WFF Italy Youth Chapter marks Sustainable Gastronomy Week by celebrating Italian food heritage

On 19 June 2026, the World Food Forum (WFF) Italy Youth Chapter hosted an event at LUISS University in Rome to mark Sustainable Gastronomy Week. The event brought together a young chef, researchers, students and agrifood systems professionals to celebrate the 2026 theme, “Celebrating food heritage”.

The event explored how Italy’s food heritage can contribute to building more sustainable agrifood systems by connecting tradition with innovation, promoting local food cultures, reducing food loss and waste and empowering the next generation of food professionals.

The event welcomed participants from Italy and abroad, including international students, and brought together perspectives from LUISS University, Slow Food, the WFF Young Chefs Programme, The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and ALMA – the School of Italian Culinary Arts. This cross-sector exchange highlighted how collaboration across the agrifood system can contribute to sustainability and create opportunities for young people to engage as leaders and agents of change.

Contributions explored how local food products can support biodiversity, traditional knowledge and rural livelihoods, while a young chef presented a sustainable menu inspired by local ingredients and zero-waste approaches. Experts from FAO provided insights into the global challenges of food loss and waste, while ALMA highlighted the role of culinary education in promoting more sustainable food practices through a menu developed by its students.

This event demonstrated the value of bringing together stakeholders across the agrifood systems, including producers, chefs, researchers and international organizations, around a shared table. By focusing the discussion on products from Slow Food Presidia, the Chapter showcased how local food traditions can act as repositories of knowledge while offering practical approaches to current issues such as food waste and rural economic development.

Most importantly, the event demonstrated that young people are active contributors to the transition towards more sustainable agrifood systems, not passive observers. Through initiatives like this, the Chapter is building bridges between the field, the kitchen, the laboratory and institutions such as FAO, showing how food heritage, knowledge and youth-led action can contribute to more sustainable gastronomy and culturally grounded agrifood systems.