, and local action during the Social Gastronomy Movement’s Annual Summit
Chefs, youth climate activists, artists, farmers, grassroots leaders, executives, & more food systems changemakers to unite during the 2021 Social Gastronomy Movement Summit during the weekend of October 15-17, 2021.
ZURICH, Switzerland, October 5, 2021 -- Kicking off on October 15, 2021, the Social Gastronomy Movement (SGM) Summit is a three-day event bringing together actors from over sixty countries to celebrate World Food Day. Given the situation of COVID, this is a hybrid event consisting of a mix of virtual gatherings and local actions. The Summit is split into three main activities known as the Universal Series.
“We believe that food offers a solution to the most urgent and pressing challenges of our time; environmental, social, and political,” said Nicola Gryczka, Orchestrator of SGM. “It is a universal language, the great uniter, and the key to co-creating a more equitable, inclusive, and sustainable future.”
The opening session, the Universal Table, is a virtual dialogue between guests from across sectors focused on systems change and food. The discussion will use interpretation and will include small breakout rooms for participants to engage. Table guests include:
Charles McNeill - Senior Advisor, Forest, and Climate at UN Environment Program (UNEP) (USA)
Michelle Grogg - Vice President of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainable Development at Cargill (USA)
Carina Nilsson, Mayor of Malmö (Sweden)
Mariana Vasconcelos, CEO and Founder of AgroSmart (Brazil)
Tulsi Giri, Co-Creator at Food Networks and social entrepreneur (Nepal)
Maureen Muketha, Youth Activist and Founder of Tule Vyema (Kenya)
Mauricio Rodas, Former Mayor of Quito (Ecuador)
On Sunday, the Universal Kitchen: Cooking Up Change will be hosted by world-renowned and emerging chefs. This series of intimate online workshops are focused on various topics from cultural regeneration to biodiversity. Chef Conner Spacey and Charles Michel are among the 23 to be hosting classes, donating their efforts to raise money for the SGM Fund. Classes are broken into two groups to accommodate a global audience.
As the virtual events roll out throughout the weekend, local organizations, universities, individuals, and restaurants will be taking local action as part of the #UniversalPlate Campaign to serve a total of one million meals collectively. SGM will document local actions and amplify them via social media channels such as Instagram, LinkedIn, and Youtube. There are over 700,000 meals pledged with over 30 countries represented as of October 4, and more are expected to join.
The bulk of this series is free of charge, and registration is open to anyone worldwide. Universal Kitchen: Cooking Up Change tickets can be purchased with a minimum donation of USD 1. All proceeds will go to the SGM Fund, the NGO’s impact arm, which supports organizations within the global network focused on food and education within local communities worldwide.
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ABOUT SGM
The Social Gastronomy Movement (SGM) is a global network of over 180 chefs, grassroots organizations, farmers, academics, activists, and social entrepreneurs who use food’s power for social change. As a network, we foster our individual and collective capacity toward food systems transformation. SGM has a global base of members mapped in more than 60 countries across five continents. Corporate partners include Griffith Foods, Cargill Foundation, and The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. Founded in 2017, SGM has been featured at global events, including the World Economic Forum, SXSW, and TED.
Link to SGM’s press kit: https://trello.com/b/W4279sCQ/social-gastronomy-movement
About the SGM Summit
The SGM Summit is a yearly event where lovers of gastronomy and those working toward food systems transformation gather to exchange meaningful dialogue, share knowledge, and take local action worldwide. More information about the annual SGM Summit can be found here: https://socialgastronomy.org/summit-2021.
The 2021 SGM Summit is made possible thanks to the ongoing support of Griffith Foods, a global product development partner specializing in developing delicious, healthy, and sustainable food ingredients. As a family business for over 100 years, Griffith Foods is renowned for true, collaborative innovation, creating new products, technologies, and capabilities to meet the evolving needs and desires of consumers in ways that respect and sustain the planet.
For more information and media support, please contact:
Press Contact
Maya Mehta - maya@socialgastronomy.org