The New Food Guide for Colombia: Biodiversity, identity, and health at the table

In 2025, the Colombian Institute of Family Welfare (ICBF) and the University of Antioquia presented the Dietary Guide for the Colombian Population based on Biodiversity and Real Food. This document is not a single recipe or just another technical manual: it is the result of a participatory process with communities from the country’s 13 food-relatedContinue reading “The New Food Guide for Colombia: Biodiversity, identity, and health at the table”

Somos restaurant: Ecuadorian born, globally inspired sustainable gastronomy

During my trip to Ecuador in late June, I dined at Somos Restaurant, in Quito, Ecuador. The theme of Somos restaurant is “Ecuadorian Born, Globally Inspired.” Somos restaurant specializes in preparing locally-available, indigenous foods and advocates for sustainable gastronomy. Here are some photos of the impressive restaurant, including the delicious dishes we sampled from theContinue reading “Somos restaurant: Ecuadorian born, globally inspired sustainable gastronomy”

The açaí berry: The journey from the Amazon rainforest to your table

The story of açaí begins in the depths of the Amazon rainforest, where local tribes regarded it as a precious source of energy and vitality. It’s no coincidence that the name “açaí” means “fruit that cries” in the Tupi language, referring to how the pulp flows from the fruit. For generations, Amazonian communities have harvested these smallContinue reading “The açaí berry: The journey from the Amazon rainforest to your table”

A new approach to nutrition science is needed to address current food systems challenges

An informative and timely new editorial has been published in Nutrition & Dietetics (February 2025). The editorial is titled “A new approach to nutrition science is needed to address current food systems challenges” (Machado, 2025). Here, the author notes that: “Promoting healthy and sustainable food systems for current and future generations is central in realisingContinue reading “A new approach to nutrition science is needed to address current food systems challenges”

Biodiversity on our plate: The health and nutrition connection

“A diverse diet is a healthy diet. Research has shown that increasing the number of species and varieties we grow and consume can deliver a full range of nutrients and benefits to nourish human health. ” (Borelli and Hunter, 2024) “This is particularly urgent because our food systems fail to provide the nourishment we need. FoodContinue reading “Biodiversity on our plate: The health and nutrition connection”

May 22, 2024: International Day of Biodiversity (IDB): Be a Part of the Plan

“Be part of the Plan”, the theme of IDB 2024, is a call to action for all stakeholders to halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity by supporting the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, also referred to as the The Biodiversity Plan.  International Day of Biodiversity (IDB) 2024: https://www.cbd.int/biodiversity-day The Biodiversity Plan offers opportunitiesContinue reading “May 22, 2024: International Day of Biodiversity (IDB): Be a Part of the Plan”

Agroecology as a transformative approach to tackle climatic, food, and ecosystem crises: New review

A new review paper published in the journal Innovations in Environmental Sustainability outlines how agroecology can be used to tackle climatic, food, and ecosystem crises. “Agroecology has been proposed as a transformative approach to climate change mitigation and adaptation that reduces climate risk while supporting long-term productivity and resilience of food systems by applying ecologicalContinue reading “Agroecology as a transformative approach to tackle climatic, food, and ecosystem crises: New review”

A recipe for change: The Cookbook In Support of The United Nations – For People and Planet

“Earlene Cruz is on a mission to make people hungry for climate action every time they sit down to eat. Cruz is the Founder and Executive Director of Kitchen Connection Alliance, an entity that seeks to improve systems for growing and distributing food worldwide. She was at COP27 last November to launch the Cookbook in SupportContinue reading “A recipe for change: The Cookbook In Support of The United Nations – For People and Planet”