Chef Abiro Wisdom and the Ghana Food Movement have earned international recognition after the Ghanaian organisation was named winner of the prestigious 2026 Champions of Change Award, sponsored by illycaffè and presented by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants.
The award, announced on August 19, 2026, recognises individuals and organisations using hospitality and food to drive meaningful social, economic and environmental change.
The recognition places Ghana’s indigenous food movement on an international platform and shines a spotlight on efforts to reshape how the country’s food heritage is understood, valued and promoted.
The Ghana Food Movement is a youth-led organisation dedicated to transforming Ghana’s food system through education, indigenous ingredients and community engagement.
Its work centres on three key pillars, community building, food education and local food promotion, with programmes designed to address challenges including increasing dependence on imported foods, changing diets and the declining value attached to indigenous ingredients.
Beyond celebrating Ghanaian cuisine, the organisation has sought to turn food into an avenue for opportunity. Through workshops, mentorship, business development support and masterclasses, it has helped equip chefs, entrepreneurs and young people with practical skills while contributing to employment opportunities for more than 250 young people in Ghana’s food industry.
Its latest initiatives demonstrate the broader ambition behind the movement.
The Ghana Plate Project, a school nutrition initiative, promotes nutritious meals and snacks using indigenous foods such as fonio, Bambara beans, sorghum, baobab and moringa. The project currently operates in four pilot schools, reaching approximately 400 students, with plans to expand to about 800 by the end of 2026.
The organisation has also launched research into climate-resilient indigenous food systems, exploring how traditional knowledge, local crops and community expertise can contribute to more sustainable food systems.
For the Ghana Food Movement, the award is therefore more than a trophy. Managing Director Abdallah Smith said the recognition represents farmers, chefs, young food leaders, educators and communities working collectively to reshape Ghana’s food system.
The award also comes with financial support from The World’s 50 Best Restaurants to help sustain and deepen the organisation’s initiatives, including South-South chef collaborations, cross-border connections and the promotion of indigenous knowledge and locally sourced school meals.
The recognition underscores a growing international appreciation of Ghana’s culinary heritage, not merely as a cultural treasure, but as a potential driver of healthier communities, employment, local enterprise and environmental sustainability.
For Chef Abiro Wisdom and the Ghana Food Movement, the global honour offers both recognition and a challenge: to continue transforming Ghana’s rich indigenous food heritage into practical opportunities that benefit the people who grow, prepare, preserve and consume it.
The 2026 Champions of Change Award is part of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants programme, with the main 2026 awards ceremony scheduled for November 4 in Lima, Peru.
Source: Bolgafmonline.com |102.7 MHz| Bolgatanga
