UNESCO has teamed up with world-class chefs on an initiative that uses gastronomy to protect biodiversity. Japan's three-Michelin-star Chef Shinobu Namae joins the project, working in the UNESCO World Heritage waters of Amami Oshima. The question underneath it: can what happens on a plate rebuild an ecosystem?

UNESCO and Relais & Châteaux: A New Vision for Food

In February 2026, UNESCO and Relais & Châteaux, an association of 580 independent luxury hotels and restaurants across 65 countries, officially announced four pilot projects that connect world-renowned chefs with UNESCO-designated sites to protect biodiversity and preserve cultural heritage through food.

The partnership, signed in Paris in November 2024, is built on three pillars: respecting all life on Earth, passing local knowledge to future generations, and standing together to drive change. The initiative envisions a future where dining experiences contribute to environmental protection and local economies, a concept known as "gastronomy tourism."

Leading this movement is Mauro Colagreco, Vice President of Chefs for Relais & Châteaux and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Biodiversity. The Argentine-born chef, who runs the three-Michelin-star restaurant Mirazur in Menton, France, has championed the idea that cuisine has the power to transform the world and actively protect ecosystems.

Four Projects, Four Continents

The four projects run in Japan, South Africa, France, and the United States, each coming at sustainability from a different angle.

Japan: Restoring the "Underwater Forests" of Amami Oshima

Japan's project is led by Chef Shinobu Namae of L'Effervescence, a French restaurant in Tokyo's Nishi-Azabu district. L'Effervescence holds three Michelin stars alongside a Green Star, the guide's marker for sustainability. Chef Namae has been a pioneer in linking food and environmental advocacy, in 2022 he spoke about seaweed at a United Nations World Oceans Day event, representing Relais & Châteaux.

The project takes place in and around Amami Oshima, Tokunoshima, the northern part of Okinawa Island, and Iriomote Island, registered as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site in 2021. Chef Namae focuses on free-diving spearfishing, a traditional method where fishermen dive into the sea without scuba gear, observing marine ecosystems firsthand while harvesting fish. Compared to net-dragging or trawling, this approach places minimal stress on the ocean floor and surrounding habitats.

The project also addresses "isoyake", a phenomenon where underwater seaweed beds disappear due to rising ocean temperatures and environmental degradation. These seaweed forests, sometimes called "underwater forests," serve as spawning grounds and nurseries for marine life, functioning much like forests do on land. Restoring them is essential to reviving the entire marine ecosystem.

By collaborating with local fishermen, community groups, and the World Heritage management bodies on Amami Oshima, the project aims to preserve traditional fishing knowledge while demonstrating a sustainable model for ocean stewardship that can be shared worldwide.

South Africa: Saving Endangered Plants Through Cuisine

Chef Peter Tempelhoff of FYN Restaurant in Cape Town operates within the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve and Cape Floral Region, one of the most plant-diverse areas on Earth. Illegal harvesting of rare indigenous plants is a serious threat here. Tempelhoff's approach is to cultivate endangered native species on a dedicated farm and incorporate them into his restaurant's dishes, creating a "eat to protect" model. Working alongside paleontologist Dr. Jan de Vynck, the team reconnects ancient food knowledge with contemporary culinary techniques.

France: Organic Agriculture Meets Intangible Heritage

Chef Anne-Sophie Pic of Maison Pic embodies the "Gastronomic Meal of the French", a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. She sources most of her plant-based ingredients from the Drôme and Ardèche, two departments known for organic agriculture. At the center of the project sits Auberge du Pin, her great-grandmother's house, gradually restored since 2003, starting with the conversion of her grandfather André Pic's vineyards to organic farming. The work explores how agricultural biodiversity and wild biodiversity reconnect.

United States: Plant-Based Innovation and Food Education

Chef Daniel Humm of Eleven Madison Park in New York sources ingredients from the Champlain-Adirondack Biosphere Reserve and has established the "Food Futures Lab." Working with Indigenous communities and local producers, the lab promotes plant-based culinary arts and biodiversity education, a forward-looking initiative aimed at inspiring the next generation of chefs and conscious consumers.

Why Japan Matters in This Global Initiative

Japan's selection for this project is no coincidence. In 2013, "Washoku: Traditional Dietary Cultures of the Japanese" was inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list. What was recognized wasn't simply cooking techniques, but an entire philosophy: respecting nature, honoring seasonal ingredients, and using every part of a food source with minimal waste.

The Japanese concept of "mottainai", a deep sense of regret over waste, has been cited globally in the movement against food waste. L'Effervescence practices zero-waste composting and accepts whatever vegetables farmers send, regardless of shape or variety. This embodies mottainai in action.

Japan also has the concepts of "satoyama" (managed woodland landscapes) and "satoumi" (managed coastal areas), secondary natural environments shaped by centuries of human-nature coexistence. Amami Oshima's traditional fishing practices are rooted in this same philosophy: not exploiting nature, but tending to it while receiving its bounty. This is precisely the kind of relationship the UNESCO project aims to promote worldwide.

The Promise of Gastronomy Tourism

This initiative extends far beyond fine dining restaurants. Food-motivated travel, gastronomy tourism, is one of the fastest-growing segments of the global tourism industry.

If the Amami Oshima project succeeds, it could inspire experience-based tourism where visitors dive alongside fishermen, watch chefs prepare their catch on the spot, and learn about marine conservation firsthand. When local fishermen and farmers directly engage with tourists, the economic benefits spread across entire communities rather than concentrating in a few high-end establishments.

Notably, nearly half of all Relais & Châteaux member properties are located within two hours of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The four pilot projects serve as a proving ground for eventually scaling these practices across all 580 member properties worldwide.

What About Your Country?

How does traditional food culture connect with environmental protection in your country? Does the idea of "eating to protect" exist in your region? We'd love to hear about your country's food culture and how it relates to sustainability.

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