FAO congratulates Chef José Andrés, an Indigenous Peoples’ food Systems supporter, for being honoured with the 2021 Princess of Asturias Award
The Princess of Asturias Foundation has decided to award the 2021 Princess of Asturias Award for Concord to the Chef, entrepreneur and philanthropist José Andrés and the World Central Kitchen (WCK) organization. This award is Spain’s most prestigious humanitarian award.
An avid supporter of Indigenous Peoples and their food systems, he has become an important ally for Indigenous peoples around the world.
Recently, through a video message, Chef José Andrés called on the United Nations, Governments, consumers around the world to support the preservation of Indigenous Peoples’ ancestral food systems.
He also made a special call to all chefs worldwide to make a transition towards sustainable food systems that respect the environment.
His message had a great impact during the launching event of FAO’s recent report Indigenous Peoples' Food System, Insights of sustainability and resilience from the front line of climate change.
“Humanity talks about having better diets to avoid sickness and health problems. However, we are not considering the interconnection between food, ecosystems, health and wellbeing. We cannot have healthy lives and healthy foods in unhealthy and damaged ecosystems. For hundreds of years, Indigenous Peoples have approached food, environment, health, spirituality, and culture with a holistic approach" highlighted Chef José Andrés.
“Indigenous Peoples’ Food Systems teach us all, that it is possible to connect food to health and to biodiversity preservation”, added the Chef during the launching event of FAO’s publication.
Having become one of the most recognized Chef in the world and after having travelled to Haiti in 2010 to provide humanitarian aid, José Andrés founded the World Central Kitchen (WCK) in 2012, an NGO the carries out various cooperation projects with food as the core element.
"Our mission is to feed in tragedies, at the moment when people have lost everything and there is no one willing to do it. We reach more and more people because we have more means, but it becomes complicated because in turn there are also more hurricanes, earthquakes, typhoons, fires, etc. There are many places where there was already hunger, and a pandemic like this shows you the problem with an open heart."
Chef José Andrés and World Central Kitchen main mission is to end hunger and poverty by using the power of food to empower communities and strengthen economies.
The FAO Indigenous Peoples Unit congratulates Chef José Andrés and the World Central Kitchen for being honoured with the 2021 Princess of Asturias Award for Concord and recognize their great support for the preservation of Indigenous Peoples’ food Systems.