ALMA TALKS:
On food, soil and cooperation with farmers
date: 25th of June 2024
time: 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM
location: ALMA Prague
Today, there is no doubt that the way we eat has a fundamental impact on our health, our landscape, water cycles, climate and, last but not least, the relationships around us. In his well-known TED talk, Chad Frischmann talks about the 20 most important solutions to the climate crisis; more than half of them are directly related to specific changes either in the food or agricultural systems.
In the first event of our AlmaTalks series, we will discuss how we can directly influence this agenda through our work in the hospitality sector, regardless if we work in classy restaurants, bistros and cafes or other larger catering facilities, such as hospitals or school canteens. We’ll discuss how using product as a tool for change can result in meaningful cooperation with farmers with the common goal of regenerating the land, building quality relationships and strong supply chains as a result.
Topics we will touch upon:
How can the hospitality sector specifically contribute to positive systemic change in food production.
The financial sustainability of working with higher quality ingredients where we know the origin and growers.
How restaurants can positively influence their guests' perceptions of food in a broader cultural and environmental context.
Functional models and examples of cooperation between catering companies and farmers and local producers from abroad.
Farm-to-table movement and examples of restaurants that have their own produce.
Discussion on the lack of initiatives to strengthen cooperation between small and medium farmers and catering businesses in our country.
where And how
The event capacity is 100 people. Most of the programme will take place in the ALMA restaurant, some parts will be held in Alma's underground conference space. The after-hours networking will take place over a glass of wine in VIN-ÁRNA, Alma's cosy wine bar located in its courtyard.
ALMA TALKS CATERING
The conference programme includes several refreshments, all created by Alma's chefs Michal Daňek and Petr Žídek exclusively from ingredients sourced from local farmers and producers. The price includes a morning welcome meal, a two-course lunch and an afternoon coffee break.
SPEAKERS
Ed Romein (NL), MAD Academy
Ed Romein is the head of the Environment & Sustainability program at Copenhagen's MAD Academy. With more than a decade of fascination with how people deal with food and how chefs transform ideas into delicious inventions on the plate, he acquired a taste for understanding eating as an ecological act.
ZUZANA BENEŠOVÁ (CZ), ŽIVÁ PŮDA
Zuzana is the director of the Živá půda (Living Soil) project which helps landowners prevent land degradation and provides frameworks to farmers on managing their land more sustainably. Zuzana herself is mostly devoted to policymaking and the diversification of agricultural production in the Czech Republic.
Simón Quiñones (DE), Otto Berlin
Simon is in charge of supplier relations at Berlin's Otto restaurant and manages the restaurant's own garden, where he cultivates edible trees and plants in line with the restaurant's vision to promote regional seasonal produce. He documents his work on his IG channel @otto_fieldnotes.
KAREL KALNÝ (CZ),
MITROVSKY ANGUS
Karel is an expert in regenerative agriculture and regenerative grazing. As part of the Mitrov Estate in the Vysočina region, he currently farms on 550 hectares, where he grazes cattle and chickens in a way that is ecologically beneficial for the surrounding nature and the local ecosystem.
RENATA KLIKOVÁ (CZ), KLIKA KITCHEN
Renata and her husband run the Klika Kitchen restaurant in České Budějovice, which they took over from their parents 8 years ago. They changed the whole concept and started reaching out to local farmers. Today, the seasonal menu consists only of local ingredients and changes once a month. Klika Kitchen helped kickstart and forms a part of the Jime Jih association.
PAVEL DRDEL (CZ), SŮL & ŘEPA
In his restaurant Sůl a Řepa, Pavel cooperates with small local suppliers. The basis of his cuisine does not start at the stove, but with local farmers in the field. His team values each raw material all the more and tries to process it without any waste. He pickles, dries, and ferments most of his food. He is also one of the founding members of the South Bohemian association of Jíme Jih.
TOMÁŠ VALKOVIČ (CZ), AMBIENTE - UM
Tomáš is one of the creative chefs of the Ambiente food group. He is currently based at the UM and his main role is to develop new concepts, try and test various recipes and procedures, conduct internal training for chefs and, now, also for the public. UM stands behind the concept of field trips called Ke Kořenům designed for chefs to be able to visit local farms.
HANA SOUČKOVÁ (CZ)
Hanka owns her own farm near Prague, where together with her parents and friends they grow, package and distribute more than 55 types of vegetables, herbs and edible flowers. Among other things, she delivers her products to some of the best restaurants in Prague.
ANNA GROSMANOVÁ (CZ), FOODPIONEER
Anna specializes in reportage and portrait photography in the field of agro-gastronomy, taking her audience on a journey through the world of food from cradle to grave. She currently creates a podcast for the Ambiente gastro group and is most known for her award-winning blog Foodpioneer.cz
Vanda Kofroňová (CZ)
Vanda Kofroňová is an economic editor and moderator. In the past you could see her on the screens as a reporter for Česká televize, where she plans to return after her current parental break. She also teaches presentation skills based on her long experience as a theater improviser.
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