BioTec Amazônia, the Association of Amazonian Universities (UNAMAZ), the representative of the International Academy of Gastronomy and vice-president of the Brazilian Academy of Gastronomy, Gustavo Braga, and the president of the newly created Academy of Gastronomy of the Amazon, Álvaro Espírito Santo, met last Tuesday (2) to discuss strategies for strengthening Pan-Amazonian gastronomy.
The meeting, held at the headquarters of BioTec Amazônia, in Belém, was led by Professor José Seixas Lourenço, pro tempore president of UNAMAZ, and was attended by representatives of the Federal University of Pará (UFPA), Raul Carvalho and the Federal Institute of Pará (IFPA), Djane Bentes.
During the meeting, Professor Seixas Lourenço emphasized the importance of integration between the institutions: "The partnership with the Gastronomy Academies paves the way for the international recognition of Pan-Amazonian gastronomy. Belém is already recognized by UNESCO as a Creative City of Gastronomy, and the union of the academies with UNAMAZ further expands the Amazon's presence at global events," he stated.
The meeting was an extension of the International Symposium on Amazonian Gastronomy (SIGA 2025), held in Belém on August 28 and 29. On that occasion, a cooperation agreement was signed between the academies and UNAMAZ, which brings together universities and research institutes from eight Pan-Amazonian countries: Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana and Suriname.
The initiative's goal is to strengthen Amazonian gastronomy as a hybrid science that integrates tourism, nutrition, and food technology. The proposal seeks to promote cooperation between educational and research institutions, foster technological development, and enhance regional biodiversity, transforming the Amazon into an international benchmark in this field.
During SIGA 2025, the academic leaders visited the Supercritical Technology Laboratory, located in the Pará Science and Technology Park. The facility is renowned for its work extracting active ingredients from Amazonian biodiversity, producing extra virgin olive oils from fruits such as açaí and tucumã, comparable in quality to traditional olive oil.
The next International Gastronomy Symposium of the International Academy of Gastronomy will be held in September 2026, in Hong Kong, followed by an edition in 2027, in Helsinki, Finland, consolidating the active participation of the Pan-Amazon region in the global gastronomic scene.