Mauro Colagreco, Goodwill Ambassador is Taking Part in Cop16 Biodiversity, as Part of the Unesco Delegation, to Defend Life Through His Circular Vision of Gastronomy.
In his capacity as Goodwill Ambassador for Biodiversity, Mauro Colagreco is taking part of the UNESCO delegation at the 16th COP Biodiversity in Cali (Colombia). A committed presence, during which the leader in circular gastronomy speaks out on biodiversity protection issues and demonstrates the link between ecosystem balances and food security.
Mauro Colagreco – chef/owner of Mirazur – has been serving the living world since the opening of his restaurant in Menton in 2006. On November 25, 2022, he became the very first chef to be appointed Goodwill Ambassador by Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO. Charged with “mobilizing public interest and support”, the chef who represents UNESCO on issues of biodiversity and ecology has answered the call, and is taking part in discussions at the 16th Conference of the Parties*, whose slogan is “Peace with Nature”.
“LET’S EAT WITHOUT EATING THE PLANET!” THE NEED FOR A CIRCULAR GASTRONOMY
For Mauro Colagreco, gastronomy is a powerful vector for change; his message is that by changing the way we produce our food, we change our diet, we change our society and therefore we change our values. He also asserts that by adopting a more circular gastronomy, respectful of nature’s cycles, it is possible to feed a growing population without eating the planet any more.
The challenge of this COP is to make people understand why biodiversity is essential, how food and biodiversity are so closely linked, and to get everyone to take a step towards its immediate safeguard. This is why the “gardener in a chef’s jacket” is pleading for the protection of this endangered biodiversity – which has entered the 6th mass extinction stage (IPBES figures HERE) – and proposing the establishment of a gastronomy that is finally sustainable, reminding us that biodiversity is its foundation, as it is the foundation of our lives.
In his view, the approach to food needs to be fundamentally rethought, from the moment the product leaves the earth to the moment it returns to it, with the conviction that every player in the chain, however small, has the power to bring about positive change.
For almost twenty years, Mauro Colagreco has been working on the implementation of a circular gastronomy that no longer produces at the expense of the earth, but instead promotes the regeneration of ecosystems. A “method” initiated at Mirazur – his 3-star restaurant voted best restaurant in the world in 2019, which boasts 5 hectares of permaculture and biodynamic gardens – and rapidly extended to three more accessible food concepts (bakeries, pizzerias, hamburger chains), so that access to good food is within the reach of as many people as possible.
Its method is based on 5 axes:
- The promotion of regenerative agriculture and sustainable fishing (more varieties, more indigenous and resilient species)
- Promoting diversity, local and seasonal produce (to reduce carbon footprints and improve food quality)
- Reducing waste (combating food waste) and eliminating single-use plastics
- Investment in research and development
- Education, especially for young people (for better food choices).
A SOLEMN CALL FOR A GLOBAL EDUCATION PROGRAM ON FOOD AND BIODIVERSITY.
For Mauro Colagreco, education is the key and children are our future. That is why, during this COP16, he is making a solemn appeal to everyone in the world – governments, international organizations, leaders, educators, citizens, etc. – to join forces and create a global programme to teach children to eat well.
This program, called “SEEDS FOR THE FUTURE”, could be composed according to 5 main principles:
- Food education modules in all schools, from kindergarten to secondary school, to teach sustainable eating and the importance of biodiversity, and, beyond nutrition, the origins of food and its impact on the environment.
- Hands-on activities in all schools, with educational gardens to observe how food grows; culinary workshops encouraging the use of local and seasonal ingredients; visits to local farms, markets and natural ecosystems to understand the link between food and nature; and waste management projects to raise awareness of sorting and responsible consumption.
- Interdisciplinary projects to encourage links between gastronomy and other subjects such as science, history and geography.
- Teacher training to give them the tools and knowledge they need.
- Involving families through school events or home projects, so that children can share their knowledge and enthusiasm at home.
ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN A BIODIVERSITY DINNER & AT FOOD DAY, THE DAY DEDICATED TO FOOD ISSUES.
Confirming his participation in the COP, Mauro Colagreco has been invited to host a responsible dinner in Cali to promote local biodiversity. Calling on his Colombian friend and colleague Harry Sasson to share the bill, the two chefs delivered a menu on the theme of sustainability and local culinary heritages.
For this dinner, Mauro Colagreco worked with corn, coffee, Amazonian honey and exotic fruits from the region, while Harry Sasson – known as an ambassador for the Colombian peasantry and his efforts on behalf of the environment – delivered an interpretation of traditional Valle del Cauca cuisine, featuring hearts of palm from Putumayo, a substitute for illicit crops.
Mauro Colagreco also presented his convictions at Food Day (10/28/24) through his participation in a round table entitled “Biodiversity for food and nutrition”. Alongside major players such as the FAO, ITPGRFA, WWF, USAID and CIAT, Mauro Colagreco talked about how to involve food industry players in safeguarding biodiversity.
A program rich in meaning and hope, reminiscent of Mauro Colagreco’s leitmotiv:
”‘BY CHOOSING WHAT WE EAT, WE CHOOSE THE WORLD WE WANT TO LIVE IN’.
