#Mandela100: chefs delivering #GoodFood

11/27/2018 - 11:00

This week, 13 chefs from across the African continent and around the world will attend a Chefs’ Manifesto Gathering in Johannesburg on the side lines of the Mandela 100 Festival. Alongside world leaders and influential activists, chefs will add their voice to calls for greater political commitments towards the Sustainable Development Goals.

GCF Mandela 100

Over four days, the 13 chefs will represent the Chefs’ Manifesto for the Global Goals- a global network of 240+ chefs who are working together to tackle the food system issues that matter most to them. In this time, the chefs will meet with farmers in Soweto and cook alongside a team of local chefs to learn about food and sustainability in South Africa. Additionally, the gathered chefs will attend a number of high-level events on the Eradication of Hunger and Malnutrition on the African Continent.

Why South Africa?

The number of stunted children in Africa is rising - from 50 million in 2000 to 59 million in 2016. Currently, most African governments are spending just 0.4% of their national budgets on this vital issue. In 2003, all African Governments agreed to spend 10% of their national budget on agriculture but, in 2018, just 11 of the 55 African countries have reached this target.

Greater investment is required if the world is to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 2: to end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture by 2030. Nelson Mandela knew this.

"Freedom is meaningless if people cannot put
food in their stomachs.” -Nelson Mandela

As this year marks 100 years since the birth of Nelson Mandela, SDG2 advocates call on governments to continue the Mandela's legacy by doing the smart thing for their people and building a more nutritious world for everyone.

Why Chefs?

No one understands and values good food more than chefs. As such, chefs from around the world are joining events in Johannesburg to help put good food at the heart of discussions around the future of food on the African continent and sustainable development plans more generally. Using the Chefs’ Manifesto framework, chefs will speak to the importance of delivering good food for all 17 SDGs and how it can drive progress on food security, health, education and women’s empowerment.