Ecochefs e o caminho da comida: um lugar estratégico para cozinheiros profissionais na cadeia de valor do alimento

Abstract

This research aims to demonstrate the importance of cooks as a link between production and consumption, qualification to actions, and the projects and programs of sustainability throughout the food value chain. The findings propose new strategic roles whereby smallholder farmers, fishers, and extractivists are elevated through local food promotion which is integral to the biodiversity and community within several regions of Brazil. This need was identified throughout the four decades of the author as a chef and social entrepreneur at her restaurant O Navegador and non-profit organization Instituto Maniva. Both were founded, as a consequence of actions and programs developed with other Ecochefs, to provide food education for children, documentary film production, cooking workshops, and an institutional presence at organic farmers’ market in Rio de Janeiro. The proximity between the Ecochefs and farmers during this period helped to promote the visibility and trade of their products as well as building a mutually-trusting relationship. This led to many events and projects where essential actors in the foodchain, such as Ecochefs and smallholder farmers, where present. From a personal perspective, the work of remodeling this chain brought to light the influence of systemic thinking. This had been previously acquired through the author’s previous training as a designer and highlighted the importance of this epistemological perspective on the food system, especially for the balance between supply and demand. This factor is currently present on the world’s agenda for the climate crisis. Highlighting the need to seek a new form of consumption; one which promotes environmental resilience. This research concludes with a recommendation for the inclusion of new disciplines within gastronomy courses. The scope must widen to include the impact of Brazil’s food production on the food industry (Chefs, School Cooks, Cooking teachers, and Nutritionists) but also what impact the food industry’s flow has on Brazil’s food production. The research emphasizes the existence of the new public sectors in Brazil where organic and local food is a legal requirement in procurement, and where the Ecogastronomy course suggested in the last chapter will be relevant for the creation and execution of the dishes.