The Sustainable Gastronomy Workshop, organized by our university’s School of Applied Sciences Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts, was held online with the participation of prominent figures in the field of gastronomy. The workshop addressed topics aimed at contributing to the reliable and permanent satisfaction of food needs.
In his opening speech, our Rector, Prof. Dr. Hasan Ali Karasar, drew attention to the prevention of food waste and the use of renewable energy sources on campus. Karasar stated, “In the GreenMetric ranking, we ranked third among foundation universities in Turkey in ‘education and research’ and ‘transportation’ categories, and second in the ‘waste’ category. We are also the first educational institution to be included in the Orange Flag application, highlighting the university’s strong commitment to sustainability.
Prof. Dr. Murat Doğdubay from Balıkesir University’s Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts, in his presentation titled “The Impact of Food Waste on the Sustainability of Gastronomy,” emphasized the need for awareness in the field of gastronomy for sustainability.
Kenan Demirel, Group Food & Beverage Operations Director of Papillon Hotels, stated that they have started tracking waste control in their hotels with an electronic recording system and that the “sneeze guard” application in service areas during the pandemic period could also prevent food waste.
Ülkay Atmaca from the Professional Hotel Managers Association said that 70% of food waste occurs in storage, kitchen, service, and bar areas, and that consumers taking more food than they can eat is one of the biggest causes of waste.
Prof. Dr. Mehmet Sarıışık from Sakarya University of Applied Sciences stated that for sustainability, it is necessary to increase efficiency in resource use, protect natural and rural livelihoods, improve social welfare, and increase the resilience of people, communities, and ecosystems, especially against climate change and market fluctuations. Sarıışık stated that effective administrative management is crucial for sustainability.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Muhammet Kesgin from the Rochester Institute of Technology, Saunders College of Business, International Hospitality and Service Innovation, stated that food value awareness needs to be increased for the sustainability of gastronomy, based on a study conducted between the United States and Peru. Kesgin explained the agricultural systems used by the Incas and emphasized that innovations can be created by drawing inspiration from the past.
Scott Loretan, Vice President of Sodexo, in his presentation titled “Green Restaurants and Their Impact on Sustainability,” underlined that green restaurants operate with zero waste and that all restaurants should be designed with environmentally friendly, ecological materials, water-saving equipment, and solar panels.
