World heritage bid for French gastronomy

Philippe Alfroy PARIS – French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Saturday called on Unesco to put French gastronomy on its world heritage list.

“Agriculture and the professions which craft it every day are the source of our country’s gastronomic diversity – it is an essential element of our heritage,” Sarkozy stated in a speech as he opened the annual Paris Agriculture Show. “That is why I want France to be the first country to apply to Unesco, from 2009, for our gastronomic tradition to be recognised as a world heritage.”We have the best gastronomy in the world,” he declared.A national campaign to be added to the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s list of cultural treasures was to be launched formally at a press conference yesterday.Unesco started its list of “intanglible” cultural treasures such as dance, carnival or other rituals in 2003.In 2005, it turned down a request by Mexico to have its culinary tradition recognised.In 2006, a group of top French chefs and academics set up a group to pressure for the recognition of French gastronomy by Unesco.The group includes famed French chefs such as Paul Bocuse, Alain Ducasse and Michel Guerard.The French bid is due to be formally presented next year, with Unesco due to give its verdict in 2010.Francis Chevrier, general secretary for the French Mission on Food Culture and Patrimony, said that “gastronomy is not just the three stars, it is about eating well in general.”Guy Savoy, one of the chefs behind the project, said that putting French gastronomy on the Unesco list would protect well known restaurants, but also ‘charcutier’ specialist meat and ham producers, bakers, cheese producers, wine makers and even pastry chefs.”You can talk about cuisine in numerous countries around the world,” said Michelin-starred chef Guy Savoy.”(But France) is the only one to have such diversity and such possibilities for transforming the produce of local artisans, be they on land or sea”.Sarkozy also delighted his audience of farmers with a pledge to use the French presidency of the European Union in the second half of 2008 to reform the continent’s Common Agricultural Policy.”I am convinced it needs to be updated, re-drawn,” Sarkozy said, calling for an end to “conservatism and stagnation”.Talks with European partners will focus on the “dual objective of better management of climate-change, sanitation or economic risks, along with support for production in less favoured regions”.Farming unions welcomed his announcements, although Jean-Michel Lemetayer, head of the country’s biggest agricultural labour organisation, said Sarkozy has to deliver.”As the president says himself, words are one thing – action is another,” he stated.- Nampa-Reuters”That is why I want France to be the first country to apply to Unesco, from 2009, for our gastronomic tradition to be recognised as a world heritage.”We have the best gastronomy in the world,” he declared.A national campaign to be added to the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation’s list of cultural treasures was to be launched formally at a press conference yesterday.Unesco started its list of “intanglible” cultural treasures such as dance, carnival or other rituals in 2003.In 2005, it turned down a request by Mexico to have its culinary tradition recognised.In 2006, a group of top French chefs and academics set up a group to pressure for the recognition of French gastronomy by Unesco.The group includes famed French chefs such as Paul Bocuse, Alain Ducasse and Michel Guerard.The French bid is due to be formally presented next year, with Unesco due to give its verdict in 2010.Francis Chevrier, general secretary for the French Mission on Food Culture and Patrimony, said that “gastronomy is not just the three stars, it is about eating well in general.”Guy Savoy, one of the chefs behind the project, said that putting French gastronomy on the Unesco list would protect well known restaurants, but also ‘charcutier’ specialist meat and ham producers, bakers, cheese producers, wine makers and even pastry chefs.”You can talk about cuisine in numerous countries around the world,” said Michelin-starred chef Guy Savoy.”(But France) is the only one to have such diversity and such possibilities for transforming the produce of local artisans, be they on land or sea”.Sarkozy also delighted his audience of farmers with a pledge to use the French presidency of the European Union in the second half of 2008 to reform the continent’s Common Agricultural Policy.”I am convinced it needs to be updated, re-drawn,” Sarkozy said, calling for an end to “conservatism and stagnation”.Talks with European partners will focus on the “dual objective of better management of climate-change, sanitation or economic risks, along with support for production in less favoured regions”.Farming unions welcomed his announcements, although Jean-Michel Lemetayer, head of the country’s biggest agricultural labour organisation, said Sarkozy has to deliver.”As the president says himself, words are one thing – action is another,” he stated.- Nampa-Reuters