The power of chefs to bring people together through food was on display at the third online Chef’s Table Event by the World Food Programme which focused on the role of food in reducing gang violence in Central America.
The event on 12 January was led by WFP chef Arthur Potts-Dawson, who was joined by Frank Arevalo, a Salvadorian chef with an excellent understanding of the food culture of El Salvador. Following Mr Arevalo’s lead, Mr Potts-Dawson and the event’s attendees were encouraged to cook along and make pupusas, a common Salvadorian dish, accompanied by curtido (coleslaw) and salsa.
Throughout the event, the power of food to bring people together was clear, with Mr Potts-Dawson stating that “food can really trigger people to come together culturally; it can bring people back into the community.” The work of WFP in El Salvador is a shining example of the role of food in countering conflict. El Salvador is one of the most violent countries in the world. Young people are more likely to be both the victims and perpetrators of violence in the country. As a result, it is difficult for them to find stable employment, leading to more and more young people migrating. What’s more, as Rachel Goldwyn – a Senior Peacebuilding and Conflict Sensitivity Advisor for the WFP – stated during the event, “conflict drives hunger”, with unemployment meaning that many young Salvadorians struggle to buy food.
To help tackle the stigma around young people in El Salvador – and other Central American countries – Brazilian chef David Hertz set up a programme called Gastronomia in 2006 in Sao Paõlo. Funded by WFP and other international organisations, Gastronomia aims to train young people in culinary and life skills, to help them find work opportunities and prevent migration. Since its founding, Gastronomia has spread to Mexico, South Africa, and El Salvador, helping young people gain crucial skills and find work around the world.
The audience viewed a video highlighting the important work Gastornomia has done in El Salvador, featuring Michelle, who in 2016 was deported back to El Salvador after failing to reunite with her mother and brother in the US. Michelle was advised by an immigration official to contact Gastronomia and was subsequently selected to be part of the programme’s first Salvadorian cohort. Since graduating, Michelle has consistently been employed in a kitchen. Indeed, 83% of people who participate in Gastronomia go on to a paid internship upon completing the course. As Elia Martínez, Head of the Social Protection and Nutrition Unit in El Salvador, explained, Gastronomia’s aim is to help young people “gain self-esteem and cooking skills, helping guide them into a formal job. Our main object is leaving no-one behind.”
Food is soft power
Gastronomia encourages young people not only to gain the skills that lead to employment, it also helps deter them from participating in violence, teaching them instead to find meaning through food. According to Ms Martínez, Gastronomia is trying to “give young people identity, especially the migrants, who sometimes lose their identity.” By doing this, WFP hopes to “bring peace through food security.” Whilst on the surface, making pupusas at home may seem like just a fun and tasty activity, the act of cooking and eating food can have much deeper meaning and consequences. As Mr Potts-Dawson explained, “food is soft power. It’s how you can convince people to head towards less conflict.” WFP’s work and chefs like Frank are reinvigorating classic Salvadorian meals in order to “help bring cohesion back to society.”
The event ended with Mr Arevalo showing the attendees how to eat the delicious, freshly-cooked pupusas the Salvadorian way: with no knife, fork or spoon, just your fingers and a practiced technique. He concluded by explaining that his own experience with food and the process of learning how to cook had helped him. “When I heard that food is the pathway to peace,” he said, “I totally agreed.”
Additional link:
- Food assistance: a step to peace and stability
https://www.wfp.org/conflict-and-hunger