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Spotted: The hospitality industry has been hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic. But even before this, there was a move to support local ingredients and food producers as a way to cut carbon while helping farmers earn a fair price for their goods. Now, a Costa Rican initiative, Cocina Con Alma (‘cooking with soul’), has developed a platform made up entirely of local chefs and food producers.

The Cocina Con Alma app offers users healthy and nutritious meal choices, using 100 percent local and seasonal ingredients. Chefs and kitchens who choose to participate will be given standards, procedures and menus so that those ordering can have a consistent experience. Satellite kitchens associated with the platform are all certified and affiliated with APROCOL (Association of Local Producers and Cooks). 

The project is currently in the initial stages of organisation, and is in the process of signing up kitchens, chefs and producers. Recipes have already been designed and those interested can now register to participate. The project is supported by chef Marco Antonio Ganoza, who runs the La Divina Comida (‘Divine Food’) restaurant in Escazu, Costa Rica, alongside the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). 

Fernando Quevedo, IDB Representative in Costa Rica, explained that the two pillars of IDB’s ‘Vision 2025’ are, “support for SMEs and digitisation, two necessary components to generate sustainable and inclusive growth in Costa Rica”.

Reducing food miles is considered a key component of achieving food sustainability. And there is no shortage of innovative ideas in this space. Recently, Springwise has spotted supermarket parking lots transformed into on-site farms and a platform that helps food businesses monitor the CO2 emissions of their entire supply and production chain. 

Written By: Lisa Magloff