When a chef adds development to the recipe
In the following lines I will talk about two main subjects related to the city I come from. It is really significant to me that you can understand the important role that is playing one only human being due to his willing to change the whole mindset of a country highlighting the merge under one simple activity: gastronomy.
Lima, Peru’s capital city, has registered explosive and unorganized growth over the past several decades, especially in the peripheries. Even though there is mounting evidence of a need for one, Lima still does not have a Metropolitan Urban Plan to define issues of zoning, communication, and areas of expansion, among others.
“Urban development plans for approximately 80 percent of the districts of Lima are inconsistent tools, and were prepared by bureaucrats without updated registries. Development plan does not guarantee harmonious and sustained growth in the city if the municipalities work politically rather than technically.”
Former official of the Metropolitan Municipality of Lima.
We have to take into consideration that an urban plan is a fundamental piece of the puzzle that provides us the possibility to define zones that will be occupied in the future, and zones that will be protected from external nor internal disasters. It is worth mentioning that, in Lima alone, the housing shortage is approximately half a million homes with more than 9.5 million of inhabitants.
If we start thinking about all the facts; no plan, a lot of people in the city that is growing really fast, luck of communication, can you even imagine how unequal (socio-economic and density) could this city be?
“The mirror has two faces” –same city- different realities. (Photo at left: Miraflores district Photo at right: slum in the suburbs.)
Bringing that to the table, I can take for granted that you are now imagining that Lima does not have an effective transport system (different types of transportation, order, good and wide roads, etc.), well, you were exactly right. *
1)Traffic jams. 2) One way of public transportation, the Metropolitano. 3) Exit way from one of the Metropolitano’s stop.
The transportation system is a chaos and the urban plan does not exist, it is in the future plans. The amount of cars is growing really fast but the roads are not made for that. In the meantime we had to deal with problems of inequality, luck of fare trade, luck of social inclusion and social development around the country. Looking at all of this, a chef named Gastón Acurio came up with an idea: “to use the rich gastronomy of Peru as a unifying agent”.
It is clear that Gastón could not carry this project alone and, therefore, has accomplished something that no Peruvian leader has been before: to unite the country. A Peru full of social, ideological and generational differences found in its food line connecting the mother to all, and has led the resurgent Peruvian pride to levels unimaginable a few decades ago when they did not take into account the richness of Peruvian popular kitchen.
After he started opening restaurants and earning some reputation, he built an idea that could integrate not only all the different zones of Lima but also all the different zones of the country: a gastronomy fair “Mistura”.
According to the “Economic and Social Dimensions Contribution of Gastronomy in Peru”, developed by Arellano Marketing consultant for the Peruvian Society of Gastronomy (Apega), the gastronomy creates a value chain that would produce more than S /. 40,000 million ($16,400 million), which would be 11.2% of GDP projected. This year the gastronomy will provide as much or more than mining, becoming a new engine of development of the country, and dragging other industries, “such as food transport, tourism, pots and utensils factories, mills chairs, tables, tablecloths, steel and wood “industries. The study shows that the gastronomy directly and indirectly involves five million people, 20% of the economically active population (EAP).
1 The Costa Verde before the fair. 2 The Costa Verde during the fair, after the installation. 3 Transportation just that take you to the fair
This year was the sixth consecutive year of Mistura and received more than 350,000 people from a 10 day fair. The fair showcases the culinary boom and economic development of Peru, since over 11% of GDP is based on culinary activities.
Mistura is also showcase for restaurants, stalls and producers. Furthermore, places like El Gran Mercado centers are ideal for trade relations. Obviously having been part of the fair is a great promotional certificate for all participants.
Gastón presented a new initiative called “Salsa” which “aims to unite Latin American cooks and share experiences and knowledge.” Cooks and chefs from Buenos Aires, Bogotá, Caracas, México City, Santiago, and Sao Paulo will all be involved in this movement that will start a dialogue to connect cooks with agriculture producers. International colleagues of Gaston, such as the Spanish chef, Ferran Adrià, have expressed support for the initiative and both spoke at the UN precisely the arguments that can make the kitchen a weapon against social exclusion, and not only in Latin America.
As a resume, we can say that putting another card on the table can begin to change things. What brings us the culinary boom is not only socio-economic development but also infrastructure, roads, tracks, capacity-building, a need to have a plan and others. We must be prepared for what lies ahead in the coming years based on the boom that has been Mistura and all culinary event in the country and especially the lead up the good instead of being hailed as “The best Latin-American kitchen and one of the best in the world.”
Mistura – The Power of Food – Peru (HD)
I guess, you can change something indirectly, just need to have a clear path to aim the goal.
*For more insight feeling of how is the traffic in Lima I recommend you to look the documental that made Discovery Channel called “Don’t Drive Here“.
Bibliography:
http://www.unfpa.org.pe/WebEspeciales/2013/Ago2013/ICPD/INEI-Estado-Poblacion-Peruana-2013.pdf
http://cultura.elpais.com/cultura/2013/03/06/actualidad/1362603162_723925.html
“GASTRONOMIA, DESARROLLO E IDENTIDAD CULTURAL” El caso peruano, Mariano Valderrama León
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13 Dec 2013
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Gabriela Pella Fernández
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