In 2010, Danish celebrity chef Claus Meyer and the NGO Ibis, established Foundation Melting Pot Bolivia and in 2012 opened the GUSTU Food School and Restaurant in La Paz, Bolivia. Profits from the gourmet restaurant are reinvested into the Bolivian food movement and in educating young Bolivians to healthier diets. Meyer’s initiative aims to spur economic growth, tourism and exports, support local farmers and give new impulse to Bolivian cuisine while promoting sustainable agricultural practices and preserving local agrobiodiversity. The initiative has given rise to Bolivia’s Gastronomic Integration Movement (MIGA) and its Gastronomic Manifesto.

The problem

Like many countries worldwide, Bolivia is experiencing the rapid loss of food culture with the consequent deterioration of rural and urban diets. Traditional foods are being supplanted by imported foodstuffs and local varieties, which are often considered “food for the poor” and are being cultivated less and less, to the extent that some are in danger of extinction. Lack of knowledge on their use and preparation along with limited seasonality and availability also restricts their wider promotion and marketing.

The Food School project

The Food School is workshop-based and trains promising 15-19 years olds from underprivileged backgrounds who are enrolled in culinary projects supported by the La Paz Municipal Council and the FAUTAPO Foundations and culinary training centres. Considerable emphasis is placed on the promotion and use of local ingredients, seasonality and indigenous food culture, to the extent that the school grows its own ingredients just outside La Paz. The visibility of once neglected crops is gradually being enhanced through the development of gourmet recipes for the restaurant. Products for the menu are chosen based on seasonal availability and following consultations with local experts from the ANDESCROP project - a joint initiative between the Faculty of Life Sciences of Copenhagen University and the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Andrés of La Paz and the Bolivian Fundación Para la Promoción e Investigación de Productos Andinos – PROINPA. Scientific advice is also provided by the IFAD-NUS III project managed by Bioversity International.

Impact
Meyer’s initiative has given rise to Bolivia’s Gastronomic Integration Movement (MIGA), Bolivia’s first ever Food Symposium and its Gastronomic Manifesto, which is based on some of the following principles:

• Highlight the diversity of indigenous foods and associated traditional knowledge, and promote the sustainable production of these products by linking them to Bolivian gastronomy
• Develop gourmet recipes that are healthy and environmentally-friendly
• Revive and protect regional food systems as part of the national cultural heritage
• Develop Bolivia’s gastronomy based on regional provenance, harvesting season and traditional preparation methods
• Develop recipes based on traditional cooking methods and foods while taking into account global culinary trends.