Our work

Indigenous food knowledge has sustained communities for generations. Our work is to protect it, celebrate it, and ensure it reaches the next generation.

Cultural events

Youth pathways

Food sovereignty

Network development

What we do

Four areas of focus

IGCC's work spans cultural celebration, youth empowerment, advocacy, and network building. Each programme area is guided by the same principle: that Indigenous food knowledge is sacred, and the communities who carry it deserve support, visibility, and a global stage.

Cultural events delivered

Nations in the network

Chefs, producers & practitioners

National & international events

Programme area

Cultural events & food showcases

Food is one of the most powerful vehicles for cultural expression. IGCC hosts and participates in a calendar of culturally grounded events designed to put Indigenous food knowledge front and centre — in kitchens, at marae, in community halls, and on international stages.

From intimate farm-to-table dinners celebrating ancestral crops to large-scale showcases at international food expos and cultural conventions, every event is an opportunity to share what Indigenous culinary excellence looks and tastes like.

Indigenous farm-to-table dinners celebrating ancestral crops and traditional cooking methods
Cooking demonstrations at cultural conventions and community gatherings
Participation in international food expos and culinary festivals
Pop-up food experiences at schools and universities
Te Ataahua o Te Kai — showcasing Indigenous culinary excellence at events like WIPCE

Indigenous ingredients, contemporary plating — the IGCC culinary vision

AUT (WIPCE) Orakei Presentation | Photo Credit - Timothy Park

Programme area

Youth pathways & education

One of the clearest measures of IGCC's success will be how many young Indigenous people enter food, agriculture, and cultural leadership careers feeling supported and inspired. Right now, that number is too low — and the pathways are too few.

IGCC is building the scaffolding for the next generation: scholarships, mentorships, exchange programmes, and culturally grounded food education that gives young people both the skills and the identity to carry this work forward.

Scholarship fund for Indigenous youth to undertake culinary training
Mentorship programme pairing aspiring chefs with experienced practitioners
Exchange programmes exposing youth to diverse Indigenous food traditions across regions
Partnerships with kumu, kaiako, and school programmes to build culturally grounded food curricula
Pop-up food experiences at schools and community centres

The next generation of Indigenous food leaders

Programme area

Food sovereignty advocacy

Food sovereignty — the right of peoples to define their own food systems — is inseparable from cultural sovereignty. When access to ancestral seeds, crops, and food practices is lost, something irreplaceable goes with it. IGCC advocates for Indigenous communities' right to grow, gather, prepare, and celebrate food on their own terms.

Through kōrero, events, partnerships, and the everyday act of cooking with ancestral ingredients, IGCC's chefs make the case that Indigenous food culture is not a relic of the past. It is living, evolving, and deserving of its place at the global table.

Hosting kōrero and public conversations around food sovereignty and Indigenous food rights
Advocating for access to ancestral crops, seed systems, and traditional growing practices
Partnerships with Indigenous producers and land-based communities
Supporting the documentation and protection of Indigenous food knowledge
Amplifying Indigenous voices in global culinary and food policy conversations

Foraging native plants — Velskov Forest Farm, Waitākere Ranges

"When Indigenous food knowledge thrives, communities thrive — and when it is lost, something irreplaceable disappears with it."

The IGCC collective at Metita-Invitational Dinner 2025, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland

Programme area

Network development

IGCC's strength is its network — the web of Indigenous chefs, producers, cultural practitioners, and knowledge holders who make up the collective. Building and sustaining that network is work in itself: it requires relationship, trust, and ongoing investment in the connections between nations.

As new National Collectives are recognised and more nations join the International Board, the network deepens. IGCC is committed to ensuring that growth is genuine — grounded in the cultural sovereignty of each nation, and never driven by scale for its own sake.

Recognising and supporting new National Collectives across the globe
Building partnerships with Indigenous philanthropy providers and funding bodies
Developing a digital presence that amplifies IGCC's purpose to wider audiences
Activating connections between Indigenous producers and formal network partnerships
Participating in educational conferences and cultural conventions aligned with IGCC's mission

Explore our nations → Join the network →

A network built on relationship, trust, and shared purpose

Support this work.

Every contribution — whether as a member, a funder, or a partner — helps IGCC protect Indigenous food knowledge and create real pathways for the next generation.

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