About Us

The Chefs’ Manifesto is a chef-led project that brings together 1100+ chefs from around the world to explore how they can help deliver a sustainable food system. As chefs bridge the gap between farm and fork, the Chefs’ Manifesto empowers chefs with a framework tied to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This framework consists of simple, practical actions chefs can take and are grouped in the following 8 areas:

Ingredients grown with respect for the earth & its oceans

SDG 2, 6, 13, 14, 15, 17

What can you do in your own kitchens?

Get to know your ingredients. How are they grown, reared or sourced? Choose ingredients with the lowest impact on the environment.

Use your purchasing power. Choose producers and suppliers who work sustainably. Only buy from sources who share your values.

Lead by example. Champion sustainable ingredients and producers through your menus and in your restaurants.

What can you ask of others?

Advocate for governments to incentivise the transition to sustainable agriculture through policies and programmes.

Advocate for governments to act on their commitment to SDG 2.4.1 – “percentage of agricultural area under productive and sustainable agriculture.”

Advocate for good water resource management plans. 

Advocate for protection of soil health through practices such as low-till agriculture and intercropping.

Find out more here

Protection of biodiversity & improved animal welfare

SDG 2, 13, 14, 15, 17

What can you do in your own kitchens?

Lead by example. Maintain the rich diversity of the world’s natural larder by using different varieties of plants, grains and proteins. Champion ‘wild’ variants and avoid monoculture.

Lead by example. Raise awareness about the importance of free-range eggs, sustainably sourced fish and animal welfare on your menus and in your restaurants.

Use your purchasing power. Choose producers who commit to higher animal welfare standards. Avoid industrialised livestock production.

Use your purchasing power. Only choose fish and seafood that is abundant and sourced sustainably.

What can you ask of others?

Advocate for protection of crop diversity and championing of regional and national variants.

Advocate for an end to pesticides, such as neonicotinoids, that kill bees.

Advocate for higher national standards around animal welfare.

Find out more here

Investment in livelihoods

SDG 1, 2, 5, 8, 17

What can you do in your own kitchens?

Get to know your ingredients. Who grows, harvests, sources and packages them? How do they get to you? Investigate the journey from farm to fork. Choose ingredients with as few intermediaries as possible between you and the farmer.

Use your purchasing power. Chose produce that is priced fairly to enable a viable livelihood for farmers and suppliers.

Use your purchasing power. Support more farmers to access marketplaces by choosing to buy from small-scale producers.

Lead by example. Pay fair wages, promote equal opportunities and provide training within your restaurants.

Lead by example. Provide training and mentoring to help your chefs.

Spread the word. Promote the empowerment of women across the sector as they are often underserved and underrepresented. Support female farmers, female producers and female chefs.

What can you ask of others?

Advocate for policies and programmes that protect livelihoods.

Advocate for digital and financial inclusion for farmers. 

Find out more here.

Value natural resources & reduce waste

SDG 6, 7, 12, 13, 17

What can you do in your own kitchens?

Lead by example. Separate, monitor and set targets to reduce food waste. Manage food safety processes and use-by dates to avoid wastage.

Lead by example. Plan food orders and menus to minimise food waste. Offer smaller portion sizes.

Lead by example. Use the whole ingredient and encourage nose to tail, root to leaf eating. Be creative: pickle, preserve, dehydrate and freeze.

Use your purchasing power. Engage suppliers and producers to help incorporate surplus produce into menus.

Be a community food champion. Re-distribute surplus food through community sharing and food bank programmes or apps.

Lead by example. Be resource efficient. Manage water usage to cut costs and protect the environment.

Lead by example. Divert waste from landfill. Investigate turning food waste into compost or bio-gas. Consider offsetting the carbon used in your restaurant or switching to renewable energy sources.

Use your purchasing power. Work with producers and suppliers to avoid excess packaging. Use recycled, recyclable and biodegradable packaging.

What can you ask of others?

Advocate for producers and retailers to join the Champions 12.3 initiative to help reach Global Goal 12.3 on tackling food waste.

Find out more here.

Celebration of local & seasonal food

SDG 2, 12, 15, 17

What can you do in your own kitchens?

Use your purchasing power. Buy locally produced foods in season. Avoid air-freighted foods. 

Be a community food champion. Showcase local producers and traditional techniques on your menus and restaurants.

Be a community food champion.  Engage with your local community – work with schools and teach kids about nutritious food and how to cook it.  

Be a community food champion. Be the connection between producers and consumers. Help show people where their food comes from by championing farmers and connecting them to diners. Organise events to bring people - young and old - together around good food.

Be a community food champion. Promote kitchen gardens and urban farming. Encourage people to start growing their own food.

What can you ask of others?

Advocate for public sector organisations and local authorities to buy local, seasonal food.

Find out more here.

A focus on plant-based ingredients

SDG 2, 3, 12, 15, 17

What can you do in your own kitchens?

Lead by example. Make vegetables, beans and pulses the centre of your dishes.

Lead by example. Use less, and better, meat.

Lead by example. Champion plant-based proteins on your menus and in your restaurants. Be creative in describing veg based dishes.

Lead by example. Avoid using words like "vegan" and "vegetarian" which may be off-putting. 

What can you ask of others?

Advocate for all chef training to be updated to include promotion of plant-based dishes.

Find out more here.

Education on food safety, healthy diets & nutritious cooking

SDG 2, 3, 4, 17

What can you do in your own kitchens?

Lead by example. Showcase best practise on food safety, allergens and nutrition in your kitchens and through your menus.

Be a community food champion. Support good nutrition education for all – young and old. Volunteer to teach a nutritious cooking class in a school, community centre or care home.

Be a community food champion. Educate diners about the importance of eating a colourful plate.

Spread the word. Use annual events like International Chefs Day (20 October), World Food Day (16 October) and local holidays to get creative and engage people in nutritious cooking.

Spread the word. Use technology as a tool for teaching others. Make videos, run web-casts and on-line campaigns.

What can you ask of others?

Advocate for chef curricula to be updated to include training on how to incorporate good nutrition and sustainability into meals.

Find out more here.

Nutritious food that is accessible & affordable for all

SDG 1, 2, 3, 12, 17

What can you do in your own kitchens?

Be a community food champion. Support initiatives that provide access to nutritious meals in your communities - whether that be a soup kitchen, food bank or community garden project.

Spread the word. Help raise awareness about what a nutritious meal looks like and how to cook well on a budget.

Spread the word. Build a chef community across the world to share stories, best practice and learnings on how to help ensure good food is accessible and affordable for all.

Spread the word. Use social media to raise awareness about food issues and how to be part of the solution.

What can you ask of others?

Advocate for governments to act on global nutrition commitments.

Advocate for Food and Beverage companies to make SMART targets to improve nutritional status of products and affordability of nutritious choices.

Find out more here.

Through online outreach and a series of workshops, over 130 chefs from 38 countries have co-created the Chefs’ Manifesto. Developed by chefs, for chefs, the Manifesto outlines the food system issues that chefs are most passionate about tackling. 

These 8 areas are nothing new to chefs; there is already a lot of great activity happening in these areas. The Chefs’ Manifesto seeks to profile their work, shared learnings and best practice as well as empower chefs everywhere to be advocates for a sustainable food system.  Join our community to build a better food future for all. 


The Chefs’ Manifesto is a network facilitated by the SDG2 Advocacy Hub.