REORIENTING TEACHING DYNAMICS OF CULINARY EDUCATION WITH SUSTAINABILITY

There is growing concern among environmental scientists that our food consumption pattern is harming the planet and acting as a catalyst for climate change. With the world already in the Anthropocene epoch, considerable harm is caused to the environmental systems by human activity. Achieving environmentally sustainable food systems is an immediate challenge. Food consumption is massively influenced by food trends and culinary innovations conceptualised by traditional and modern chefs. The greatest chefs in the past have linked food artistry with expensive ingredients and most importantly meat. Traditional culinary education was based on learning the art and science of cooking, but in the last decade, there has been a growing inclination to incorporate sustainable culinary practices, such as optimal usage of ingredients and controlling food wastage. Due to this, there has been an introduction of innovative cooking programmes initiated by culinary schools. Food, climate change and sustainable menus should be driving the next generation of chefs to rethink the way fine-dining is approached. This calls for understanding the various changes that can be brought in to change the face of culinary education, thus making it environmentally friendly. MATERIALS AND METHODS The current study aims at understanding the need of changing the dynamics of culinary education and thus training a clan of futuristic chefs who advocate and practice environmentally sustainable menus. The study also aims to conceptualise the various interventions required in culinary education in achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) by 2030. In this study, the PRISMA technique has been adopted to bring out the themes in the collected literature. The work has been drafted as a viewpoint paper, as the author’s own experience has gone into making the research fit the context. RESULTS The study aims to indicate the role of transforming culinary education in achieving sustainable development goals by 2030. The results would identify the gaps by reviewing the extant literature and would suggest a way forward to achieve sustainable commercial kitchens, introducing changes at the grass-root level by transforming culinary education. CONCLUSIONS The study would help understand the way commercial kitchens are changing and the role of transforming culinary education as well as the face of commercial kitchens. The study has a futuristic approach and considers the need to train chefs in promoting and cooking sustainable meals.