The Global Sustainable Gastronomy Awards (GSCA) celebrate and recognize the world's leading restaurants and culinary professionals who are redefining excellence through sustainability, innovation, and respect for the planet.

Rooted in transparency and guided by global best practices, GSGA stands as the international standard of achievement for environmental and social responsibility in gastronomy, uniting chefs, producers, and diners in shaping a sustainable future for food.

Mission

To honor and accelerate culinary leadership that prioritizes sustainable sourcing, ethical practices, and environmental stewardship, inspiring the global gastronomy community to act responsibly for people, planet, and palate.

Vision

A world where sustainability is not a trend in gastronomy, but the foundation of its excellence.

Core Values

1. Integrity: Independent, evidence-based recognition grounded in verified practices.
2. Innovation: Celebrating creativity that advances sustainable dining and food systems.
3. Transparency: Clear criteria, open evaluation processes, and measurable impact.
4. Respect: For the environment, for local communities, and for culinary heritage.
5. Collaboration: Engaging chefs, suppliers, researchers, and institutions worldwide.

The Global Sustainable Gastronomy Awards fill the critical gap for a credible, international benchmark that both chefs and diners can trust. The GSGA recognizes excellence that sustains our planet, ensuring that the next generation of chefs inherits not only culinary skills, artistry and experience, but a thriving world to practice it on.

Evaluation Framework

The Global Sustainable Gastronomy Awards (GSGA) framework is built around five core pillars, each reflecting measurable excellence in sustainability, innovation, and ethical practice within gastronomy.

These criteria go beyond symbolic gestures, they reward integrated, transparent, and verified commitment to the planet and people, while maintaining culinary excellence.

THE FIVE PILLARS OF SUSTAINABLE GASTRONOMY

1. Sourcing & Biodiversity

Goal: To promote responsible, transparent sourcing that protects ecosystems and supports sustainable supply chains.

Assessment Criteria:
• Proven sourcing from local, seasonal, and regenerative producers.
• Verified traceability and transparency of ingredients.
• Commitment to biodiversity (e.g., heritage varieties, sustainable seafood, agroecology).
• Ethical sourcing of animal products (pasture-raised, certified welfare, etc).
• Avoidance of endangered or high-impact species.

Measurement Tools: Supplier audits, certifications, sourcing maps, ingredient lifecycle analyses.

2. Resource & Waste Management

Goal: To minimize environmental footprint through responsible energy, water, and waste practices.

Assessment Criteria:
• Efficient energy and water management (renewables, waste heat recovery, smart systems).
• Waste minimization and circular practices (e.g., composting, upcycling, food donation).
• Reduction of single-use plastics and packaging.
• Measurable carbon footprint tracking and reduction.
• Sustainable building and operational design principles.

Measurement Tools: Environmental audits, carbon calculators, waste logs, and operational impact reports.

3. People & Culture

Goal: To ensure fairness, inclusion, and wellbeing across the restaurant ecosystem — from staff to community.

Assessment Criteria:
• Fair wages, equity, and safe working conditions.
• Continuous training in sustainability, inclusivity, and professional development.
• Cultural respect and preservation of local food heritage.
• Active community engagement and education initiatives.
• Diversity and inclusion across leadership and staff.

Measurement Tools: HR policies, staff surveys, diversity data, community partnership documentation.

4. Innovation & Knowledge Sharing

Goal: To encourage creativity, technology, and research that accelerate sustainable gastronomy.

Assessment Criteria:
• Integration of science and innovation in sustainable menu design.
• Collaboration with academic, agricultural, or environmental partners.
• Research contributions, open-source practices, or published insights.
• Scalable solutions and mentorship programs for smaller kitchens or communities.

Measurement Tools: Case studies, publications, innovation project summaries.

5. Guest Experience & Communication

Goal: To connect sustainability with the dining experience and foster consumer awareness.

Assessment Criteria:
• Transparency in communicating sustainability efforts to guests.
• Storytelling that links sourcing, culture, and environmental care.
• Guest engagement (education, tours, experiences, zero-waste tastings).
• Measurable impact on public awareness and behavior change.

Measurement Tools: Menu communication, guest feedback, educational programs, social impact metrics.

Award Verification & Governance

• Third-party auditing: Independent sustainability assessors verify compliance and data integrity.
• Annual renewal: Awards are reviewed yearly to ensure ongoing performance.
• Transparency charter: Public disclosure of evaluation methodology and criteria updates.
• Advisory council: Composed of leading chefs, sustainability scientists, and institutional partners.

The Global Sustainable Gastronomy Awards (GSGA) framework positions the award not just as a culinary honor, but as a systemic sustainability standard, fostering collaboration, transparency, and measurable change across the global restaurant sector.