Bord Bia to sponsor world’s first University of Gastronomic Sciences

BORD BIA is to sponsor the world’s first University of Gastronomic Sciences to be established in Italy by the Slow Food movement, which has more than 80,000 consumers in 50 countries.

The movement was founded in Italy in 1989 to protect the right to taste by encouraging local people, councils and regional organisations to band together to support local food producers.

It has succeeded in helping to preserve the individual identity of regional foods, methods of agriculture and the local environment. The new university curriculum will include a stage programme on the science, nutrition, history, culture and gastronomy of Irish food. Bord Bia said the sponsorship will give it unique access to the next generation of opinion forming food media and influencers internationally and is an investment in the future of the Irish food and drink industry.

In addition, it is strategically significant given the importance of Italy as a core market for exporting Irish beef.

Bord Bia chief executive Michael Duffy said they are delighted to be associated with this unique and important university degree programme in international food education.

“Our commitment to the university signifies our clear understanding of the importance of taste and gastronomy, which deserves the highest academic status. Eighty-six percent of consumers who purchase premium value food cite taste as their overriding influence in making food choices,” he said.

The Irish aspect of the curriculum will include a 10 to 12-day field seminar in September 2005, when students will visit Ireland.

They will study Irish food production and agricultural traditions, focusing mainly on artisan producers while also examining some of the larger Irish food producing companies.

Slow Food International president Carlo Petrini said the university was the first in the world to give academic dignity to gastronomy on a par with food science and nutrition.