"As an FAO Goodwill Ambassador, I aim to share my knowledge and experience for a purpose that in this case, is the regeneration of nature and the flora that surround us."
The Director-General of FAO, QU Dongyu has appointed Rodrigo Pacheco as a Goodwill Ambassador to promote the International Year of Plant Health in Latin America.
Ecuadorian chef, Rodrigo Pacheco's passion for regenerative gastronomy has led him to advocate for the urgent restoration of the world’s ecosystems. Currently, Pacheco is involved in developing a ‘biodiversity corridor’ in Ecuador running from the Pacific Coast to the Andean Choco, crossing five different ecosystems and microclimates. The project is an evolution of his on-going work to innovate the culinary and gastronomic sciences.
Rodrigo Pacheco’s restaurant Bocavaldivia celebrates the ancestral culinary past of the Valdivian culture using ingredients produced under pristine agricultural conditions in collaboration with fisherman and local permacultures. His respect and care for nature has caught the attention of political leaders, activists, private businesses, and others who support Pacheco’s approach to live in harmony with the environment and his plan to create the largest edible forest in the world.
After the earthquake in Ecuador in April 2016, Pacheco founded the organization Amor 7.8, that works to preserve nature in Tanusas on the Ecuadorian Pacific coast.
Pacheco participated in Netflix's popular The Final Table and promotes Ecuador by assisting the country's Ministry of Tourism in its campaigns.
Pacheco will participate in a range of activities to engage people in important matters related to plant health. He will be sharing sustainable recipes that promote biodiversity, raising awareness about plant pests and diseases and participating in dialogues that underline the important connection between plant protection and food security with representatives of institutions, academia, and civil society.
