At the World Food Forum (WFF), a United Nations-backed platform where gastronomy bridges cultures and drives agrifood systems transformation, Flora Igoe leads the Youth Culture Programme. Based in Rome at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), she guides young chefs in safeguarding intangible food heritage \u2013 family recipes, ancient farming practices and time-honoured techniques \u2013 while connecting their work to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.<\/p>\n
\u201cFood often creates connections between young people that go beyond what structured programmes alone can achieve,\u201d Igoe says ahead of her keynote speech at this year\u2019s International Gastronomy Forum Macao. \u201cWhen young people from different parts of the world come together around food, as we\u2019ve seen through the WFF Young Chefs Programme, the conversation shifts from theoretical practice to personal reflections. These, in turn, complement formal knowledge exchange.\u201d<\/p>\n
The gastronomy stream culminates in the WFF\u2019s annual flagship event at FAO headquarters, where young chefs present regional treasures, from Amazonian forest yields to Asian ferments. In 2024, Igoe launched Sustainable Gastronomy Week, pairing meals with discussions on resilience and biodiversity. Her tenure, which began in August 2025, following earlier roles as Youth Culture Specialist curating artist-chef exhibitions, has mobilised nearly 30,000 leaders across 180 countries. Under her guidance, the network has fostered more than 500 innovations and grown to 62 National Youth Chapters, with 38 established since she took the helm.<\/p>\n
![\"Flora](\"https:\/\/img.i-scmp.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto\/sites\/default\/files\/d8\/images\/canvas\/2026\/03\/20\/ce677f19-fe45-4dd2-b35d-f0d02e4a845a_ba7f296a.jpg\" "\\"Flora")
<\/div>\u201cWhen young chefs from different regions begin sharing how their local food traditions connect to broader questions of nutrition, biodiversity and food security, their perspectives shift in genuinely meaningful ways,\u201d Igoe explains. \u201cThis human dimension is something we actively build on. Food gives young people the confidence to represent their communities and advocate for agrifood systems transformation.\u201d<\/p>\n
Igoe points to chef and food writer Eniola Okeola\u2019s Nigerian project to help illustrate her point. Okeola set out to address a striking paradox: Nigeria is the world\u2019s largest producer of shea butter, yet the ingredient is largely absent from urban kitchens. Imported oils dominate, while indigenous fats \u2013 deeply tied to the livelihoods of rural women producers \u2013 are either unknown to younger consumers or dismissed as cosmetic products.<\/p>\n
Okeola\u2019s response combined field research in shea-producing communities, chef collaborations at urban pop-up events, and social media advocacy. Framed around market development and nutritional awareness rather than cultural preservation alone, her work aims to restore shea butter to its place in Nigerian kitchens, strengthening both local diets and the livelihoods of the women who produce it.<\/p>\n Macanese cuisine was shaped by centuries of encounter and exchange \u2026 The role of young chefs in a City of Gastronomy context is to be part of that continuum<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Igoe emphasises that evolving from artisan to agent of influence requires technical skill \u2013 but not only that. \u201cWhat enables young chefs to leverage these skills is the ability to understand agrifood systems more broadly,\u201d she says, citing knowledge of ingredient origins, producer networks and wider questions of nutrition, biodiversity and sustainability. \u201cFor young chefs to make a lasting contribution, we encourage them to pair that knowledge with a clear voice \u2013 the ability to communicate meaningfully to a diner, a community or a policymaker \u2013 and a commitment to making their practice both socially motivated and economically viable.\u201d The kitchen, she adds, \u201cis where agrifood systems transformation becomes visible and tangible.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Igoe identifies three critical gaps for young professionals: the link between food heritage and biodiversity \u2013 when a traditional dish disappears, it often takes with it the local crop variety or farming practice that sustained it; the vulnerability of small-scale producers; and the lack of youth employment pathways in food and agriculture. She encourages young chefs to address these issues through sourcing choices, building direct relationships with producers, and making food and beverage careers genuinely viable for the next generation.<\/p>\n \u201cMacau is a particularly good example,\u201d Igoe notes. \u201cMacanese cuisine was shaped by centuries of encounter and exchange, drawing on culinary traditions from Portugal, China, Southeast Asia, Africa and beyond. The role of young chefs in a City of Gastronomy context is to be part of that continuum \u2013 building on the knowledge of older generations while contributing their own perspective and experience.\u201d<\/p>\n Through her work, she sees this principle in action. \u201cParticipants apply sustainability principles within large-scale hospitality environments, engage with local food heritage through menus and sourcing decisions, and use gastronomy as a platform to connect communities.\u201d<\/p>\n Looking ahead, Igoe measures success in lasting ripples. \u201cSuccess would mean a generation of culinary professionals who have used their skills, networks, platforms and long-term projects to drive meaningful change \u2013 in their communities, in the businesses they run or work within, and in the policy conversations that shape agrifood systems,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n \u201cIt would also mean the models we are developing \u2013 community-based projects, mentorship structures and inter-regional knowledge exchange \u2013 have been tested, refined and scaled globally.\u201d Concretely, that might look like young chefs contributing to national food policies, supporting local biodiversity through their food enterprises, or mentoring the next generation to follow their lead.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"Delegates](\"https:\/\/img.i-scmp.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto\/sites\/default\/files\/d8\/images\/canvas\/2026\/03\/20\/fb087b57-6568-4af8-b34a-4fd8c7949b79_13c37403.jpg\" "\\"Delegates")
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