Key figures in food sovereignty

As part of the Terra Madre conference in Turin in September 2019, indigenous chefs had their say at several discussion events. For some Europeans, the word "indigenous" in connection with cooking raises questions for the first time. However, the importance of the activities of "Jungle Chefs" or "Sioux Chefs", as they call themselves, becomes clear in the context of climate change and food sovereignty.

The first to bear the consequences of climate change are farmers, fishermen and all those who produce agricultural products. As processors of these products, chefs can play a decisive role as opinion leaders and role models if they are aware of their responsibility and act wisely. We have found inspiring examples from all over the world.

... but Charles Toto, initiator of the "Jungle Chefs" in Papua, Indonesia, soon realized that his offer of freshly prepared food in the middle of the Indonesian jungle was not just a way to lighten the load for expeditions and film crews. It was a way back to his origins, to the ingredients of the indigenous people, to their knowledge and their preparation methods.

As a young chef, Toto observed expedition members eating instant and canned food for weeks on end in the wilderness. He thought this was madness, not only because of the luggage, but also because of the health and culinary aspects. Why, he thought, don't we cater for these groups of travelers by offering them fresh, healthy meals along the way? As a trained hotel chef, his first thought was to bring his own meat, but he soon knew better: food from the forest is more hygienic, cleaner and more organic. The forest is a market where Papuans shop without spending money.

Toto thrived in his culinary niche, constantly learning something new amidst the rigors of various treks through largely unexplored places. As his business flourished and his reputation spread, Toto built a network of like-minded chefs. In 2008, he founded the Jungle Chef Community, which brings together dozens of chefs from all over Papua who specialize in preparing meals with ingredients from the forests.

During his speech in Turin, Charles Toto explained: "We train our members to find local cooking ingredients and prepare traditional dishes from Papua. Local foraging and hunting is widely accepted as a sustainable use of natural resources and reduces costs and the ecological footprint. In our Jungle Chef community, we also spread the knowledge of ancient practices, values and cultures that are in danger of slowly dying as younger generations of Papuans embrace a more modern lifestyle. The key is to be able to preserve and creatively utilize what nature offers us at this time and place."

With his contribution, Toto draws attention to his country's food sovereignty as well as environmental protection. However, an ambitious government infrastructure development plan is putting the "Jungle Chefs" project under increasing pressure. The associated sale of many sago palm farms not only leads to land loss, but also to the loss of a traditional staple food for the Papuan population. An additional threat is posed by square kilometer clearances for palm oil plantations. Charles Toto is facing up to all these challenges, because the forests of Papua are rich in natural resources and with his cooking community he is demonstrating them, preserving knowledge, culture and tradition for future generations.

Sean Sherman, known as Sioux Chef, researched his origins and the traditions of his ancestors after years of ignoring them. In his classical culinary training, he learned about all the cuisines of the world - from Asian to French to Cypriot. But no one in America paid attention to what the indigenous people from the East Coast to the West Coast once planted, hunted, used and ate. Why should they? The history of modern civilized America is, as in many places, a history of eradication and re-education. European settlers brought their own culture and food. The displacement of the indigenous peoples and the taking of land changed the animal and plant world to the point where many species became extinct. The indigenous people either adapted and became part of modern society or disappeared into small reservations. And with them disappeared the knowledge of the original foods and their traditional use.

Sherman conducted extensive basic research into history and food systems. He also gathered knowledge about Native American culture:

• History and migration of the indigenous people
• Utilization and harvesting of wild food
• Land management
• Salt and sugar production
• Hunting and fishing
• Preservation of foodstuffs
• elementary cooking techniques

His goal was to gain a comprehensive understanding of American cuisine and bring it into today's world. In 2014, Sean Sherman opened his catering and education business "The Sioux Chef" in the Minneapolis / Saint Paul area. In collaboration with the Little Earth Community, which embraces Native American tradition and culture, he helped develop and open the Tatanka Food Truck in 2015, which brings native foods from the Dakota and Minnesota regions directly to local communities. Sherman's vision of modern indigenous food has been featured in numerous articles and radio shows nationally and internationally - from Manhattan to Milan. But he doesn't want to export this food or take it elsewhere, he wants to share his knowledge of "indigenous" food at events from the famed Culinary Institute of America to the United Nations. For Sean Sherman, it is a return to the beginnings.

His Sioux Chef team works tirelessly to facilitate access to and educate Native foods for as many people and communities as possible. Sherman's goal is to raise awareness about Native Americans and the foods that once nourished them. This means peeling back the layers of colonial foods, such as sugar, industrial meat, processed grains, that have coated Native diets over the centuries. It means finding a way to live the traditions of indigenous people in the context of modern urban restaurants.

Numerous "indigenous" foods and traditions have been preserved in Austrian and many European cuisines. Perhaps because we have been lucky enough not to have displaced any indigenous people and expropriated their land.

We are not always aware of this treasure of "autochthonous" food and its processing and do not always pay attention to it. The industrialization of agriculture and the global standardization of raw materials have also left their mark on us. In Austria, too, plants and animals are disappearing at breakneck speed - but it's not too late. Austria's best chefs have long since recognized this and are standing up for our indigenous ingredients and knowledge. The "Koch-Campus" association was founded by 7 top Austrian chefs who have set themselves the task of preserving the diversity of indigenous farm animals and plants and thus developing and maintaining culinary traditions.

Interesting tastings and "Chef's Tables" promote the dialog between agricultural producers who preserve or cultivate old traditional varieties and breeds and the chefs and ultimately the consumers. The aim is to showcase and define contemporary, autochthonous Austrian cuisine, using ingredients that Austria's soil and climate provide and that have a long tradition in this country. A cuisine that is not reduced to preparation methods or clichés, but focuses on the ingredient as such.