Indigenous chef and activist Tainá Marajoara will serve dishes rooted in ancestral Amazonian traditions, showcasing the biodiversity and spirituality of Brazil’s indigenous peoples.
Between rounds of negotiations, delegates will be treated to flavors such as maniçoba, açaí and pirarucu, all made with more than 10 tonnes of agroecological ingredients sourced from fair and sustainable food systems.
A taste of ancient wisdom
“Our kitchen will feature canhapira, an indigenous Marajoara dish that is still part of the local cuisine today,” Ms. Marajoara explained.
The dish comes from the Marajoara people, an indigenous group native to the island of Marajó, a vast river island where the Amazon meets the Atlantic.
“There will be a lot of açaí. We managed to get its inclusion despite previous controversy.
“We will also serve maniçoba, a dish made from cassava leaves cooked for seven days with pork, as well as tucupi, jambu, tacacá and the Amazon’s iconic fish, pirarucu. We plan to buy at least two tonnes of these alone.”
Tainá is the founder of Iacitatá Food Culture Bridgethe cultural and culinary collective selected to oversee the COP30 kitchen, which will serve all attendees – from presidents to porters.
© Courtesy of Tainá Marajoara
Activist and indigenous leader Tainá Marajoara, from Brazil, at the Museum and Network of Food and Agriculture in Rome.
Meal of peace
More than just a meal, the ancestral cook considers this culinary effort as an affirmation. “We want to show that it is possible to live in peace. We must live in peace,” she said.
“Throughout COP30, we are building a space of ancestral diplomacy, making clear that there is an urgent need to recognize the connection between indigenous and local communities and food sovereignty.
“As long as ancestral lands are violated and violence spreads across forests, rivers and fields, our people and our culture will be killed. »
Speaking from Rome, where she was attending the World Food Forum at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Ms. Marajoara stressed that the COP30 cuisine will embody the values of sustainability, justice and respect for life.
UN Info/Felipe de Carvalho
Tucupi is a yellow broth extracted from wild cassava, traditional in Amazonian cuisine.
Rooted in climate justice
For the chef, indigenous food systems are more than subsistence, they are a living form of environmental stewardship and spiritual connection.
“This knowledge has been invisible for too long,” she said. “Running the COP30 kitchens is an act of cultural and ancestral diplomacy. »
She hopes this initiative will become a model for future international events. “This will be the first COP to feature community cuisine based on family farming. This proves that it can be done, and it should not stop there. May COP30 become a historic milestone, inspiring similar initiatives across the world.”
Food and storage
Ms. Marajoara stressed that food sovereignty and environmental conservation are inseparable.
“The world is falling apart,” she warned. “The time is no longer for endless negotiations. Protecting the territories of indigenous and local communities is a concrete and effective way to safeguard the planet’s climate.”
