The Chef's Manifesto: how restaurants can help society become more sustainable

Faced with the challenge of addressing the rise in global temperatures and a rapidly growing population, it is easy to feel helpless; but what if there was a simple way for chefs to help?

Chef Arthur Potts-Dawson, the London action hub leader of the Chef's Manifesto, thinks there is.

What is the Chef's Manifesto?  

The Chef's Manifesto was written as a response to the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, a list of 17 global objectives signed by 193 countries in 2015, outlining the necessary steps for society to meet "the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" by 2030.  

From tackling poverty and inequality to improving energy systems, infrastructure and institutions, the text is long, complex and hard to swallow. The second goal listed, SDG2, is called "zero hunger," with the aim of achieving food security & improved nutrition as well as promoting sustainable agriculture.

It became clear that if the goals were ever to come to fruition, they needed to be communicated to the wider population in simple, straightforward terms.

That is where Arthur Potts-Dawson, owner of sustainable and ethical restaurants Acorn House and Waterhouse and the founder of The People's Supermarket, a food cooperative created to encourage community development and cohesion, comes in.

He believes that people look to chefs for guidance on what to eat, and where to get it - and since many chefs are already engaged in improving the world's food systems, they are well positioned to encourage people to think about sustainability.

Together with more than a hundred chefs from around the globe, the advocacy group defined 8 thematic areas on which chefs can - and do - have an impact (you can access the full list here).

These range from waste reduction to sourcing local, ethical and sustainable ingredients, as well as investing in livelihoods by paying fair wages and investing in training and mentoring.

He said: "If you think about it, it's designed to help people understand what the hell we've written. Because at a high level it went in, but it hasn't filtered down."

Why chefs?

For Arthur, the eight thematic areas are "just about having respect for the planet it just so happens that chefs have got," which they are uniquely positioned to narrate in a digestible way.

"Chefs have a position in society where people listen to them. Suddenly you start to think, if chefs can stand up and start talking about sustainability in a simple way, people will listen."

"They're trend setters. They seem to be who people turn to for advice. Chefs are beginning to pick up the pace and being able to narrate the sustainable and ethical directions in food - which is just brilliant."

Are you already doing your bit?

The aim isn't to override the efforts chefs are already making in their kitchens, but to shine a light on them.

"What' it's trying to give those people is a voice to say: 'well I knew I was doing this, and I communicate it through my Instagram feed and on social media, but now I recognise that by doing this I'm having a global impact,'" the chef said.

The text isn't financially, politically or religiously motivated, he explained.

"It's just motivated by common sense. That's what chefs get. You can't bullshit a chef. They're so busy, they haven't got time for anything. If you turn up and say 'you've got to pay £150 a month and you've got to do this and you've got to wear this and you've got to put this on here', they're just like, 'fuck off, come on mate, that's not what it's about.'"

"But when you walk up to them and say ‘look, I'm sure you're probably doing half of this already, if you do this and you do that, then suddenly your company can be recognised as doing all of these things towards the UN goals, which has a planetary-conscious set of aims,’ then they feel empowered."

"It is starting to make changes because chefs are saying 'bloody hell, I can do this, it's not difficult, I can put it in my kitchens and teach my chefs about it."

The London action hub, located at OmVed Gardens in Highgate, is one of the locations where the group holds workshops and seminars, teaching chefs about holistic food, nutrition, nourishment, soil and growing - all of the points in the manifesto are built into the one environment.  

The group is looking at setting up hubs in places like Nigeria, South Africa, Mexico, Singapore, India and China, because, as Arthur pointed out, the direct impact UK chefs can have is minimal.

"We can pat ourselves on the back all we want around sustainability in this country, and in the Scandinavian countries where they walk around with their trousers turned up and their tattoos and their moustaches, they look great, but the impact is minimal. Your narrative is strong but the change is not going to make any difference."

Though he stressed that time is of the essence, the chef believes that the group is on the right track. 350 chefs have pledged their support for the manifesto, from Michelin-starred restaurants to colleges and universities and companies like Google and Unilever.

"We're on the zeitgeist and the manifesto is getting bigger and stronger," he said.

What are your thoughts chefs? Do you care about things like food waste, locality and sourcing ethical, sustainable produce? Do you think chefs should be role models for sustainability?

If you'd like to get involved, or to find out more about the Chef's Manifesto and SDG2 , click here.

Video Credit: OmVed Gardens, Chef's Manifesto