The South Aegean Region presented two initiatives connecting young people with culinary heritage, local production and sustainable development at the second World Gastronomy Summit in Manabi, Ecuador.
Participating as a candidate World Region of Gastronomy 2028, it contributed to a summit themed “Empowering Youth through Gastronomy”.
The event was organised by the International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts and Tourism, IGCAT, and hosted by Manabi, World Region of Gastronomy 2026, in cooperation with Universidad Laica Eloy Alfaro de Manabi, ULEAM, and Manta Municipality.
Representatives of international organisations and networks, including UNESCO, Slow Food, the Crop Trust and the Global Agritourism Network, attended alongside Regions of Gastronomy from around the world.
Discussion focused on how culinary heritage can create jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities for young people, strengthen communities and help respond to climate change.
The South Aegean's two initiatives illustrate complementary parts of the same strategy: educating children about food traditions and involving local communities in protecting natural resources.
Gardeners of the Aegean: learning begins at school
Nikos Renesis, Director of the South Aegean Regional Nursery and Head of the Dodecanese Animal Production Department, presented “Gardeners of the Aegean” during the panel “Youth, Food, and Interpreting the Past for a Future of Health and Well-being”.
Through school vegetable gardens, local seeds and traditional cultivation methods, the programme introduces children to the principles of the Aegean diet, biodiversity and sustainable food production.
It has reached 250 schools on 30 islands in the Cyclades and the Dodecanese. Each year, around 1,500 pupils experience the journey of food from soil to table.
Amorgorama: fishermen shaping a sustainable future
Amorgorama was presented through audiovisual material during the panel “From Field to Future–Youth and Gastronomy”.
The presentation highlighted Amorgos fishermen's role in protecting marine biodiversity, preserving island food traditions and creating a sustainable future for younger generations.
The initiative began with the island's professional fishermen, who took action to protect the marine environment and secure the future of fishing.
Centred on the Amorgos Professional Fishing Association, the Cyclades Preservation Fund and the Blue Marine Foundation, and working with the relevant authorities and partners, Amorgorama combines marine-ecosystem protection, collection of marine litter and responsible fishing practices.
It shows how an initiative from a small island community can become a model for sustainable marine-resource management, led by producers themselves.
International film award
The South Aegean's participation was accompanied by another distinction.
“Amorgorama”, a documentary by Giorgos Moutafis for the Blue Marine Foundation, won the Environment and Sustainability category at Food Film Menu 2026, the international short-film competition organised by IGCAT with the Crop Trust.
The award ceremony took place in Manabi alongside the summit, bringing international recognition to the Amorgos fishermen's work and its contribution to marine protection.
Participation in the summit forms part of the South Aegean Region's preparations for its 2028 title bid. Its aim is to present the culinary identity of the Cyclades and the Dodecanese as both cultural heritage and a field for education, cooperation, innovation and sustainable development.
