Your Food for Soul project has become a global symbol in the fight against food waste and promoting social inclusion. How do you think the role of chefs in solving food safety and environmental sustainability is developing at a global level, especially in connection with the growing climate crisis?
I think that in such a context we should not only speak, but also act. I see the future as a combination of tradition and innovation. Without this connection, there is no real beauty. 25 years ago the world was different, everything is changing. When I say that culture is the most important ingredient for the chef of the future, I think that only thanks to it can the chef express his view of the world and think in a broader context.
Today it is not enough for the chef to be just a master of his recipes. He must cross the boundaries of the kitchen, raise the voice and speak for others. In 2025, 8 billion people live on Earth. We produce food for 12 billion, and yet we waste and destroy them a huge part. This makes us the main culprits of climate change.
Is this a sustainable way of thinking? No, it’s crazy and we have to put an end to it. To understand this, we need culture. It is a serious topic – up to 33 % of food produced ends up in waste. We are destroying the planet for foods that we will not use eventually. This is absurd.
How is your Repeettorio project doing right now? You make gourmet foods for vulnerable communities from unused food. You have defined the concept of hospitality.
I realized it wasn’t enough to stay in the kitchen – I had to get out of it and risk. In 2015 it was really a big risk, it was not comfortable for governments or large corporations in the food industry. But I wanted to do it. And the result? Huge success – not commercially, but socially and cultural. We have influenced the thinking of young receptive people around the world. Today, everyone talks about wasting food, climate change and helping people in need. But ten years ago? It was radical. Even Pope Francis talks about these topics today. This is a big step forward.
Recently I was in New York, in Harlem, where we have Repetotorio. It became the center of the local community. We work with Baldor – a company that distributes the best fruits and vegetables in New York. We are looking for all excess foods to Harlem and cook food for at least 100 people every night – including families with children. And what is not used on the spot, we pack in bags and people take it home. This is how we care for the community.
Thanks to progress in the field of food storage and artificial intelligence solutions, waste is reduced. Can technology even more strengthen the impact of initiatives than yours?
Modern technology can be a huge benefit. It allows us to study and optimize the amount and quality of food produced. It helps people to combine and better understand the importance of quality – not only the quality of ingredients, but also the quality of ideas. Contemporary gastronomy is no longer just about raw materials. It is about culture and ideas.
Nevertheless, the human aspect is irreplaceable for me. Restaurants are not just places where food is served – they are an expression of our lives. People do not live not only with food, but also by emotions. When you come to my restaurant, I will share your story with you.
Your culinary philosophy combines creativity with sustainability. How do you ensure that the art of high culinary is in accordance with ecological principles?
I combine thoughts, ethics and aesthetics. The future of gastronomy is not only about the quality of the ingredients, but also about the quality of ideas. For example, in our new restaurant we have won one in nine months Michelin’s star and one Green Star.
One of our dishes is a pineapple paste, provoking like pine pizza. Our chef Jessica comes from Montreal, where the pineapple pizza originated. I told her – Jessica, buy all the pineapple from the market. And farmers on that – We have the best one just arrived from Sicily.
From Sicily?
Yes, because climate change causes tropical crops such as mango or pineapple. This story is important. This created pasta prepared as a risotto in pineapple extract with special spices, flavored with dried Peperone Crusco pepper from basilicaty. No sauce, just tomato water. And it’s a predesert. Eat pasta as a predetezert in Italy?! Foolishness.
But when the guest sees a pineapple paste written on the menu, he begins to think and discuss it. This creates a dialogue about sustainability and at the same time support Sicilian farmers who are struggling with a lack of water. This is our philosophy – to combine ideas, ethics and aesthetics. That’s why our Al Gatto Verde restaurant was awarded in the 50 Best Pizzas ranking as dinner of the year.
Luxury is often contrary to sustainability. How do you perceive it?
Yes, it often happens. But in my opinion, the luxury is time. Luxury is how we use it. It is a culture, the ability to dive into detail, read, think. Luxury is not diamonds and gold. Even the richest people in the world long for this type of luxury – knowledge, culture, over time for themselves.
