Gastromotiva: The Social Gastronomy Movement That Could Save the Amazon
Gastromotiva is harnessing the power of gastronomy for social change, combating hunger, restoring soil health, enhancing food security, as well as generating income through education.
The Brazilian NGO, founded by chef and social innovator David Hertz in São Paulo, Brazil, began as a humble school meal initiative from his home in 2006. Since then, Gastromotiva has developed a project and teaching methodology that has paved the way for collaborations with universities in São Paulo and beyond to offer free educational courses across Brazil.
In 2016, during the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the organization created Refettorio Gastromotiva in partnership with Italian chef Massimo Bottura and journalist Alexandra Forbes. Bottura, who with his wife, Lara Gilmore, founded Food for Soul, a non-profit organisation to empower local communities to reduce food waste and support social inclusion, is one of the most respected chefs in the world for his work in this area. Now, Refettorio Gastromotiva has become a similar hub of culture, connection, and camaraderie fostering community growth, encouraging social transformation, inclusive productivity, and sustainable progress through this movement of social gastronomy.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, Gastromotiva extended its social model to over 150 communities in Brazil, and in particular to riverside and indigenous communities in the Amazon. Initiatives include the Social Gastronomy Kitchens Program and the Community Development Project which promote food security, economic empowerment, and community entrepreneurship.
The Amazon expansion was facilitated by a collaboration with the Acariquara Institute, a non-profit organization dedicated to stimulating and supporting initiatives for socio-biodiversity preservation, sustainable development, and sustainable natural resource management within its traditional communities.
The organization claims that Gastromotiva is unique in the way it brings together local and traditional farming and agroforestry systems with cutting-edge tech for the socioeconomic development of the Amazon region. This, it says, restores soil recovery and strengthens the diversity of native and cultivated seeds in a hub of innovation where social, environmental, and economic fabrics are woven together into a virtuous circle of sustainable practices, nurturing a legacy of green prosperity and culinary skills for future generations.
Learn more about Gastromotiva.
Written by Gilly Smith
Photos provided by Gastromotiva