Battambang, Cambodia’s first UNESCO Creative City, shows what sustainable gastronomy means for Khmer culinary heritage

On Sustainable Gastronomy Day, UNESCO celebrates gastronomy as a form of cultural expression, raising awareness of its potential to reconcile two fundamental goals: safeguarding the environment, and protecting natural and cultural diversity. Sustainable gastronomy can promote the preservation of traditional culinary practices, as well as encourage the consumption of local produce and seasonal ingredients. These principles are especially relevant nowadays, as part of global efforts to adopt an integrated approach to sustainability, which includes reducing food waste, developing production strategies that respect natural resources, and raising awareness of the origin of the ingredients that are consumed.

Gastronomy is a field with the distinctive capacity to harness both tradition and innovation to discover new ways to capitalize on a country's culinary heritage and harness it as an engine for sustainable development and economic growth. In Cambodia, the transformative power of sustainable gastronomy has found expression in the city of Battambang, with its deep-rooted culinary traditions and abundant local production. Battambang has shown a firm commitment to promoting Khmer culinary heritage, notably through creative initiatives such as the organization of food fairs and exhibitions, the establishment of a new night market, and the introduction of an innovative recycling system. Thanks to these developments, the city has proactively safeguarded its traditional recipes and techniques, and valorised its unique local products, including fresh fruits and vegetables, traditional fish-based products and dishes, and the phka rumdoul, the region's award-winning jasmine rice. Sustainable gastronomy has therefore turned into an instrument to support Battambang's sustainable tourism, foster entrepreneurship, and generate employment in the area, while preserving the authenticity of local culinary heritage.

In recognition of these efforts, in 2023 Battambang was designated as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, becoming the first in Cambodia to join the UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN), an initiative that promotes cooperation amongst cities that have identified creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development. The UCCN, which now includes 350 cities in more than 100 countries, contributes to UNESCO's goal of promoting cultural and creative industries as drivers of sustainable development and levers to promote economic growth, social cohesion, and inter-cultural dialogue. By joining the UCCN, cities commit to sharing best practices, develop partnerships that promote creativity and innovation, and uphold their role as epicentres for the development of the cultural economy. Thee UCCN, which encompasses the fields of crafts and folk art, design, film, gastronomy, literature, media arts, and music, contributes to advancing the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in particular Goal 11 "to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable."