Accra, Ghana \u2013 July 30, 2025
\nThe Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park came alive today with vibrant sights and sounds, as Ghana\u2019s Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Hon. Abla Dzifa Gomashie, officially launched the Afro-Gastro Festival Programme\u2014a cultural initiative celebrating African and Afro-descendant culinary heritage across the globe.
\nWelcoming dignitaries, members of the diplomatic corps, cultural practitioners, and media personnel, Hon. Gomashie described the programme as \u201cthe beginning of an important cultural journey.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Afro-Gastro Festival is not just another event on our cultural calendar,\u201d she said. \u201cIt is a celebration of our shared culinary heritage\u2014a recognition of the ways in which food, beyond nourishment, serves as a powerful tool for cultural identity, historical memory, and human connection.\u201d
\nScheduled to culminate in a grand festival in October, the Afro-Gastro Festival Programme will feature a series of events, including food exhibitions, theatrical and cultural performances, storytelling sessions, workshops, and panel discussions. The aim is to create a vibrant platform for chefs, artists, researchers, cultural organizations, and members of the African diaspora to explore how food can serve as a medium for diplomacy, connection, and creativity.<\/p>\n
Hon. Gomashie emphasized that every dish carries a story\u2014not only of ingredients and flavors but also of resilience, migration, and identity.
\n\u201cWhether it\u2019s Waakye in Accra, Jollof in Dakar, Callaloo in Bridgetown, or Moi Moi in Lagos, we are tasting more than food\u2014we are tasting history,\u201d she remarked.
\nThe launch event also provided an opportunity to engage stakeholders and foster international collaboration. Hon. Gomashie acknowledged the presence of diplomatic missions and expressed gratitude to the organizing committee, ministry staff, implementing agencies, partners, and the media for their support.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo the people of Ghana, we say: this festival is for you,\u201d she declared. \u201cYour culture, your food, your stories, your creativity\u2014these are the heartbeat of this programme.\u201d
\nShe concluded her address with a powerful African proverb: \u201cIf you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.\u201d
\nShe called on all stakeholders to unite in building cultural bridges through food and storytelling.
\nMr. Phillips, representing H.E. Juliette Bynoe-Sutherland, High Commissioner of Barbados to Ghana, also delivered remarks highlighting the power of gastronomy as a universal language. He emphasized the importance of creativity and passion in shaping development.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen people pursue their passion, they don\u2019t need jobs\u2014they need navigation. Gastronomy, like photography, transcends words. A well-prepared dish carries with it centuries of knowledge, migration, and survival,\u201d he said.
\nHe noted that African talent has profoundly influenced the global culinary imagination and affirmed that the Afro-Gastro Festival is about more than delicious food\u2014it is also about diplomacy, education, and cultural pride.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn Barbados, we believe the future of development lies in the creative economy\u2014through culinary arts, culture, and tourism that respects and uplifts heritage.\u201d
\nAs Ghana prepares to host the inaugural festival in October, the Afro-Gastro Festival promises to become a landmark celebration\u2014where every heritage is honored, every dish tells a story, and everyone has a seat at the table.
\nSource: Delassie Mabel Awuku-PR Unit- MoTCCA<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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