At The Summit Of Social Gastronomy!

by Friends-International · Published December 5, 2018 · Updated December 5, 2018

This fascinating and exciting update on TREE Alliance at Gastromotiva 2018 comes via Anton Ventslav, TREE Chef Coordinator, based in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Anton

“TREE Alliance was among those invited to the 2^nd ever Social Gastronomy Summit, ‘Gastromotiva 2018’ which was held at Reffetorio Gastromotiva in Rio De Janeiro, following the first one in Miami in April this year (which Nikolai Schwarz, head of Friends Social Business, attended).

The tagline of Gastromotiva is ‘Food for Change’, and the summit initiated discussions, brainstormed ideas and connected like-minded individuals who are changing the world around them through food. That can be by feeding the homeless in Rio every night with a 3-course meal, organizing a soup kitchen with food surpluses at Olympic games, helping the Venezuelan crisis of migrants in Latin America through pop-up food tents or offering vocational training to marginalized youth, which of course is the TREE model.

We were the only representatives from Australasia, chosen as the leading NGO in the area who are providing such impact through our work in the region, so we have been given the job of spreading the Social Gastronomy (SG) Movement into the continent by setting up the first SG Hub in Asia, in Phnom Penh in 2019. This will most certainly be housed downstairs in the new Futures Factory building (under construction at the moment) and our mission would be to bring other NGO’s in the area closer together and share ideas, knowledge and resources to make a bigger impact on the people who need it the most by combining our strengths.

We can also onboard new organisations, existing or new businesses or individuals who want to be part of the movement and offer some kind of socially responsible element in their operations. The movement will be supported by an online platform where everyone can share their resources and contact details, offer advice and provide support for those who need it in order to improve their business / organisation.

TREE have also been appointed as ambassadors for the Social Gastronomy movement in Asia and become one of 11 individuals / organisations who have committed to bringing this movement to their respective locales through the Hubs. The official launch of this initiative will take place in Davos, Switzerland at the World Economic Forum with David Hertz and Patrick Honauer in January 2019.” Congratulations to TREE Alliance and thanks to Anton – we now look forward to the roll out of the Asia Social Gastronomy Hub in Cambodia early next year!