Beyond a crystal ball: Conference looks at what the future of food is

THE CENTER for Culinary Arts (CCA) Manila and Courage Asia are partnering up for a series of talks about food trends. The conference is called The Future of Food, and will be held on March 8 at the CCA’s Bonifacio Global City campus, with the theme “What’s Next On Our Plates?.”

Speakers include Wildflour Group chief executive officer Ana Lorenzana De Ocampo, Mama Lou’s President David Sison, food entrepreneur Elbert Cuenca, BBC 100 Womenlister Louise Mabulo, Ilonggo culinarian Rafael Jardeleza, food mapping expert John Sherwin Felix, agriculture expert Carlomagno “Carlo The Farmer” Aguilar, PwC Director Angelo Basuan, CCA Manila Culinary Director chef Philip John Golding, and Senator Loren Legarda.

Ms. De Ocampo, co-founder of Wildflour, which also has under its umbrella dairy company Pink’s and Farmacy Ice Cream, will be discussing “Global Best Practices in a Local Setting.” Mr. Sison of the Italian restaurant group Mama Lou’s which also includes Nonna’s and Famu, will discuss “Technology Trends in F&B Operations.” Mr. Cuenca, whose first name has been made a mainstay in culinary circles because of his Elbert’s Steak Room (and the other Elbert establishments in the city), will speak about “Elevating the Guest Experience.”

Cacao Project co-founder and a lister in the BBC’s 100 Women List due to her work on climate change Ms. Mabulo will give a talk about “The State of Food Supply: Farmer & Chef Perspective,” while Mr. Jardeleza, whose cookbook Flavors of Iloilo won Best Cookbook at the 41st National Book Awards, will present “Benchmarking Regional Cuisines to Prepare for the Future.”

Other topics that will be covered include “Food Mapping for Sustainability” (by Mr. Felix), “Farm to Table: The Importance of Local and Sustainable Sourcing ” (Mr. Aguilar), “Harnessing Generative AI in the Food Industry” (Mr. Basuan), and “Technology Trends in the Kitchen” (Mr. Golding).

“This event is designed to spark innovation and conversation through insightful presentations, interactive Q&As, and thought-provoking discussions,” said the organizers in a statement. “The Future of Food Conference is a must-attend event for a diverse range of professionals passionate about the culinary world.”

Tickets to the conference are available at http://tinyurl. com/4c498j7e , at P8,800 for the regular rate, and P5,500 for the academic rate. —