Chair of ECOWAS Food & Cultural Festival Tasks Member States on Food Culture and Integration

Paschal Emeka, Abuja | Posted October 17, 2023

In commemoration of this year’s World Food Day, Chairman, Central Working Committee of Economic Community of West African States’ Food and Cultural Festival, tagged, ‘ECOWAS Food & Cultural Festival Uyo 2023,’ Professor Stephen Sola Aliu has urged ECOWAS Member States to see their food cultures as veritable tool for regional integration and peaceful coexistence within the sub-region.

Speaking with journalists on Monday in Abuja as part of activities to mark this year’s World Food Day, with the theme: “History, and Everything You Need to Know,” Prof. Sola Aliu noted that food is powerfully symbolic and really complex, adding that through food, we express love, bring comfort and hope, forge new relationships, and strengthen old bonds.

He maintained that the forthcoming ECOWAS Food and Cultural Festival in Uyo, would reaffirm that our food cultures are not only about our humanity but that they convey our joy of being alive, while provide an interesting opportunity to gain insights on what is trending in food habits across the globe, informing that the event will bring together foodpreneurs or restaurateurs to showcase what ingredients are trending with a view to helping to respond to needs in the market in terms of product/recipe developments or menus.

Prof. Aliu who commended the governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Bassey Eno and his Cross River State counterpart, Prince Bassey Edet Otu for accepting to jointly host maiden edition on a future date, noted that food means so much more than just nourishment at the physical level, describing the local cuisines as home, love, hope, vitality, redemption, and life itself.

“Our attitudes, practices, and rituals surrounding food are a window into our most basic beliefs about our world and ourselves. Each memory we create around food will leave lasting impressions. What we eat connects us to who we are. It is therefore instructive that ECOWAS Member States cherish their local cuisines and document them for posterity.

“Food insecurity and its consequences are most prominent in conflict and disaster-affected countries. Therefore, food security is a critical issue for peace and security. Food crisis requires a response that is simultaneously humanitarian, pro-development, and peace oriented, “Prof. Aliu reiterated.

The ECOWAS Food & Cultural Festival Chair further pointed out that food is a symbol of love and that passing down recipes from generation to generation powerfully honours the people and memories they love, saying that cooking with family members often leaves lasting impressions and memories of love.

He explained that: “Food also has the power to bring families together. Sharing food speaks volumes of our cultural heritage, conveying a profound message.
When people move to a different country or are away from home, they often bring food with them or ask for care packages as a reminder of home. The connection to those specific and unique foods reminds them of what they love.

“The foods bring back emotions, memories, feelings, and a sense of who they are. Often, all it takes is a taste of a familiar food or meal to bring back a flood of memories. It is quite profound when one bite of food can bring you back home.

“When we cook with love, we share a piece of ourselves with others. When we receive food in a high-quality restaurant, we are receiving art and a passion from a chef who has love and respect for food. Providing food for people affected by poverty or natural disasters means providing security, hope, and care, which are the true symbols of love, “Professor Aliu noted.

World Food Day is observed annually on October 16 every year. It is celebrated with the aim of shedding light on the millions of people globally who lack the means to afford a nutritious diet and the crucial necessity of consistent access to wholesome food.

This international day is spearheaded by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and is dedicated to raising awareness about food security, hunger, and agricultural concerns on a global scale.

World Food Day provides a platform for advocating actions to combat worldwide hunger, enhance accessibility to nourishing food, endorse sustainable agricultural practices, emphasize the need to minimize food wastage, and underscore the importance of eradicating malnutrition.