Crab cakes made with fonio, an ancient West African grain, and ratatouille cooked with “imperfect” produce to reduce food waste are just a few of the more than 70 recipes launched recently. . Cookbook in support of the United Nations: For people and the planet.
Produced in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and in consultation with other UN agencies such as UNESCO, the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the United Nations Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the United Nations Global Communications Department, the book is the Kitchen Connection. is an organization that has combined culinary arts, sustainability and education for a decade to drive debate on the need to transform food systems.
“With cookbook consumption on the rise and understanding that people are using cookbooks as a source of education and inspiration, cookbook ideas have always been on our table,” says Kitchen Connection. Founder and New York University professor Earlene Cruz explains to UN News: .
World Food Program Goodwill Ambassador Chef Manal Al Alem and Kitchen Connection founder Arlene Cruz have a cookbook to help the United Nations.
But what makes this cookbook different?
for people and earth Divided into chapters covering food systems, biodiversity, sustainable consumption and production, climate and food waste, it provides recipes but also provides insight into the carbon footprint of each dish. .
“We found that people in the world’s most emitting countries emit about 3 kilograms of CO2 per meal through our dietary choices. 58.6% less carbon than the average diet in high-rich regions.This book is dedicated to the planet,” says Cruz.
This cookbook also highlights and follows the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) macronutrient guidelines, making recipes healthy for us as well as the planet.
But most of all, it puts the spotlight on how important our food choices are and how they affect our immediate surroundings, no matter where we cook them.
Lionfish and carambola cashews, one of the recipes in a cookbook supporting the United Nations.
The climate cost of our food choices
Commenting on the quiche recipe shared by NASA scientist chef Lisa Johnson in Antarctica, Cruz said: [chicken] eggs, and in Antarctica, [chickens cannot] In order to interact with the penguins in some way, Chef Lisa had to cook that part of the recipe in a completely separate facility. This shows the difficulty of cooking in remote areas. “
“What matters is our food choices and how they affect our immediate environment, whether we are in cities, suburbs, rural areas, or remote areas like Antarctica. The most important thing is to consider whether,” she adds.
The book features 75 recipes and preparation instructions, but also includes testimonials and stories from indigenous communities and farmers who are at the root of the world’s food production chains.
Contributors to this book were brought together by Kitchen Connection, an online platform for cooking classes and education.
“Activist, restaurateur, and entrepreneur Kimbal Musk also spoke up for the book, so that from the Sioux Indigenous communities to Antarctica, [it] It reflects the reality of our diverse food system and unique culinary culture. The most exciting part is that over 200 people turned up and signed up to support this cause,” emphasizes Cruz.
For example, Lesotho-born chef Suka Miriam Motean shares her recipe for the Dandelion Salad Tower, which has 87.58% less carbon footprint than the average diet in high-emission countries like the US and China.
This dish promotes biodiversity by incorporating dandelions. Dandelion is a nutritious green that grows wild or in fields near your home.
Sustainability is also built into the book itself. Its pages are made from responsibly sourced wood fibers.
“There are always climate costs involved in producing a work like this, but we have done our best from start to finish to make the book itself and its content sustainable. This book is, [Forest Stewardship Council]-Certified sustainable paper, and we understand that this is how cookbooks are traditionally consumed in hardcover format,” explains Cruz.
World Food Program Goodwill Ambassador Chef Manal Al Alem during the launch of a cookbook in support of the United Nations at COP27 in Egypt.
why is this all important
Food systems contribute to and are affected by extreme weather events linked to climate change, land degradation and biodiversity loss, according to FAO.
Addressing these challenges requires a systems-based approach that addresses scope and complexity in a comprehensive and sustainable manner. Initiatives like this cookbook are meant to support the response.
“We can start with the questions that help us understand our food journey: Where is it grown? Who grew it? How did it get to my plate? As given individuals, we can band together to advocate for more sustainable practices from farms and food companies, and demand bold climate policies from governments.
Cruz, who is also a member of the Youth Representatives for Civil Society at the United Nations Department for Global Communications, stresses the need to eat more local, biodiverse food and reduce waste in the kitchen.
“But we also need good taste. That’s why we need to rely on activists, chefs, farmers and indigenous peoples who really know how to grow and create beautiful recipes to help guide us.” ‘ she adds.
Celebrity chef Jose Andrés, known for his culinary and humanitarian work, is also a Cookbook advocate and participant.
“Limit the number of hungry people by preventing and stopping natural disasters before they occur by educating ourselves and each other on how to eat better for human and planetary health. The UN and the UN-supporting cookbook for the planet are great examples of that,” he said of the book at COP27, the recent UN climate conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. I mentioned it in a video message at the launch event.
For Earlene Cruz, nature has the answer, because “what’s good for humans is also good for the planet.”
“For example, Indigenous chef Rosalia Chai Chuk’s black bean recipe is the lowest emissions recipe in the book. It’s gentle on the soil, doesn’t require much water to grow, and nature itself provides us with the best ‘recipes’ and formulas for human and planetary health,” she explains. To do.
Other contributors include a food system expert who shares a delicious recipe called Make Do Ratatouille that reduces food waste by using “imperfect ingredients” to make “perfect dishes” in the most delicious way. including Dani Nierenberg, who is
“And Chef Pierre Thiam has provided a recipe for fonio that uses ‘rediscovered’ grains, completely revitalizing the economy of Senegalese farmers in the regions where fonio is grown. It’s where people historically migrated to Europe in search of something better. They are living in the land from which they fled while already unaware of the abundance,” Cruz told UN News.
Chef Manal Al-Alem’s bulgur and pomegranate recipe was shared during the cookbook’s launch at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
To the future
The cookbook, which is already available in major bookstores and online retailers, and will soon be available at the Visitors Center at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, will be produced as a documentary series in 2023 that includes research into indigenous communities. It’s a schedule. Remote areas threatened by climate change.
“There is no one-size-fits-all solution, but if we adapt to local conditions, we can have a truly global impact through our food choices. We vote with our ballots, not just our palate.” Cruz says.
For her, this book represents not the end but the beginning of a great collaboration and contribution that she hopes will have a positive impact on global citizens around the world.
“We want this book to end up in the hands of the average person, which is why we partnered with traditional publishers to get this message out of the echo chamber and ( We want to reach the hearts and minds of people who don’t yet know or care about our food system’s strong symbiotic relationship with the planet.We don’t just want to sell books.We want to make an impact. We want to give and spread the word,” says Cruz.
