Sales1-1024×3742 Source:bergen.kommune.no
Bergen will thus expand its UNESCO affiliation. Bergen is already a UNESCO World Heritage City through Bryggen and a UNESCO World Memory of the World City through the Leprosy Archive. In addition, Bergen has a UNESCO professorship at the University of Bergen.
Great recognition for the Bergen region
– This is a great recognition for the region and will place us on the map as a food city. The fact that we have now passed through UNESCO's eye of the needle is important for the further work of promoting local food and gastronomy in the Bergen region, says City Councilor for Climate, Culture and Industry, Julie Andersland.
Over the past ten years, Bergen has had an ever-increasing interest in local food and gastronomy, and since 2011, extensive work has been done to bring together the stakeholders and form the basis for the application to UNESCO. The application was submitted by Bergen Municipality on behalf of a partnership consisting of Hordaland County Municipality, Hordaland Farmers' Association, the County Governor's Department of Agriculture, Innovation Norway, the University of Bergen, Bergen Tourism Association, Bergen Master Chefs' Guild and the Directorate of Fisheries – and NCE Seafood. In addition, a number of other stakeholders have been involved in the application process, including a resource group from the restaurant community in Bergen.
Bergen has attracted international attention for several of the city's new restaurants, which was highlighted when the renowned restaurant guide the White Guide found seven eateries in Bergen that meet their strict quality standards. The Food Festival, Sustainable Life and the Farmer's Market are also examples of growing interest in local food traditions in Bergen.
Targeted focus
In parallel with the UNESCO work, targeted efforts have been made over several years to promote local food in the region.
– The County Governor of Hordaland has worked purposefully for many years with initiatives on local food, which is also made visible in the Food Strategy “Vegval for lokalmat i Hordaland”. Bergen’s membership in UNESCO Cities of Gastronomy will provide inspiration and motivation to all of us in the network around local food, agriculture and tourism in Hordaland. We are happy today with Bergen Municipality, which has now been granted important status as a food city, says the County Governor’s Director of Agriculture, Åse Vaag.
The county council is also investing in this area.
– We are very happy about the approval, and congratulate Bergen Municipality. The UNESCO status will be an important boost towards the green climate change. The UNESCO status can lay the foundation for increased local food production, better cooperation between city and district, between food producers from sea and land and academia, says County Mayor Anne Gine Hestetun.
International cooperation
By joining the network, many opportunities now open up to expand cooperation to a number of other cities around the world within gastronomy and other creative industries.
As a member of the network, the Swedish member city of Østersund has noticed increasing international interest in Østersund as a food city, and the northern Swedish city was also named Sweden's food capital in 2011.
Read more on UNESCO's website unesco UNESCO UNESCO Creative Cities Network:
Launched in 2004 and now comprising 116 Member Cities, the UNESCO Creative Cities Network aims to foster international cooperation with and between cities committed to investing in creativity as a driver for sustainable urban development, social inclusion and cultural vibrancy.
UNESCO Director-General, Irina Bokova, has announced the designation of 47 cities from 33 countries as new members of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. The results of this year's Call bear witness to the Network's enhanced diversity and geographical representation with 22 cities from countries not previously represented.
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