Tucson's Strategies for Supporting the Producers of its Food Heritage

As part of the Native Plants & Traditional Foodways as Intangible Heritage & Economic Resource public lectures, Dr Jonathan Mabry from the University of Arizona Southwest Center and Desert Laboratory will discuss the programs developed by the non-profit NGO managing Tucson's UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy designation to support food heritage conservation and local food businesses. Examples will include: 1) a new annual food and culture festival connecting four international gastronomy cities to celebrate the roles of maize (corn) in their food heritages, food cultures, and cuisines; 2) a program certifying restaurants and other local food businesses to recognize their leadership in supporting the local food economy, keeping the region's food heritage alive with traditional ingredients, using environmentally-friendly and socially responsible business practices, and giving back to the community; and 3) business training workshops for food business entrepreneurs focusing on heritage ingredients.

Event details
Date: Thursday 6 October
Time: 3-4.30pm
Venue: E302 - Forgan Smith Building
Zoom: https://uqz.zoom.us/j/83831315923

These events were developed by the UQ IP and Bioeconomy group with support from the ARC Training Centre for Uniquely Australian Foods, Centre for Policy Futures, Past and Present Research Cluster (School of Social Sciences), and The Carbon and Cultural landscapes of Mithaka Country Project.

Jonathan Mabry Headshot The presenter
Jonathan Mabry, PhD is an anthropologist and archaeologist at the University of Arizona Southwest Center and Desert Laboratory. His investigations documented that Tucson, Arizona, with archaeological evidence of more than 4,000 years of settlement and farming, is the oldest continuously inhabited and cultivated place in the USA. He was an early leader in the locavore and heritage foods movements in southern Arizona, and was lead author of the application that obtained Tucson’s designation as the first UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy in the U.S. He currently serves as liaison to UNESCO for Tucson Creative City of Gastronomy and as Executive Director of the non-profit organization managing the designation.