Introduction and objectives

We welcome you to the website of the first conference on gastronomy and sustainable development, hosted by the Basque Know How Fundazioa (BKHF), taking place on 15th June at Euskalduna Palace in Bilbao.

Why link gastronomy and sustainable development?

Global awareness and interest in sustainability issues is at an all-time high. Customers, business owners, shareholders and suppliers are increasingly driving sustainability concerns amongst the world’s best restaurants.

With recent research showing that many consumers are looking for sustainable gastronomic concepts, it is clear that the gastronomy industry must develop in ways that ensure provenance, care for the environment and society are all taken into account.

With so many different actors operating in the industry, including producers, restaurateurs, logistic operators, distributors and research centres to name a few, there is a need to coordinate action. Although a number of different industry forums have been organized, we believe that there is an opportunity to bring all of these groups together as one to discuss the challenges the sector is facing, as well as the opportunities available.

Why the Basque Know How Foundation?

Gastronomy and sustainable development have been key principles of the Basque Know How Foundation since its inception. Eneko Atxa-Azurmendi and Gorka Izagirre-Azurmendi, two of BKHF’s trustee’s, incorporated these principles into the design and creation of restaurant Azurmendi. Since its opening in 2005, Azurmendi has operated and grown with sustainability at its core, bringing the restaurant a number of international awards and recognition, including being awarded the Sustainable Restaurant Award as part of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants.

The conference

This conference will bring together a range of international organizations to discuss the importance of sustainable development for the gastronomy sector in a series of dynamic and interactive panel discussions.

World renowned chefs will share their experiences; research institutes will present some of the latest developments and innovations; producers will share their sustainability solutions; logistic operators will discuss how economic and social value can be generated from existing supply chains, and sustainability specialists will present examples of how the positive impacts of singular actions can multiply when businesses join efforts.

We will discuss how gastronomy and the food industry as a whole can contribute to mitigating climate challenges, creating a knowledge community that helps to progress the food system to be more sustainable.

The details

You can find all the information relating to the conference through this website, including programme details and panellists’ information. During the conference printed materials will be limited and no other marketing materials will be distributed to minimize waste.

To attend the conference, you will need to register. The cost of attending the conference is 25 Euros and free for students.

If you would like any further information, please contact us at: info@basqueknowhow.org

We cannot forget that gastronomy is part of our heritage and therefore, a “right” of future generations because “we have not inherited the land from our ancestors, we have borrowed it from our children”.

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