Low Food hosted its fourth annual symposium at the Rijksmuseum with the theme “Move away from gut feeling” in Amsterdam on May 15. A wide range of speakers showed how they define sustainability and put it into practice. Chris Ying, Angela Dimayuga and Fatmata Binta were the first confirmed speakers. Chef, food stylist and activist Lelani Lewis moderated the day and opened the discussion, along with top chefs Joris Bijdendijk and Nadia Zerouali from the Netherlands.

Sustainability in gastronomy was a bigger theme than ever, but at the same time this development has caused many assumptions and choices based on “gut feeling” to creep into the concept. What makes gastronomy truly sustainable? What assumptions exist about sustainability and what steps can be taken now?

Move away from Gut Feeling about Sustainability in Gastronomy

Are the assumptions about sustainability correct? And what exists beyond the hackneyed definitions of sustainability? The definition of “sustainability” is getting broader, for example, Noma recently put the importance of working conditions on the agenda, but this does not absolve gastronomy from the obligation to work today on what has been known for a long time. This is what Low Food did at this symposium, together with chefs, journalists, researchers, farmers and producers who put this into practice in their own inspiring way.

A wide range of speakers showed how they define sustainability and put it into practice. Chris Ying, Angela Dimayuga and Fatmata Binta were the first confirmed speakers. Chef, food stylist and activist Lelani Lewis moderated the day and opened the discussion, along with top chefs Joris Bijdendijk and Nadia Zerouali from the Netherlands.

Bijdendijk is currently working with Deloitte on a model to map the entire carbon footprint of his restaurants Wils and RIJKS® as part of the Net Positive Movement. For her part, Zerouali is working with chefs, farmers and entrepreneurs to introduce Flevo Food to the culinary world.