Chefs and influencers join World Food Day commemoration

Chefs, culinary researchers and content creators from across Latin America and the Caribbean are joining the 2026 World Food Day commemoration, led by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), to help raise public awareness of food-related challenges and the role everyone can play in building a better food future.

Under the theme “Innovate today to nourish tomorrow,” this year’s campaign highlights how innovative solutions, combined with traditional knowledge and inclusive approaches, can help ensure that everyone has access to sufficient, diverse, safe, nutritious and affordable food, while protecting the planet for future generations.

In this context, chefs and content creators are bringing these challenges to new audiences, connecting food with culture, gastronomy and people's everyday choices. Through their platforms and digital communities, they can help foster greater appreciation for food, recognition of those who produce it, reduced food waste, and the adoption of more conscious and sustainable consumption practices.

Participants include chefs Heinz Wuth, known as Ciencia y Cocina; Rodrigo Pacheco; and Camila Peñaloza, known as Antojista; as well as Catalina Vélez, from Domingo restaurant in Colombia; Lupita Vidal, from La Cevichería in Mexico; Pablo Bonilla, a chef and culinary researcher from Costa Rica; and Benjamin Nast, from Demencia restaurant in Chile.

Also joining the initiative are María Angélica Bernal, from Casa Lélyté restaurant in Colombia; Randy Siles, from Enjoy Group in Costa Rica; Alfredo Oropeza, from Mexico; and prominent figures in gastronomy and content creation, including Javier Masías, Fátima Sotomayor, Flavio Gálvez Quintana, Palmiro Ocampo, Nicolle Huerto, El Chico de las Plantas and the duo Wariqueando.

The diversity of backgrounds and experiences reflects the potential of cross-sector collaboration to drive change in agrifood systems. Innovation goes beyond technology: it also encompasses knowledge sharing, the revival of traditional practices, the development of new ways to make the most of food, and the promotion of choices that benefit both human health and environmental sustainability.

FAO emphasizes that achieving food security and better nutrition requires collaboration among governments, producers, the private sector, academia, civil society and the public. In this collective effort, communication and the engagement of influential voices capable of mobilizing communities help extend the reach of key messages and turn information into concrete action.