Safeguarding the traditional knowledge of food preservation and preparation in Vanuatu

A Conference will take place at the Slow Food Festival in Maewo Island, Penawa Province, Vanuatu, in July 2019 to raise awareness of the benefits of the traditional knowledge of food preservation and preparation in Vanuatu for disaster preparedness, food security, and women’s empowerment.
Following the first Tupunis (Tupunis, in Tannese language, is a term used for the people in charge of taking care of land and sea resources) Slow Food Festival held in the Island of Tanna in 2016, the 2nd Festival will take place in the Island of Maewo in July 2019. The Festival will bring together some 100 participants across the country with the assistance of several partners including UNESCO.

The Festival will be a celebration on the vibrant intangible cultural heritage (ICH) with the traditional knowledge of food preservation and preparation in Vanuatu as its heart. Vanuatu Culture Centre (VCC) and its field researchers will use this opportunity to work with the knowledge holders and practitioners to document and inventory the traditional food systems in Vanuatu.